“Call me Brock.”

With those words, Eastern women’s soccer head-coaching candidate Brock Thompson proclaimed his philosophy as “a players’ coach” while speaking to what he hopes will soon be his roster.

“It’s your game,” Thompson said. “How we play will be determined upon the players we have.”

Eastern’s search committee led Thompson on a campus tour Wednesday as one of three finalists for the vacant position to lead the five-time defending Ohio Valley Conference champions.

Thompson is currently an assistant coach at Indiana State, where the Sycamores went 9-10 last season but finished tied for second in the Missouri Valley Conference.

Ironically, one of the 10 losses came at the hands of the Panthers 3-1 in Terre Haute, Ind.

Thompson built his career at the tiny University of Mary in North Dakota, where his team advanced to the NAIA National Tournament in 2002 and 2003.

“I really felt like I needed to go to Indiana State to fill the final piece of what I need to be a solid Division I head coach,” Thompson said.

Thompson addressed the fear of inheriting a Panther program that is talented enough and capable of being uncharacteristically successful for a first-year coach.

“My belief is that my job is not to maintain the amount of success this program has achieved. We are going to advance it,” Thompson said. “I want to enter the national tournament as a three seed or even a two, but winning in the NCAA starts in preseason, not after you win the OVC title.”

Thompson explained what he sees his responsibility as being if offered the position.

“My first job is to evaluate (my players) as people, as a team and as soccer players,” Thompson said. “Versatility is huge with me because you are not a defender or a forward. You are a soccer player, and I’m going to ask them to do things you may never have done.”

It’s clear that no matter what happens in the selection process, Thompson will circle Sept. 16, when Indiana State travels to Charleston to take on the Panthers, on the 2005 schedule.

“Truthfully, this is a very attractive position because of how talented (these players) are,” Thompson said. “Schools won’t schedule Eastern Illinois right now because they are afraid of getting an embarrassing upset.”

Eastern will interview the remaining two candidates, Kristie Braunston and Tim Nowak, Thursday and Friday, respectively.