As Missouri Southern attempts to recover from the past weekend’s events, the school and community continue to find more out about the night that left Offensive Line Coach Derek Moore dead.

The details may help to heal in the long run, but in the short term they seem to put salt in the open wound.  

Still, as days passed and life at Southern slipped back into the daily grind, students and faculty came out in droves on Monday to celebrate the life of a man they had grown to know.

The ceremony consisted of speeches from Interim University President Alan Marble, Athletic Director Jared Bruggeman, and Head Football Coach Daryl Daye.  

They told stories of experiences they had the opportunity to share with Moore in the short amount of time he was here, and emphasized how his family described his time at Southern as the happiest he had been in years.

Marble talked about hope, resilience, and determination, the qualities he said the slain coach exemplified and referred to Moore’s death a “senseless tragedy.”

Daye spoke candidly about his emotions toward the tragedy, saying that each day his pain over Moore’s death is less but his anger grows.

Still Daye encouraged the football team and the rest of the University to “move forward” beyond this event.  Stating several times that “quitting is not an option”, and that he was simply saying what he would know Moore would have wanted him to say.

“He was always fun to be around, just a really good guy, a solid guy,” said Daye.  “He loved football and he loved his offensive linemen.”

Marble announced the creation of a scholarship fund for Elijah, Moore’s 7 year-old son, an effort assisted in part by Justin Maskus, sports information/athletic media relations director.

Several campus and community organizations have contacted the athletic department to ask how they can help with the scholarship fund.

“There’s been a big outpour of support,” said Maskus. “There are many groups who have offered their help. The football players’ parents … our Lionbackers … the University Foundation. What we are doing now is … coming together as one to unify that group [in one scholarship fund].”

The Homecoming game against Lindenwood will be rescheduled according to NCAA rules, Markus said.

“Right now we are in a holding pattern,” he added.

Moore was an offensive line coach with 14 years of experience.  The past three seasons he had been with Division I Western Illinois University, helping to guide the Leathernecks to records in passing yards and total yards on the way to ranking in the top 25 nationally in five different statistical categories.

Moore spent time at multiple schools throughout his career, including Northern Iowa, Upper Iowa University, Iowa Central Community College, Ames High School, St. Cloud State University, Lincoln University and Ellsworth Community College, where he started his career in 1999.

The support the school has received from the community was also mentioned at the ceremony.  Southern has been saturated with calls from the surrounding area, coining the term “MOSO Strong.”

The main concern expressed by the faculty still remains the well-being of the Southern family.

“The Missouri Southern athletics community is deeply saddened by the events that have occurred,” said Bruggeman.  “Our priority is to make sure we are there for our student-athletes, coaches and support staff in whatever way necessary.”

Leadership is a key for any football coach, and during a time such as this, Daye realizes his influence goes far beyond what the players hear through helmet ear holes.

“As the team leader, I have to have a strong hand and keep it on the wheel,” said Daye.  “To handle adversity, we have to move forward.  That’s the image I’m trying to portray to them.”