Dave Steckel was eager to become a head coach.
At 57 years old, the then-Mizzou defensive coordinator helped lead the Tigers to two consecutive Southeastern Conference East Division titles and was a finalist for the Frank Broyles Award, which is given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
On Dec. 14, 2014, the Bears' new head coach wiped away tears in front of a crowd of about 200 people in the Prime Overtime Club at JQH Arena.
It had been since 1990 that the long-suffering program had made it to the postseason. Three coaches before him failed to bring the program back to relevancy and it was going to be up to Steckel to bring the Bears back.