DRC Article on Steadman's Interview

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DRC.com

Men's basketball: Steadman interviews for McNeese job

06:48 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 8, 2006

By Brett Vito / Staff Writer

North Texas assistant men’s basketball coach Jai Steadman felt like his interview at McNeese State for the Cowboys opening for a head coach went well on Monday.

Steadman will find out how well today.

McNeese interviewed three other candidates along with Steadman for the opening that was created when Tic Price was fired and will announce its decision today. Dave Simmons, an assistant coach at Northwestern State, has been mentioned as a front-runner.

Mississippi State assistant coach Robert Kirby and Charlie Fenske, who last coached as an assistant at Texas State, also interviewed.

“I thought the interview went really well,” Steadman said Monday following his visit to the Lake Charles, La., school. “I am up against three really good coaches. At my age and for what I have been through, to be able to interview for a Division I job is a great honor.”

Steadman graduated from Nebraska in 1997 and took his first job as an assistant at Tyler Junior College later that year. He made a stop at TCU before spending a year at McNeese in 2004-05. He then joined Johnny Jones’ staff at UNT before last season.

Steadman took over as the Mean Green’s recruiting coordinator earlier this year and has helped land a series of transfers who are expected to be impact players at UNT, including forwards Curtis Muse of Mineral Area (Mo.) Community College and Roderick Flemings, a transfer from Oklahoma State.

“It would be a great step in my career,” Steadman said. “To be a head coach on the collegiate level is something I have prepared for. I know I am ready.”

Steadman credited Jones for preparing him for the opportunity to interview for the McNeese job.

Jones already lost one of his assistants this offseason when Fred Rike left to become the head coach at Angelo State, a Division II school in the Lone Star Conference.

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Dave Simmons named head basketball coach at McNeese State Posted 8/8/2006 12:18 PM ET

LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) — Dave Simmons, who has been an assistant coach with three different Southland Conference basketball champions, was named head coach Tuesday at McNeese State.

Simmons comes from Northwestern State, which won the SLC title last season and defeated Iowa State in the first round of the NCAA tournament. He replaces Tic Price, who was fired last month after five seasons and a 74-68 record.

"Dave Simmons is a very good fit for our program," McNeese State athletic director Sonny Watkins said. "He has helped build championship teams everywhere he has gone and he knows what it takes to be a champion in the Southland Conference."

Simmons, 47, also has been on the staffs of Louisiana Tech and McNeese State when those teams won SLC championships and advanced to the NCAA tournament. He has been at Northwestern State for the past seven seasons.

Simmons played college basketball at Louisiana Tech and was named to the all-SLC team three times.