Aug. 8, 2002

CAPE GIRARDEAU - Mike Stevens, an assistant tennis coach at North Carolina State, has been hired as the new women's tennis coach at Southeast Missouri State University.

Stevens, who will assume his new duties on August 26, has seven years NCAA Division I coaching experience. He was an assistant at Yale for two seasons including a stint as interim head coach in the spring of 2000, leading the Yale women to a 15-6 overall mark and a 6-1 record in the Ivy League.

From 1990 to 1994, Stevens was head men's and women's tennis coach at Rider University. He has also served three years as a tennis pro at a private club in North Carolina and has worked as a product development specialist for the Prince Sports Group.

"We're delighted to be able to hire Mike Stevens as our new tennis coach," said Don Kaverman, director of athletics at Southeast. "He has solid Division I experience and should be able to develop a competitive tennis team in the Ohio Valley Conference."

Stevens said he is excited about being named the head coach at Southeast. "I'm excited about the opportunity to again be a head coach at the Division I level and I'm looking forward to moving to Cape Girardeau and getting the tennis program moving in the right direction. I also want to get the community involved in our program and I will be offering free clinics for both youngsters and adults."

A 1987 graduate of Richmond University, Stevens and his wife, Trudy, have a two-year old son, David.