The Southeast Missouri State Redhawks football program is the intercollegiate American football team for the Southeast Missouri State University located in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The team competes in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and are members of the Ohio Valley Conference. The school's first football team was fielded in 1902. The team plays its home games at the 11,015-seat Houck Stadium. They are coached by Tom Matukewicz.
| Southeast Missouri State Redhawks football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| First season | 1902 | ||
| Athletic director | Brady Barke | ||
| Head coach | Tom Matukewicz 12th season, 66–68 (.493) | ||
| Stadium | Houck Stadium (capacity: 11,015) | ||
| Location | Cape Girardeau, Missouri | ||
| NCAA division | Division I FCS | ||
| Conference | OVC–Big South | ||
| All-time record | 505–569–37 (.471) | ||
| Conference championships | |||
| MIAA: 1937, 1942, 1946, 1955, 1957, 1958, 1959, 1962, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1987, 1988 OVC: 2010, 2019, 2022 OVC–Big South: 2024 | |||
| Colors | Red and black | ||
| Website | gosoutheast.com | ||
History
Southeast Missouri State first competed in football in 1904. In 1912, the school joined the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA), which later joined the NCAA as a Division II conference. The football team had its first known head coach, J.F. Corleux, in 1915. Corleux remained head coach until 1929.
In 1991, Southeast Missouri State joined the Ohio Valley Conference and moved up to the Division I-AA level.
Classifications
- 1952–1957: NAIA
- 1958–1972: NCAA College Division
- 1973–1990: NCAA Division II
- 1991–present: NCAA Division I–AA/FCS
Conference memberships
- 1902–1923: Independent
- 1924–1990: Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association
- 1991–present: Ohio Valley Conference
Conference championships
Southeast Missouri State has won 21 conference championships, 12 outright and nine shared.
| Season | Conference | Coach | Overall Record | Conference Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Abe Stuber | 9–0 | 5–0 |
| 1942† | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Abe Stuber | 4–2–1 | 3–1 |
| 1946 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Abe Stuber | 8–0–1 | 5–0 |
| 1955 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kenneth Knox | 9–0 | 5–0 |
| 1957 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kenneth Knox | 6–2–1 | 4–0–1 |
| 1958 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kenneth Knox | 7–1–1 | 5–0 |
| 1959 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kenneth Knox | 7–2 | 5–0 |
| 1962 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kenneth Knox | 7–3 | 5–0 |
| 1967 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Kenneth Knox | 8–2 | 5–0 |
| 1968 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Tom Thrower | 6–4 | 5–0 |
| 1969† | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Tom Thrower | 8–2 | 4–1 |
| 1973 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Jim Lohr | 6–4 | 5–1 |
| 1975 | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Jim Lohr | 7–4 | 6–0 |
| 1976† | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Jim Lohr | 7–3–1 | 4–1–1 |
| 1977† | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Jim Lohr | 7–3–1 | 4–1–1 |
| 1987† | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Bob Smith | 6–4–1 | 4–0–1 |
| 1988† | Missouri Intercollegiate Athletic Association | Bill Maskill | 6–4 | 5–1 |
| 2010 | Ohio Valley Conference | Tony Samuel | 9–3 | 7–1 |
| 2019† | Ohio Valley Conference | Tom Matukewicz | 9–3 | 7–1 |
| 2022† | Ohio Valley Conference | Tom Matukewicz | 9–3 | 5–0 |
| 2024† | Big South–OVC Football Association | Tom Matukewicz | 9–3 | 6–2 |
† Co-champions
Playoff appearances
NCAA Division I-AA/FCS
The Redhawks have made five appearances in the Division I–AA/FCS playoffs, with a combined record of 1–5.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Second round | Eastern Washington | L 17–37 |
| 2018 | First round Second round | Stony Brook Weber State | W 28–14 L 23–48 |
| 2019 | First Round | Illinois State | L 6–24 |
| 2022 | First Round | Montana | L 24–34 |
| 2024 | First Round | Illinois State | L 27–35 |
Rivalries
Southeast Missouri State has an in-state rivalry with Missouri State. The two schools last played in 2008, and Missouri State leads the series 46–28.
Another rivalry is with Southern Illinois. The annual series between the schools went on hiatus after 2005 and resumed in 2010. In 2013, the two schools played in a game called the College Classic, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis. In the first-ever football game held at Busch, Southern Illinois won 36–19. In 2018, the rivalry game was dubbed the "War of the Wheel". The winner of the "War of the Wheel" takes home an authentic ship's wheel. Southeast Missouri State leads the series 44–40–8 as of 2024.
Within the Ohio Valley Conference, Southeast Missouri State's rival was Murray State. Murray State left the Ohio Valley Conference to join the Missouri Valley Conference for football on July 1, 2023. The two schools last played in 2022, which was the last Ohio Valley Conference game for Murray State. Murray State leads the series 43–14–1.
Notable former players
| Name | Years played | Position |
|---|---|---|
| Eugene Amano | 2000–2003 | C |
| Dan Connolly | 2001–2005 | OT |
| Kenneth Dement | 1951–1955 | OT/DT |
| Kendall Donnerson | 2014-2017 | DE |
| Mike Ford | 2013-2017 | CB |
| Drew Forbes | 2015-2019 | OG |
| Ray Goodson | 2001–2004 | TE |
| Ken Iman | 1958–1959 | C |
| Edgar Jones | 2003–2006 | LB |
| Dimitri Patterson | 2001–2004 | CB |
| Willie Ponder | 1999–2002 | WR |
| Jon Robinson | 1996–1998 | DT |
| Angel Rubio | 1993–1997 | DT |
| Zach Hall | 2016–2019 | LB |
| Marquis Walker | 1992–1995 | CB |
| Kristian Wilkerson | 2015–2019 | WR |
| Mike Wood | 1974–1977 | K |
Current coaching staff
| Name | Position |
|---|---|
| Tom Matukewicz | Head coach |
| Ricky Coon | Defensive coordinator |
| Jeromy McDowell | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks |
| Justin Drudik | Wide receivers/offensive passing game coordinator |
| Ray Smith | Defensive Backs/Defensive pass game coordinator |
| Jerone Williams | Defensive line |
| Cole Cook | Tight ends |
| Tim Billings | Outside linebackers |
| Connor Benado | Inside linebackers |
| Lucas Orchard | Offensive line |
| Isasc Reed | Running backs |
| Luke Berblinger | Recruiting coordinator |
| Lucas Orchard | Graduate assistant |
| Jesse Stilley | Graduate assistant |
| Brett Blackman | Director of operations/equipment manager |
| Ryan Napoli | Director of sports performance |
Future non-conference opponents
Announced schedules as of January 20, 2026.
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| at Indiana State | at Kansas | at Missouri | at North Alabama | at Missouri |
| at Iowa State | at Central Arkansas | at Southern Illinois | at Ole Miss | |
| at Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois | |||
| Central Arkansas |
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