Eastern returns 10 starters on offense except for the quarterback, and that’s why the Panthers are getting a specific instructor for that position.

Eastern head coach Bob Spoo announced the hiring of Steve Brickey as its quarterback’s coach Tuesday on his coach’s show.

Spoo also stated the Panthers’ offensive coordinator position is still vacant.

Brickey has been an assistant at Division I-A schools including Iowa State, Texas Christian and Texas.

“I just can’t say enough about his experience at high-profile schools,” Spoo said. “To bring somebody like that in there gives us another capable guy that we have so much confidence in.”

Brickey, who was offensive coordinator at Indiana State last year, replaces offensive coordinator Jon Carr, who accepted an assistant coaching position at Toledo.

“When John Carr had left it just worked out for me to move into this spot,” Brickey said. “I’m just so proud to joining an outstanding I-AA program and to be going to work for a guy like Bob Spoo.”

Brickey was an assistant at Iowa State from 2000-2003 and served as offensive coordinator the final two years.

He was instrumental in working with the Cyclones’ dual-threat quarterback, Seneca Wallace, who was voted Big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2001.

Brickey is confident that he is able to work with a traditional drop-back passer in the Panthers’ offensive scheme.

“That’s the ironic thing about it because Seneca was really a drop-back passer first that simply had other skills,” Brickey said. “I worked with those type of players like (former Iowa State quarterback and current Miami Dolphins quarterback) Sage Rosenfels, and it really shouldn’t be a problem.”

After being a college football assistant coach for 27 years and at seven different schools, Brickey is looking to possibly settle down and find a place to end his coaching journey.

“That would be fine and dandy if I could retire in a nice place like Charleston,” Brickey said. “That was the idea when I came back to Indiana State, but it just didn’t work there.”

With four quarterbacks entering the spring competing for the starting job, most notably Florida transfer Justin Midgett, Brickey is ready to see all of them in action.

“Right now all I’m concentrating on is meeting all the young men and evaluating them when the NCAA rules allow us to do so,” he said.