HAMMOND - Looking to fill a vacant spot on his coaching staff, Southeastern Louisiana University head football coach Mike Lucas went back into the Lions' short history as he named Patrick Garvin as an assistant coach for the 2008 season.

Garvin, who replaces Dan Redding as the defensive line coach, spent the 2005 season as defensive line coach on former coach Dennis Roland's staff before spending the past two seasons in the high school ranks.

"We're very excited to have Patrick back in the Southeastern family," Lucas, who served as the Lions' defensive coordinator in 2005, said. "Patrick was a vital member of our staff when we made the move to the Southland Conference in 2005 and he will do a very good job helping develop the young personnel that we have on the defensive line."

Garvin coached defensive ends in his first stint in Hammond, helping the Lions to a 4-6 record in their first season in the Southland Conference. Among the players Garvin coached were former standouts Jay Skidmore and honorable mention All-Southland Conference selection Rudy Johnson.

Garvin spent the past season as head coach and athletic director at Lumberton (Miss.) High School where he led his team to a 6-5 record and a berth in the state playoffs. Garvin spent the 2006 season at Gulfport (Miss.) High School where he was the defensive coordinator before moving to the offensive side last spring.

A native of Fort Worth, Texas, Garvin began his coaching career at Belhaven where he spent two seasons on Roland's staff. Garvin moved to the Division I ranks in 2002 at Samford, where he was tight ends coach in 2002 before moving to running backs coach for the Bulldogs in 2003.

"I'm glad to be back at Southeastern and the Southland Conference and working with coach Lucas," Garvin said. "I enjoyed my time coaching in high school, but the opportunity to get back into college coaching was too good to pass up."

Garvin played two seasons at Pearl River (Miss.) Community College before finishing his career at Belhaven, where he was an All Mid-South Conference selection at guard.