Lyndal Scranton

News-Leader

Missouri State has called a news conference for 5 p.m. Sunday to announce its new football coach and all signs are pointing to the school staying in-state for its new leader.

Multiple sources have told the News-Leader that Dave Steckel, the defensive coordinator and associate head coach at Missouri, will be named the new Bears' coach.

Steckel just completed his 14th season at Missouri, where he's been defensive coordinator and linebackers coach the last six seasons with the added title of associate head coach since 2011.

Steckel was announced last week as one of five finalists — and the only defensive finalist — for the Frank Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.

The Missouri State job has been open since Nov. 23 when Terry Allen was told his contract would not be renewed after a 4-8 season.

Steckel, 57, is considered one of the top assistant coaches in the nation. His listed salary at Missouri is $600,000 but sources indicate that he is willing to take less at Missouri State as he's eager to become a head coach after a long career as a top aide to Gary Pinkel at Missouri.

Steckel has been part of a staff that saw Missouri gofrom bottom-feeder in the Big 12 to conference contender and onto the powerful Southeastern Conference, where it's won the East Division the last two years.

The Tigers (10-3) will play Minnesota in the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida on New Year's Day.

During SEC games only, Missouri had the conference's best total defense (300.8 yards) and run defense (115.0) and also had the SEC's second-best passing defense (185.8) and scoring defense (19.1 points).

In his 14 seasons at Missouri, Steckel has had at least one linebacker earn all-league honors in all years but one and had two in nine of those seasons.

Steckel coached linebackers at Missouri from 2001-2008 after previous assistant-coaching jobs at Rutgers and Toledo.

He coached the defensive line for Pinkel at Toledo from 1992-95.

The 1982 graduate of Kutztown College served in the United States Marine Corps from 1975-78. He earned a Master's degree from Miami (Ohio).