HAMMOND – Chet Pobolish has been elevated to offensive coordinator at Southeastern Louisiana, Lion head football coach Ron Roberts announced on Friday.
 
Pobolish, who recently completed his second season in Hammond, was the team's wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator for his first two years on the Lion staff. Pobolish replaces Greg Stevens, who has chosen to pursue other career opportunities.
 
The Moundsville, W.Va. native was a key part of an offensive staff that helped propel the Southland Conference champion Lions to an 11-3 record, a single-season school record for victories, the first conference championship since 1961 and the first-ever NCAA playoff performance. The Lions averaged 38.4 points and 483.3 yards per contest on the way to the FCS quarterfinals.
 
Pobolish oversaw a talented receiving corps in 2013. Sophomore Jeff Smiley (57 catches, 744 yards, six touchdowns), senior Tony McCrea (40-689-2 TD) and senior Marquis Fruge' (39-630-7 TD) all earned All-Southland honors under Pobolish's tutelage.
 
The Lions rolled off a 10-game winning streak in large part to fielding one of the nation's best special teams units under Pobolish's direction. Both sophomore kick returner Xavier Roberson and senior place-kicker Seth Sebastian were named All-Americans by multiple outlets. Roberson led the nation with 35.2 yards per kickoff return and three kickoff returns for touchdowns, while Sebastian his 16-of-18 field goals on the way to a single-season school record 114 points.
 
2014 will be year eight for Pobolish on Roberts' staff, as he spent the five seasons previous to coming to Hammond as an assistant at Delta State. During his stint at Delta State, Pobolish was part of a program that won 47 games in five years, won four Gulf South Conference titles and made four appearances in the NCAA Division II playoffs. He coached All-Americans Trevar Deed, Chad Schroder and L.J. Castile
and 15 Statesmen to All-GSC and All-South Region honors.

Prior to his time at DSU, Pobolish spent eight seasons as an assistant at Emporia State. At ESU, he coached wide receivers for five years before serving the last three as quarterbacks coach. Pobolish also spent his playing career as a wide receiver at Emporia State, totaling 193 catches for 2,595 yards on the way to earning All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association all four seasons. He earned his degree in Health, Physical Education and Recreation from Emporia State in 1999.
 
Pobolish will begin heading the Lion offense in early March, when the Lions open up spring practice.