Last updated July 19, 2019
Joe Uhls is currently the longest tenured member of the Southeast Missouri football staff.
Uhls has worked with the Redhawk football team for a total of 10 years, including eight as either assistant coach or director of operations. He is in charge of the tight ends.
The 2019 season marks the first where Uhls will solely work as an assistant coach. Prior to this year, he was both the Redhawks tight ends coach and director of operations. Along with his coaching responsibilities, Uhls handled the day-to-day operations, team travel and all other duties as assigned by head coach Tom Matukewicz in that dual role.
Uhls’ tight ends were part of an offense that broke four single-season records in 2018. The Redhawks established new school marks in points scored (482), points per game (37.1), touchdowns (63) and total plays (891).
In addition to their success catching the football, the tight ends blocked for Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year running back Marquis Terry. The tight ends helped spring Terry for 1,229 yards, 14 touchdowns and six 100-yard games.
Austin Crump, Bud Hilburn, Eric Williams, Caleb Strauss and Zach Liles are the tight ends Uhls will oversee in 2019.
Crump started 12 games and notched nine catches for 113 yards and three touchdowns last season. He scored a touchdown on each of his first two career receptions, including the game-winning 14-yard catch with 25 seconds left at Southern Illinois.
Williams and Hilburn also have some starting experience under their belts.
Uhls graduated from Southeast with a degree in General Studies in 2012. He also received his Master’s in Business Administration at SEMO in 2015.
He attended Cape Central High School and is the grandson of former legendary Southeast head baseball coach Joe Uhls.
Uhls was a student assistant with the offense for two seasons before taking over as the Redhawks director of operations.
He and his wife, Mara, reside in Cape Girardeau with their daughter, Savannah.
