Southern Miss fires coach Hall after 14-30 mark

Southern Miss has fired coach Will Hall, ending his tenure at 14-30 over four seasons, it was announced Sunday.

Hall will be owed nearly $860,000, per his contract. The Golden Eagles are 1-6 this season after Saturday’s 44-28 loss to Arkansas State.

He went 7-6 in his second season at Southern Miss, including a win in the LendingTree Bowl, but he has gone 4-15 since, prompting the administration to make a change.

“We are grateful to Will and his family for their dedication to Southern Miss over the past four years,” athletic director Jeremy McClain said in a statement. “Will poured his heart and soul into this program and into shaping these young men. Unfortunately, the results on the field didn’t align with our shared goals and expectations.”

Assistant head coach Reed Stringer will take over as interim head coach. The Golden Eagles play at James Madison next week.

Hall got high marks for building the culture and recruiting the area, but he just couldn’t continue the trajectory he’d set during his second season.

Hall had two strong head-coaching stints at lower levels earlier in his career, as he went 25-11 at West Alabama (2011-13) and 31-9 at West Georgia (2014-16).

Southern Miss officials believe the job will draw a strong candidate pool, as it has a good tradition and championship ambitions. It sits in one of the country’s most fertile recruiting areas and has a strong fan base.

“Our immediate focus is twofold: first, supporting our student-athletes throughout the remainder of the season, and second, conducting a comprehensive national search to identify the next leader for Southern Miss football,” McClain said. “This is a proud program with an outstanding history and a premier job in college football. We will find the next leader to usher us into a new era of championship success.”

The next full-time coach will be the program’s fifth since 2012.