ON INJURED RESERVE—Southeastern head coach Mike Lucas vows to return but will miss the rest of the season to have heart surgery. Photo by John Lenz

Southeastern's star-crossed athletics program absorbed another stunning blow on Wednesday with the announcement that head football coach Mike Lucas will have to miss the rest of the season with a heart problem.

Lucas, 49, will undergo a procedure to repair a valve in his heart and will miss the final six games for the Lions. Offensive coordinator Tommy Condell has been named acting head coach for the remainder of the 2008 campaign.

“I have total faith in Tommy Condell, my coaching staff and our student-athletes in continuing to build on the foundation of a championship football team,” Lucas said in a statement released by the university.

Reached by phone Wednesday evening, Lucas was in good spirits but declined to elaborate extensively on the situation, but was already looking forward to getting back in the saddle.

“I should be out six weeks and be ready for recruiting season,” Lucas said.

Condell, in his second year as the Lions' offensive coordinator, will be in command Saturday when Southeastern (3-3, 0-1 SLC) returns to action for homecoming against Southland Conference rival Northwestern State (4-2, 1-0 SLC) at 6 p.m.

“We know that Coach Lucas is disappointed that this comes in the middle of the season," said Southeastern Interim President John L. Crain. "Our main concern right now is that he gets the care that he needs. We're looking forward to him returning to work as soon as he gets well. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.”

It is the second time in just three years that a major health issue has affected a Southeastern head football coach. Former head coach Dennis Roland was stricken by non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2005 and after treatment coached that season before the cancer returned in the middle of the 2006 season.

Lucas, then the defensive coordinator, was named interim head coach, then was given the head coaching reigns after the season when former Southeastern President Randy Moffett relieved Roland of his head coach duties in order to allow him to recover from his cancer treatment.

Roland resigned from the university and returned to high school coaching in Georgia, where he succumbed to his cancer last winter.

Lucas said his health situation became an issue following the loss to Stephen F. Austin. He waited until after making his planned visit to see his son Tyler's Cornell University football team play at Harvard last weekend before learning the full extent extent of the problem on Wednesday.

“Obviously, our thoughts and prayers are with Mike and his family and we look forward to his return to the sidelines at Strawberry Stadium,” Southeastern Director of Athletics Dr. Joel Erdmann said. “This is a great opportunity for all Southeastern fans to rally around and embrace these student-athletes and the entire team.”