On Sunday, Southern Miss announced the termination of head coach Will Hall with five games remaining in his fourth year as the boss in Hattiesburg. Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain spoke to the media on Monday to unravel the next steps to fill the now-vacant position.
Many felt that a change was coming at Southern Miss after the Golden Eagles finished the nonconference portion of the schedule 1-3 – punctuated by a 44-7 whipping at the hands of second-year FBS program Jacksonville State on September 21. But there continued to be no movement at the top, even after two straight double-digit losses to open the Sun Belt schedule. McClain said on Monday that, though the results didn’t reflect it on the field, good things happening in the program informed a more patient approach.
“Up unto this point, I think the best thing for our players was Will Hall. I think that was 100% accurate,” McClain said. “They love him. They’ve played hard for him. We just got to the point in the season where it was time to do something different.”
As college football has taken on more and more characteristics of the Wild West, other factors must be considered when making a head coaching change. The whiplash of NIL, transfer portal, and conference realignment will also color the approach of who McClain will tap as the next head man.
“I think there’s a different element than in years past where you have to be conscious of some of the new rules, the new opportunities that are out there. It just muddies the waters a little bit,” McClain said, explaining that he didn’t necessarily want to make a move sooner but that it does complicate the process.
“I think the job’s changed over the last five years. I think you have to have someone who can manage the portal, manage NIL, and hire the right people. You have to do more things now than you’ve ever had to do. You definitely want someone who has experience doing those things or has the capacity to do those things.”
For those on the outside looking in, the head coach position at Southern Miss might not look like a shiny one. But a growing athletic budget, a burgeoning NIL collective, and a competitive salary capacity are all cornerstones for a potential return to success in south Mississippi. According to the fifth-year athletic director, it won’t be hard to find someone interested. In fact, interested parties are already looking for him.
“This is a really, really good football job. I believe that with every fiber of my being. This is a place where you can win at a high level,” McClain said, emphasizing the pedigree of Sun Belt football among Group of Six conferences. “This is a highly sought-after job that people are gonna want. My phone would back that up. I became a popular guy pretty quickly.”
Football has always been the foundation for Southern Miss athletics. From 1993 to 2011, the black and gold notched 18 consecutive winning seasons – then a streak only exceeded by Florida, Florida State, and Virginia Tech. In that 2011 season, the Golden Eagles were three points away from a BCS bowl bid and still went on to finish the season in the top 20 nationally. But since then, aside from the Todd Monken-led 2015 team that appeared in the Conference USA Championship game and won nine contests, it’s been downhill.
McClain’s task is to find a leader that can jumpstart a return to prominence.
“The standard here at Southern Miss is a high standard, and not being successful at football is not something we can continue to do and sustain,” McClain said. “We gave Will an opportunity this year. I thought we needed some patience, but it didn’t work. Hindsight’s 20/20.”
Southern Miss will partner with a national search firm to assist in the process and induce efficiency, which is of particular importance with the looming early signing date coming the first week of December and the transfer portal reopening on December 9th. With those dates ahead, McClain says he wants to have the new hire named by the end of November.
After being let go with one remaining year on his contract, Hall will be paid a buyout totaling one year of his salary – $824,000.
The outcry of Golden Eagle faithful over the last year, a smattering of which donned paper bags on their heads and “Fire Will Hall” t-shirts on Saturday, didn’t factor into McClain’s decision. But, he said, it is another example of what can lead to a resurgence in Hattiesburg.
“I’m thankful they’re frustrated,” McClain said. “Because if they weren’t, we’d have bigger issues.”
