CAPE GIRARDEAU, MO. (January 25, 2001) - The past several weeks have been exciting times for Southeast Missouri State football fans even though the season ended two months ago. Just two weeks ago, fans were discussing the possibility of former quarterbacks coach Jon Gruden leading his Oakland Raiders into the Super Bowl. And although that did not happen, the man who replaced Gruden at Southeast, Marty Mornhinweg, has now garnered the attention of Southeast fans by becoming the head coach of the National Football League's Detroit Lions.
Mornhinweg was hired on January 26, 1989 to replace Gruden who left to take a job at Pacific University. Mornhinweg served as the quarterbacks coach in 1989 under head coach Bill Maskill for a team that finished 7-4 and as offensive coordinator for head coach John Mumford on the 1990 team that finished 7-3. At the time of his hiring Mornhinweg said, "I'm excited about coming to Southeast Missouri State. I checked out the school and the football program thoroughly before taking the job. I'm impressed with the university and I just get the feeling this is a winning program that is going places."
Mornhinweg got his start at Oak Grove High School in San Jose, California. His high school coach was current Seattle Seahawks coach and general manager Mike Holmgren. Mornhinweg then took his game to the University of Montana where he was a standout quarterback. He was a four-year starter, earned two-time team MVP honors, two-time All-Big Sky honors, two-time honorable mention All-American honors, was the Mirage Bowl MVP and set 15 school passing records. After college, Mornhinweg briefly played for the San Francisco 49ers as a camp quarterback and then in 1986 he quarterbacked the Denver Dynamite of the Arena Football league to the AFL championship before suffering a career-ending knee injury.
Mornhinweg's coaching duties prior to joining the Southeast staff included receiver's coach at Montana (1985), quarterbacks coach at University of Texas-El Paso (86-87) and running backs coach at Northern Arizona (1988).
Mornhinweg spent only two seasons at Southeast and then moved on to become the tight ends coach at the University of Missouri in 1991. Following three seasons with the Tigers, Mornhinweg joined his former high school coach with the Green Bay Packers. In his tenure with the Packers, Mornhinweg served as Brett Favre's quarterback coach in the Packers 1996 Super Bowl season.
In 1997, Mornhinweg joined the 49ers staff and worked his way up to offensive coordinator. This season, despite missing the retired Steve Young, the 49ers offense broke several team records and sent three offensive starters (Jeff Garcia, Terrell Owens and Charlie Garner) to the Pro Bowl.
With the Lions, the 38-year old Mornhinweg replaces former interim head coach Gary Moeller.
