HAMMOND – Southeastern Louisiana University head football coach Mike Lucas announced Monday that Allen Rudolph has been elevated to offensive coordinator and that Art Asselta has joined the coaching staff as quarterbacks coach.

The appointment of Asselta is subject to approval from the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors.

Rudolph, who enters his fourth season on the Southeastern staff, spent the past three seasons as the Lions' offensive line coach. The Jackson, Miss. native has played a key role in the development of linemen Kevin Hughes and David Ward, who each earned All-Southland Conference honors in 2009.

“We feel that it's very important to keep continuity in our offensive scheme with so many players that we have returning,” Lucas said. “I have every confidence in the world that coach Rudolph can take our offense to the next level where we need to go.

“He's had experience as offensive coordinator at Samford (University), he knows our offense inside and out, and our players have a great deal of respect for him, his work ethic and his knowledge of the game. It was a natural move for us to elevate him to offensive coordinator.”

Prior to joining the Southeastern staff in 2007, Rudolph spent two seasons at Samford University where he was the Bulldogs' offensive coordinator and offensive line coach under Bill Gray.

Rudolph began his coaching career at Nicholls State, where he also was a three-year starting center for the Colonels. Rudolph spent three seasons on the NSU coaching staff before serving as offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Copiah-Lincoln Community College.

He spent two seasons at Mississippi College before serving as offensive line coach at Louisiana-Monroe from 2002-03. Rudolph spent the 2004 season as offensive line coach at East Mississippi Community College before being hired at Samford, a former Ohio Valley Conference member now competing in the Southern Conference.

Asselta, a former quarterback at Hofstra University, spent the past six seasons as the passing game coordinator, quarterbacks and receivers coach at Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn.

During his first season with the Pioneers, he coached the running backs and SHU graduate Ed Pricolo, who became the school's all-time leading rusher.

Before joining SHU, Asselta worked as a graduate assistant and running backs coach at Louisiana-Monroe, where he coached the first 1,000-yard rusher for Warhawks since their move to Division I-A.

He holds an undergraduate degree in Marketing from Hofstra University where he played quarterback for the Pride and was twice named Conference Player of the Week. He holds a graduate degree from Stony Brook University and worked as a graduate assistant for the Seawolves for one season.

“Art has experience working with Allen and is familiar with our terminology and our offensive scheme,” Lucas said. “With Art coaching the quarterbacks, I felt like it was important to have someone who has played the position to work with our returning players and share his knowledge and the mental aspect of playing quarterback.

“He did a great job during his time at Sacred Heart and is an outstanding recruiter. We're looking forward to having him on the staff.”