University of Missouri Defensive Coordinator Dave Steckel was named the next football coach at Missouri State on Sunday, December 14.
Steckel follows Terry Allen, who was coming off a 4-8 season and a 37-64 record the past nine seasons in Springfield. The university announced that it would not renew Allen’s contract last month.
“He’s wanted to be a head coach for a long time now,” Pinkel said of Steckel in a statement. “I’m just so appreciative for all of the great things he’s done to help us build our program at Mizzou.”
Missouri State’s Athletic Director Kyle Moats said it was more than his success at Mizzou and his ability to recruit in the state and across the country.
“I think he’s an outstanding man of character,” Moats said. “His players play extremely hard for him.”
Moats called the Steckel hire a “game-changer,” and said Steckel’s reputation elevates not only the athletic department, but also the university by raising the program’s yearly expectations.
Pinkel and Steckel have worked together at Mizzou since Pinkel became the head coach in 2001, and they also worked together for two years at Toledo.
“It’s going to be strange to not have him around,” Pinkel said. “Stec is going to do a great job at Missouri State.”
Steckel started as the linebackers coach for the Tigers, before being promoted to Defensive Coordinator in 2009. He has coached all-conference linebackers such as James Kinney, Marcus Bacon, and Sean Witherspoon at Missouri. His defense has been in the top-10 in the nations for sacks as a team the last two years.
“Stec has had a huge impact on the building of this program,” Associate Athletic Director for Communications Chad Moller said. “He’s certainly done a great job building our defense into what has culminated into probably the best defense we’ve had here in quite a while.”
“It’s exciting for all of us that he’s got his chance (to be a head coach),” Pinkel said. “Missouri State is getting a guy who is an outstanding coach, an even better family man, and someone who really cares about people.”
