Updated: Southeast football cornerbacks coaching spot filled

Southeast Missouri State has announced that Melvin Rice has been hired as the cornerbacks coach. Rice had been Minnesota's defensive quality control assistant since 2011 under coach Jerry Kill. Rice played under Kill at Northern Illinois, and played for the Green Bay Blizzard in the Indoor Football League in 2010 before returning to NIU as a graduate assistant. "We are fortunate to hire Melvin," Southeast coach Tom Matukewicz said in a news release. "He was a great player for us at Northern Illinois and is an even better person. He comes to Southeast from Minnesota where the Golden Gophers had a record breaking year. Melvin has learned from Jay Sawvel, one of the best coaches in the country and is a rising star in the profession." Rice replaces Travis Fisher, who has taken an assistant coaching position at his alma mater, the University of Central Florida. --- It hasn't been officially announced yet, but it looks like Southeast Missouri State football coach Tom Matukewicz has found his replacement for the open cornerbacks coaching position. Minnesota defensive backs and special teams coach Jay Sawvel posted the following tweeet on Twitter earlier today, stating that Melvin Rice is headed to Southeast.

Good luck to one of my favorites @coachMRice the new Corners coach at Southeast Missouri - very proud to have coached and worked with him

— Jay Sawvel (@JaySawvel) January 15, 2015

Rice, who has served as Minnesota's defensive quality control assistant under coach Jerry Kill since 2011, played at Northern Illinois from 2005-2008 and was a graduate assistant in 2010. As a graduate assistant he helped coach defensive backs while Matukewicz was the run-game coordinator and served as the interim head coach during NIU's Humanitarian Bowl win after Kill left for Minnesota. You can check out Rice's complete bio {http://www.gophersports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/melvin_rice_759720.html here}. Rice is expected to fill the spot left by Travis Fisher, who {http://www.semoball.com/blogs/1909/entry/60924/ accepted an assistant coaching position at his alma mater}, the University of Central Florida.