Good evening,
Holy mackeral…what a week! It’s been a whirlwind since our announcement regarding a change in the head football coach position last Sunday, and I am very pleased that I returned to Hattiesburg last night with our new head football coach, Jay Hopson, signed, sealed and delivered. Coach Hopson’s hiring, together with Clarence Weatherspoon Day and our men’s basketball team’s hard-fought Conference USA victory over UTSA, made Saturday another GREAT day to be a Golden Eagle!
I hope you share in my excitement as we welcome Coach Hopson back to Hattiesburg this week. I had the opportunity over the last 6 days to conduct a true national search for our next head coach – albeit in a compressed period of time. Together with my Executive Associate AD, Daniel Feig, and former Golden Eagle great Adalius Thomas, we interviewed several outstanding coaches for the position – among them, current college head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators from some of the premier programs in the country and great men from within our own coaching staff. I consulted with a number of industry experts – head coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners and others – many former Southern Miss players and coaches, supporters from within the Southern Miss community, Dr. Bennett, and others, prior to making the decision to hire Coach Hopson. We had an excellent pool of candidates from which to choose, and I feel very good about our outcome. I sincerely believe that we will remain on a steady path back To The Top under Coach Hopson’s leadership!
Coach Hopson brings some very special qualities and key assets to our program. In addition to the integrity, core values and leadership skills he will bring to Southern Miss, Coach Hopson’s extraordinary experience and the success he achieved while transforming the Alcorn State football program; his deep Mississippi roots; and his pedigree, which includes having served six terrific years as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Southern Miss, made him the right MATCH to lead our storied program.. His passion for, and commitment to, the Golden Eagle program is beyond question. Jay Hopson is ALL about the Black & Gold.
We will introduce Coach Hopson tomorrow (Monday) at a 1:00 p.m. press conference at the Trent Lott Center. A reception open to all members of the Eagle Club and university community will be held in the Trent Lott Center Rotunda immediately following the press conference. Please join us!
Thank you again for your generous support of the Eagle Club and our student-athletes. I look forward to seeing you on Monday!
To The Top…Together,
Bill
Bill McGillis
Director of Athletics
University of Southern Mississippi
Holy mackeral…what a week! It’s been a whirlwind since our announcement regarding a change in the head football coach position last Sunday, and I am very pleased that I returned to Hattiesburg last night with our new head football coach, Jay Hopson, signed, sealed and delivered. Coach Hopson’s hiring, together with Clarence Weatherspoon Day and our men’s basketball team’s hard-fought Conference USA victory over UTSA, made Saturday another GREAT day to be a Golden Eagle!
I hope you share in my excitement as we welcome Coach Hopson back to Hattiesburg this week. I had the opportunity over the last 6 days to conduct a true national search for our next head coach – albeit in a compressed period of time. Together with my Executive Associate AD, Daniel Feig, and former Golden Eagle great Adalius Thomas, we interviewed several outstanding coaches for the position – among them, current college head coaches, offensive and defensive coordinators from some of the premier programs in the country and great men from within our own coaching staff. I consulted with a number of industry experts – head coaches, athletic directors, conference commissioners and others – many former Southern Miss players and coaches, supporters from within the Southern Miss community, Dr. Bennett, and others, prior to making the decision to hire Coach Hopson. We had an excellent pool of candidates from which to choose, and I feel very good about our outcome. I sincerely believe that we will remain on a steady path back To The Top under Coach Hopson’s leadership!
Coach Hopson brings some very special qualities and key assets to our program. In addition to the integrity, core values and leadership skills he will bring to Southern Miss, Coach Hopson’s extraordinary experience and the success he achieved while transforming the Alcorn State football program; his deep Mississippi roots; and his pedigree, which includes having served six terrific years as an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Southern Miss, made him the right MATCH to lead our storied program.. His passion for, and commitment to, the Golden Eagle program is beyond question. Jay Hopson is ALL about the Black & Gold.
We will introduce Coach Hopson tomorrow (Monday) at a 1:00 p.m. press conference at the Trent Lott Center. A reception open to all members of the Eagle Club and university community will be held in the Trent Lott Center Rotunda immediately following the press conference. Please join us!
Thank you again for your generous support of the Eagle Club and our student-athletes. I look forward to seeing you on Monday!
To The Top…Together,
Bill
Bill McGillis
Director of Athletics
University of Southern Mississippi
