Within the last four years, Southeast Missouri State has hired a handful of new coaches to improve the culture of athletics at the university.

Popularly known as "Coach Tuke," Tom Matukewicz was introduced as Southeast's 13th head football coach on Dec. 18, 2013.

Matukewicz's efforts to create a winning football program at Southeast are important to him, however creating high-character men is most important in the long run.

Matukewicz's efforts to become highly visible in the community and random acts of kindness are ways he utilizes the city of Cape Girardeau to teach his team life lessons, not just football.

"If all my guys did was come to college and learn X's and O's on a board, that wouldn't be what we want to give them as a program," Matukewicz said after visiting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital on Sept. 3. "I don't believe I would be fulfilling my full purpose here as a head football coach if I didn't give these guys experiences that mold them to become better men."

Also in 2013, Southeast Missouri's baseball program gained Steve Bieser as the fifth head coach in the program. Bieser recently took the head coaching position at the University of Missouri following the 2016 OVC regular season championship, OVC tournament championship and regional appearance at Mississippi State.

Andy Sawyers was selected as Bieser's successor on July 29 and looks to continue the team's success.

"I am excited to continue what this program has built for the past five years," Sawyers said during the groundbreaking ceremony for Capaha Park. "There's no reason to change much. We are looking to implement what we really value and see where we can take this thing."

In 2014, softball coach Mark Redburn was hired after the retirement of Lana Richmond, who holds the record for longest consecutive tenure of any Southeast and Ohio Valley Conference coach. During his first season coaching, Redburn led the team to snap a streak of three years not making a postseason appearance. Academically, the team accumulated a 3.35 grade point average during his first season, raising it substantially from years prior.

The Southeast men's and women's basketball teams both gained new head coaches on April 13, 2015. Rick Ray was introduced as the 20th head coach in Southeast's men's basketball history and Rekha Patterson was hired as the first female head coach in the NCAA Division I era for Southeast women's basketball and fourth female head coach in the 39-year history of the program.

In her first season as head coach, Patterson guided the team to its first winning season in seven years. Ray is the first African-American head coach in the 108-year history of the men's program.

Southeast's women's tennis team also hired Mary Beth Gunn on Nov. 10, 2015. The team concluded its 2016 fall season last Saturday, Oct. 29, at the Missouri State Invitational.

Over the past four years, Southeast has gained six newly hired coaches with the goal of improving the culture of athletics on and off the field.