Aug. 23, 2006

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - Southeast Missouri State University soccer coach Heather Nelson didn't have to go far to find her new assistant coach. After a national search, Nelson selected her husband, Paul, as the associate head coach for the Redhawks.

Paul Nelson has been a volunteer assistant coach for the past seven years but moves to a full time position after the resignation of assistant coach Beth Guccione.

"We had several good applicants, but none could match Paul's experience and his familiarity with our program," said Heather Nelson. "He was my assistant for four years at Florida State and we work well together. He also has international experience as both a player and coach."

Paul Nelson entered the professional ranks in 1997 and enjoyed 13 competitive seasons at that level. He competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) during the indoor and outdoor seasons. He also played in the Irish Premier Division in addition to being a member of the Canadian National Player Pool.

As a staff coach for the British Columbia Soccer, Nelson boasted one of the best amateur soccer coaching records in Canada. His coaching successes included two gold medals including the 1991 Western Canadian Championships and the 1993 Canada Games. He was also an assistant coach for Canada's Olympic squad in 1994.

Nelson had been working as head trainer for the Southeast Missouri Soccer Club which includes over 300 soccer players.

"Paul will be very valuable to us in team training and game preparation," Heather Nelson said. "Our coaching philosophies are very compatible."