June 13, 2004

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State University basketball coach Gary Garner has announced that assistant coach Mark Bernsen has resigned in order to take the head coaching job at Moberly Community College.

"We wish Mark well in his new position as head coach at Moberly," Garner said. "I know he is excited about again becoming a head coach and in taking over a tradition rich program like Moberly. I consider Moberly one of the top 10 junior college coaching jobs in the country. Mark certainly did a great job for us during his one year at Southeast."

Bernsen is a former head coach at Missouri-St. Louis, Southwest Missouri State and Jefferson Community College. He was formerly an assistant at New Mexico State, SMS and Murray State.

"It was a difficult decision to leave Southeast because I think things are in place to do something really special next season, particularly in the Ohio Valley Conference," Bernsen said. "Southeast will have a blend of seniors and talented newcomers that can make it a very exciting year in Cape Girardeau. Working with Coach Garner was great. He does things the right way, both on and off the court. The move is just something I had to do for my career."

Bernsen, a native of St. Louis and a former head coach at McCluer High School, was a junior college head coach at Jefferson from 1977 to 1985 with seven 20 win seasons including the 1984-85 team that was 28-8.

"The Moberly job is a great opportunity and a great challenge," Bernsen said. "It is a tradition laden program that has good talent in place for next season."

Southeast will conduct a national search for Bernsen's position.