Southern Miss has fired head coach Will Hall, the school announced Sunday. Hall went 14-30 in three seasons and was off to a 1-6 start this year after Saturday’s loss to Arkansas State.
“Will poured his heart and soul into this program and into shaping these young men,” athletic director Jeremy McClain said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the results on the field didn’t align with our shared goals and expectations.”
A Mississippi native and the son of a longtime high school coach in the state, Hall took the Golden Eagles to a bowl game in 2022, finishing 7-6 in his second season after that LendingTree Bowl victory. Despite weathering a bunch of player injuries early in his tenure, including at quarterback, Hall seemed to be returning a historically successful program to prominence and was recruiting well.
But his teams slipped to 3-9 last year and 1-6 this season. His original contract was set to expire after this season. Assistant coach/general manager Reed Stringer will serve as interim head coach. The Golden Eagles play James Madison this Saturday.
“This is a proud program with an outstanding history and a premier job in college football,” McClain said. “We will find the next leader to usher us into a new era of championship success.”
Some potential names to watch for the job could include Miami (Fla.) offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson, Florida State defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain (a USM alum), former UAB head coach Bill Clark and Birmingham Stallions head coach Skip Holtz.
(Photo: Eric Espada / Getty Images)