Former Southeastern Louisiana offensive coordinator Greg Stevens will be the next offensive coordinator for Eastern with the official announcement coming within the next few days.

Rich Moser, Eastern’s associate athletic director, and head of media and public relations for the athletic department, said Stevens is the offensive coordinator, pending final details.

“We are still doing some paperwork, so probably will be another day or two before the announcement,” Moser said in an email Monday.

On Friday, footballscoop.com reported that Stevens would be leaving Southeastern Louisiana, hours after the hiring of new Eastern head coach Kim Dameron was announced. Stevens’ new destination was also reported on Friday by coachingsearch.com.

Stevens was at the helm of Southeastern Louisiana’s offense that finished 10th in the FCS in 2013. The Lions improved from a 5-6 record in 2012, to 11-3 and a playoff appearance last season.

Southeastern Louisiana averaged 483.3 yards last season and averaged 38.4 points per game, which was 12th in the FCS.

Stevens will take over an offense at Eastern that was the best in the nation in 2013, in both yards (589.5 yards per game) and points per game (48.2).

Dameron said his new offensive coordinator would have full control of the offense because his background is primarily on the defensive side of the ball.

“I’m going to be involved with the defense and hire an offensive coordinator and let him go to work,” Dameron said. “I’m not going to try to do something that is not my expertise. I’m going to lead this football team as a team and I’m going to make sure that offensively we’re going to be exciting to watch.”

Dameron promised at his press conference Saturday that under his tenure Eastern would continue to have an up-tempo offense, which was a staple under former coach Dino Babers during his two years with the Panthers.

Stevens was the offensive coordinator for three years at Southeastern Louisiana, starting in 2011. Before that Stevens was the offensive coordinator at Delta State for two seasons.

Prior to his coordinator position at Delta State, Stevens spent four seasons (2005-08) working with wide receivers at Utah State.

Eastern has both of its leading running backs slated to return next season in Shepard Little and Taylor Duncan. Wide receivers Adam Drake, Jeff LePak and Keiondre Gober all return from last season’s receiving corps.

But absent from next year’s roster will be wide receiver Erik Lora, who is the Ohio Valley Conference all-time leading receiver and quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo — winner of the 2013 Walter Payton Award.

“We’re losing a great player — a couple of great players obviously,” Dameron said. “You don’t win a Walter Payton Award if you’re not a great player. Job one is to find who to give the keys to the Ferrari, but we plan on having a Ferrari.”

Stevens was also the quarterbacks coach at Southeastern Louisiana. In 2013, Oregon transfer Bryan Bennett, threw 21 touchdowns. The dual-threat quarterback also scored 16 rushing touchdowns, while rushing for 1,046 yards.

With Garoppolo heading to the NFL, Eastern’s current roster features Ben Krol, Austin Green, Andrew Manley and Addison Brooks as possible quarterback candidates for next season.

Aldo Soto can be reached at 581-2812 or asoto2@eiu.edu.