Head coach Will Hall is fired; Reed Stringer will take over as interim director

From University of Southern Mississippi Sports Information

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) – The University of Southern Mississippi announced Sunday night that football coach Will Hall has been fired.

USM athletics director Jeremy McClain announced that the university will be “taking a new direction with its football program.”

“We are grateful to Will and his family for their commitment to Southern Miss over the past four years,” McClain said. “Will has put his heart and soul into this program and the training of these young men.

“Unfortunately, the results on the field did not meet our shared goals and expectations.”

Hall, who came to USM as the Football Bowl Subdivision's first head coach, was in his fourth season at the helm.

In more than three seasons, Hall compiled a 14-30 record, including a 2022 high of 6-6 in the regular season and a postseason victory over Rice University in the Lending Tree Bowl.

In the 19 games since that winning season, USM has gone 4-15.

In more than two seasons of Sun Belt Conference competition, USM has gone 6-13, including an 0-3 mark this season. Despite working with a small sample size, USM has never posted a winning season in the Sun Belt and boasts a 4-4 mark as its best.

USM fell to 1-6 on Saturday, suffering its fifth straight loss. USM's only win this season came against Southeastern Louisiana University, which competes in the Football Championship Subdivision.

McClain said associate head coach/general manager Reed Stringer will serve as the Golden Eagles' interim head coach for the remainder of the 2024 season.

McClain outlined the path forward for USM football.

“Our immediate focus is on two aspects,” McClain said. “First, we are supporting our student-athletes through the remainder of the season and second, we are conducting a comprehensive national search to identify the next leader for Southern Miss Football.

“This is a proud program with an outstanding history and premier job in college football. We will find the next frontrunner to usher us into a new era of championship success.”

McClain said Southern Miss will begin the search for Hall's long-term replacement immediately.

Want more WDAM 7 news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Copyright 2024 WDAM. All rights reserved.