Will Hall named 22nd Southern Miss head football coach
When Tulane capped off its first winning since 2013 in Saturday’s win over Memphis, the Gatorade bath didn’t go to Head Coach Willie Fritz.
Instead, the ice down went to Offensive Coordinator Will Hall or now should I say Southern Miss Head Football Coach Will Hall who has a proven track record of mutual respect and winning everywhere he goes.
- when tulane capped off its firs- winning since 20-13, in - saturday's win over memphis...- the gatorade bath... didn't go- to head coach willie fritz.
- instead... the ice down went to- offensive coordinator will- hall... or now, should i say...- southern miss head football - coach will hall... who has a- proven track record of- mutual respect... and winning..- everywhere he goes.
- - nat ---> "he is a guy that gets it done, and i- couldn't be more excited for hi- to be a part of our family.
So- at this point, i want to- introduce to you our 22nd head- football coach at the universit- - - - of southern mississippi, will - hall."
Applause exactly three months to the day- following jay hopson's- resignation, back on september- 7th... southern miss director o- athletics jeremy mc-clain says- there's only one name that neve- left his list, of potential - replacements... and it's the ma- holding up the jersey.- "will hall definitely checked the box when it comes to 'it' - factor.
You guys are going to - understand that very quickly.
- there's an old saying, winners- - - - win.
And everywhere will hall - has ever been, he has won."
"we are fixing to build this program back.
You need to poke- your chest out, you need to - get your black and gold gear- back on, because we're fixing t- get this thing back - to winning, and i'm talking - about winning on and off the- field."
Although hall won't actually- coach during u-s-m's regular- season finale against florida - atlantic, on thursday... he - still represents the program's- 22nd head football coach... - and already the fourth, in just- one season... unlike any other.- the golden eagles are just 2-7- overall... having lost two- other games, due to covid-19...- and even more key players... du- to- opt outs and transfers.
- "we've got to get this thing back together.
We've got the- resources to do it and- be back where we're supposed to- be and everybody knows where- - - - we're supposed to be.
We're - supposed to be the top football- playing school in the group of- 5.
We were- boise state before boise state.- we can be back to that again, - but we've got to all- jump on this thing, quit making- excuses, quit being negative.
- let's get on this train and all- - - - push it together, and how great- could we be?"
The answer to that 800- thousan- dollar question... hall's - reported annual salary over fou- years, according to fear the- wave- blog... will greatly depend on- his ability, to recruit the - state... he knows so well.- "i know what it means to grow u in bassfield, mississippi.
I- know what it means- to grow up in bay springs.
I- could name last names from all- these little towns right- now - i can't do it because it- would be breaking an ncaa rule - - - - but i can tell you, if your las- name is this and you're from- calhoun city, you can play, - alright?
And not- only can you, but your uncle an- your aunts and all them can,- too."
Back in 1998... hall won the 3-- state championship, at- amory high school... under the- guidance of the magnolia- state's second all-time - winningest coach bobby- hall... who just so happens to- be his father.- "got dropped off at the field house when i was five-years-old- and i've gone every - day since then."
"and what you don't understand, he's been doing it for 15 years- but he's been hanging - out with me since he was five - until he started playing in the- seventh grade.
So i - tell people all the time, he's- 40-years-old.
But he's really - - - - more like dog years, he's about- 70 actually."
Prior head coaching experience- includes a 56-20- overall record, at division ii- west alabama and then west- georgia...- followed by assistant jobs, at- memphis and louisiana...- before his most recent two-year- run as offensive coordinator, a- tulane... where the 40-year-old- hall enjoyed two wins over- u-s-m,- during that time.
- all part of chasing a dream tha- came true, in the final - hour... with the black and gold- "the significance of this opportunity for me is - everything.
I was dreaming abou- this- since i was five-years-old.
My- mom had a thing when i was seve- years old - that i turned in in school that- said i wanted to be a division - head coach- by the time i was 40, and that- was when i was seven-years-old.- and i thought i wasn't- going to make it, but i did."
- hall says his favorite southern- miss player to watch- growing up... was