Head Coach Jeff Bower
Conference USA
COACH OF THE DECADE
Jeff Bower
HEAD COACH
15TH SEASON
(96-67-1)
I
t could be argued that Southern Miss Head Coach Jeff
Bower has possibly been the most influential figure in
the success of the Golden Eagle football program. And
when it comes down to it, few would argue that statement.
Indeed, Bower has meant much to Southern Miss
football throughout his tenure as a player, assistant
coach and head coach. One can correlate Bower’s meaning to the Golden Eagles as that of Bear Bryant to
Alabama, Joe Paterno to Penn State and Bobby Bowden
to Florida State. And with each season that passes, the
Jeff Bower coaching era at Southern Miss becomes
even more impressive.
Guided by his competitive fire, his loyalty and dedication and his tremendous character, Bower’s teams have
put a quality product on the football field year-in and
year-out, ready to step up to any challenge. It’s been
through that guidance that the Golden Eagles have
joined elite company in all of college football – a group
that boasts 11-straight winning seasons and seven bowl
appearances in the last eight years.
Now beginning his 15th season as head coach and in
his second quarter century with the Southern Miss program, Bower has been associated with the Golden
Eagles’ program for almost one-third of its entire 89year-long football history.
First as a record-setting quarterback, then as a successful assistant coach, and for the past 15 seasons as
head coach, Bower has played a role second to none in
the school’s athletic history, and it has been appropriate
that Bower was at the helm of the program at his alma
mater when it was a founding member of Conference
20
USA, and now during a time when it is enjoying
football heroics that would foreshadow where his sucunprecedented success.
cess would be the greatest. A prep All-American at
Last season, Bower guided the Golden Eagles to a 7Roswell High, Bower guided his team to a pair of state
5 overall record in a year that started as one of the best
championships in football and also was a starter on two
in school history. Southern Miss picked up its first-ever
state championship teams in baseball and in basketball.
win over Nebraska in the season-opener and then rolled
Following his senior season, Bower was named the
off three more wins to start the season 4-0 for the first
Class AAA Georgia Back of the Year, and he also played
time in Bower’s career. In addition, the Golden Eagles
in the Georgia High School All-Star Game.
picked up key wins throughout the season, ensuring
Bower originally signed with the University of
itself of the 11th-straight winning season in school hisGeorgia out of high school, but soon after made the
tory. The winning-season streak is the longest under a
decision to transfer after his first year with the program.
Southern Miss football coach since Thad “Pie” Vann led
Pondering several options as to which team he would
teams to a school-record 17-straight winning seasons.
suit up for next, Bower felt that the best opportunity
With an invitation to the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl – was at Southern Miss, playing for Head Coach P.W.
which Southern Miss won 31-10 over North Texas –
Underwood. It was that opportunity which prompted the
Southern Miss also landed the third-straight bowl berth
Georgia native to head west and become a main cog for
and the seventh in the past eight years.
successful Golden Eagle teams of the early 1970s.
The 2004 team, which also was ranked in the Top 25
After sitting out a redshirt season in 1972, Bower
during the season, produced eight players that garnered
took over as the Eagles’ starting quarterback in 1973
All-Conference USA honors, with two of them – Michael and guided the team to a successful 6-4-1 mark. In his
Boley and John Eubanks – being chosen as the
first season, he threw for 1,495 yards, while completing
Conference USA Defensive and Special Teams Player of
116-of-199 passes. Nine of his aerials found their way
the Year, respectively. In addition, three players – Boley,
to the end zone for touchdowns.
Eubanks and Darren McCaleb – were named to nine difHis .583 passing percentage during the 1973 season
ferent All-America teams, and five players will pursue
stood as a single-season record at Southern Miss for 23
careers in the NFL.
years – falling by the side in 1996 at the hands of Lee
Bower continues to be one of the marquee coaches
Roberts. In addition, Bower finished that season ranked
and Southern Miss remains one of the top-tier programs
26th nationally in passing, and he was an Associated
in Conference USA. In fact, Bower’s and Southern Miss’
Press All-South Honorable-Mention selection.
success in C-USA has set standards other coaches in the
Perhaps his best performance as an Eagle came durleague seek to emulate. In the recently announced
ing the 1973 season, when he threw for 291 yards and
Conference USA Team of the Decade, the Golden Eagles
two touchdowns and ran for 85 yards and two more
landed eight on the respective offensive and defensive
scores in a 41-14 victory over Texas-Arlington.
squads, and Bower took home the highest honor by
During his junior season in 1974, Bower completed
being named the C-USA Coach of the Decade.
87-of-162 pass attempts for 1,189 yards and threw nine
Under Bower, the Golden Eagles have posted
an impressive 96-67-1 record, making him the secThe Bower Family: Jeff, Stephanie and Debbie
ond-winningest coach in school history. In the
C-USA era, his teams have posted a 47-14 league
record, ranking among the top 10 list for conference victories over the same period. He is the
dean of conference coaches, with his teams winning four Conference USA championships (1996,
1997, 1999, 2003). Following the team’s perfect
league season in 2003, Bower was selected as
the Conference USA Coach of the Year for an
unprecedented third time, adding to his awards in
1997 and 1999. His 163 games coached also make
him only the second USM coach ever to coach
more than 100 games, Vann (200 games) being
the other.
Bower also has compiled that enviable record,
while playing only 65 of those 164 games at
home. His teams have posted a 52-13 record in
those 65 games, including a 36-8 mark the last
nine seasons.
Everybody’s All-American
Growing up in Roswell, Ga., Bower made a
name for himself as an all-around athlete,
excelling at whatever sport he was playing at the
time. He was a part of state championship teams
in football, baseball and basketball, but it was his
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Head Coach Jeff Bower
JEFF BOWER
Year-By-Year
Jeff Bower, John Cox, Brett Favre
touchdowns. The Golden Eagles finished that season
with a remarkable 6-5 record, despite having to play all
11 games on the road during the renovation of M.M.
Roberts Stadium.
As a senior in 1975, Bower was named team captain
and responded by leading the Eagles to an 8-3 record.
He completed 75-of-145 pass attempts for 905 yards.
For his efforts that season, he was named the team’s
Most Valuable Player.
Bower’s career totals as a player included completing
278-of-506 passes for 3,589 yards and 20 touchdowns.
He still ranks third on the Golden Eagle career list for
completion percentage among players with a minimum
200 pass attempts with a .549 mark. He trails only two
of his recent quarterbacks, Jeff Kelly (.582) and Lee
Roberts (.569). His 1973 total offense mark of 1,706
yards, until recently, ranked in the top 10 at Southern
Miss, and his 1,495 passing yards in 1973 only recently
dropped out of the top 10.
Only Brett Favre (1987-90), Reggie Collier (1979-82),
Lee Roberts (1995-98), Jeff Kelly (1999-2000) and current Eagle quarterback Dustin Almond (2002-Present)
rank ahead of Bower’s 4,062 yards of career total
offense. Ironically, Bower coached all five players during
their playing days at Southern Miss. In addition, Bower
still stands eighth in career passing yardage (3,589),
completions (278), and attempts (506), and he is sixth in
career touchdown passes with 20.
From Field General to Sideline
Success
While playing sports had always been a passion for
Bower, coaching in sports wasn’t always on his mind. It
wasn’t until right before graduation that Bower knew
that he could have a future in the coaching profession,
and that he could get his master’s of business administration degree while doing it. After Bower completed his
bachelor’s degree in 1975, he decided to stay in
Hattiesburg in order to pursue a master’s degree. That
was when Coach Bobby Collins asked Bower to remain
SouthernMiss.com
with the Golden Eagle program as a graduate assistant.
During his first season as a graduate assistant,
Southern Miss struggled to a 3-8 record. During his second year, however, the team made great strides by
defeating national-power Auburn, as well as state-foes
Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
In 1978, Collins offered Bower the chance to join his
staff full-time as receivers coach, and Bower jumped at
the opportunity. It would be then that the former quarterback would begin to make a name for himself on the
sidelines instead of on the field. From 1978 through
1981, Bower remained a part of Collins’ Southern Miss
staff, working with both the receivers and, later, with
the quarterbacks. In 1980, the Eagles finished with a
victory in the Independence Bowl, and in 1981 went to
the Tangerine Bowl.
When Collins left in 1982 to become head coach at
Southern Methodist University, Bower went with him to
become the Mustangs’ quarterback coach. During the
period between 1982 and 1986, SMU won both the
Cotton Bowl (1982) and the Aloha Bowl (1984) and
played in the Sun Bowl (1983).
In 1987, Bower moved on to coach the quarterbacks
at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons finished that season with a 7-4 record, their best mark in 44 years.
The next season, Bower returned to his alma mater
as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, a job he held for two seasons. During
his first season back, in 1988, the Eagles set numerous
passing records and finished the season with a 10-2
record and an Independence Bowl victory. During that
season, the Eagles put up the highest per game passing
average in school history at 235.3 yards per game. The
team was ranked 28th in the nation in that category
that year.
Bower moved to Oklahoma State in 1989 to serve as
the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
Although the team managed only a 4-7 record, Bower’s
offensive attack produced the nation’s leading rusher in
Gerald Hudson.
YEAR SCHOOL
POSITION
RECORD
1968
Roswell High
Player
State Champs in Football
1969
Roswell High
Player
State Champs in Baseball
1970-71 Roswell High
Player
State Champs in Football, Baseball and Basketball
Georgia Class AAA Back of the year/Georgia All-Star
1971
Georgia
Player
11-1
1972
Southern Miss
Player/Redshirt
3-7-1
1973
Southern Miss
Player
6-4-1
AP All-South (HM)
1974
Southern Miss
Player
6-5
1975
Southern Miss
Player
8-3
Team Captain/MVP
1976
Southern Miss
Graduate Assistant
3-8
1977
Southern Miss
Graduate Assistant
6-6
1978
Southern Miss
QBs and WRs
7-4
1979
Southern Miss
QBs and WRs
6-4-1
1980
Southern Miss
QBs and WRs
9-3
Independence Bowl Champions
1981
Southern Miss
QBs and WRs
9-2-1
Tangerine Bowl
1982
SMU
Quarterbacks
11-0-1
Cotton Bowl Champions
1983
SMU
Quarterbacks
10-2
Sun Bowl
1984
SMU
Quarterbacks
10-2
Aloha Bowl Champions
1985
SMU
Quarterbacks
6-5
1986
SMU
Quarterbacks
6-5
1987
Wake Forest
Quarterbacks
7-4
1988
Southern Miss
Asst. HC/OC/QB
10-2
Independence Bowl Champions
1989
Southern Miss
Asst. HC/OC/QB
5-6
1990
Oklahoma State
OC/QB
4-7
Southern Miss
Head Coach
0-1
All-American Bowl
1991
Southern Miss
Head Coach
4-7
1992
Southern Miss
Head Coach
7-4
1993
Southern Miss
Head Coach
2-8-1
1994
Southern Miss
Head Coach
6-5
1995
Southern Miss
Head Coach
6-5
1996
Southern Miss
Head Coach
8-3
Conference USA Champions
1997
Southern Miss
Head Coach
9-3
Conference USA Champions
Conference USA Coach of the Year
AXA Liberty Bowl Champs
1998
Southern Miss
Head Coach
7-5
Humanitarian Bowl
1999
Southern Miss
Head Coach
9-3
Conference USA Champs
Conference USA Coach of the Year
AXA Liberty Bowl Champs
2000
Southern Miss
Head Coach
8-4
GMAC Bowl Champions
2001
Southern Miss
Head Coach
6-5
2002
Southern Miss
Head Coach
7-6
Houston Bowl
2003
Southern Miss
Head Coach
9-4
Conference USA Champions
Conference USA Coach of the Year
AXA Liberty Bowl
2004
Southern Miss
Head Coach
7-5
Wyndham New Orleans Bowl Champions
Conference USA Coach of the Decade
21
Head Coach Jeff Bower
The Bower Era At Last
“Jeff Bower probably has done as good as anyone in the country when it comes to coaching
college football. What he has done to build the program at Southern Miss to where it is right now is
one of the most phenomenal jobs in college coaching. He is a very good friend of mine and one of the
best coaches in college football.”
—DENNIS ERICKSON
Former College & NFL Head Coach
“I think Jeff Bower has established real credibility at Southern Miss, and you don’t do that overnight.
Year-in and year-out, they play great football and
they win. To me, that’s a real tribute to Jeff Bower.
Any time you’re getting ready to play a Jeff Bowerprepared team, you had better strap on your chin
strap tight, because there is a get-after-it session
getting ready to start.”
—FRANK BEAMER
Head Football Coach
Virginia Tech
“His loyalty impresses me the most. I know Jeff
has had a couple of opportunities to leave and go
other places, but that is his home. His commitment
to Southern Mississippi is something that obviously I
admire – having my background and my feelings of
what college coaches should do.
Also, he is just a heck of a coach. He is smart
and is as sharp as can be, and his football teams
play well for him. He is just a great guy. I always
look forward to seeing him, but I do not look forward
to playing against his teams.
They do such a good job on defense and special
teams. You have to be very, very precise against
them. You can’t be careless with them, because they
will beat you up. They do so many things, and they
move around real well. You look at them and you
think they will make mistakes, but they don’t. They
run so well, and they are really tough.”
—JOE PATERNO
Head Football Coach
Penn State University
“I have known Jeff for a number of years and we
have developed a good friendship. Our careers have
paralleled one another. We both started as assistants and coordinators and both became head
coaches about the same time. I have been
impressed with what Jeff has accomplished at
Southern Miss. He is an excellent coach who understands what it takes to run a successful program.”
—TOMMY TUBERVILLE
Head Football Coach
Auburn University
“Jeff Bower has had as much impact on his program as any coach in the last decade. He is the
reason why USM is practically a lock to always be
around the top 25 and a smart pick to upset one of
the ‘big boys’ every year. The Golden Eagles are why
Conference USA football is legit. They are aggressive, hungry and always well coached. Whenever
you watch them, it always seems to be a hard-hitting, intense game, and you expect the other team’s
QB is going to be lucky to last four quarters.”
—BRUCE FELDMAN
ESPN The Magazine
22
Then on Dec. 2, 1990, Bower returned to the place
where it all started as he became the 17th head football
coach in Golden Eagle history and assumed the reins of
the Southern Miss program for the final game of that
season – the 1990 All-American Bowl.
His recognition as an outstanding offensive coach
continued to grow after he took over the Golden Eagles
for the final game of that season. Under Bower’s guidance, quarterback Brett Favre completed 28-of-39
passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns during the
1990 All-American Bowl against North Carolina State.
On Dec. 2, 1990, Jeff Bower officially
was announced as the 17th head
coach in Southern Miss history
Bower’s debut season may not have ranked among
the best records in his career as the Golden Eagles finished that year with a 4-7 overall mark. Among those
four wins, however, was a victory over Delta State in
Bower’s first-ever regular-season opener, and two more
home victories over Colorado State and Tulane. The
biggest win of the year though, came in a dramatic, 109 victory over nationally-ranked Auburn on the road.
In 1992, Bower took a team with only four starters
returning and molded it into one of the more competitive teams ever fielded by the Golden Eagles. Southern
Miss finished that season with a 7-4 record, losing only
to eventual national champion Alabama, Auburn,
Florida, and Northern Illinois by a combined total of 32
points.
After suffering through a rare losing season in 1993,
the Golden Eagles bounced back with consecutive 6-5
campaigns in 1994 and 1995. The 1994 squad clinched a
winning season with a thrilling season-ending victory at
LSU, and the 1995 squad posted consecutive road wins
to close the year and insured a second-straight winning
season.
Bower enjoyed another great year in 1996, when he
guided the Eagles to an 8-3 record and a share of the
inaugural Conference USA Championship. The Eagles
reeled off seven-consecutive victories during the year,
and that streak helped vault Southern Miss into the
nation’s top 25 polls for the first time since the 1989
season.
During the 1997 season, Bower led the Golden
Eagles to a 9-3 record and sole possession of the
Conference USA crown. Southern Miss spent two
weeks in the national polls during the year and finished
the regular season ranked No. 22 in the Associated
Press Poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches
Poll. After scoring the most lopsided victory of any bowl
game that season – a 41-7 rout of Pittsburgh in the
Liberty Bowl – Southern Miss finished with a final
national ranking of 19th in both major polls, marking the
first time in school history a Golden Eagles’ squad finished the year in the top 25.
The 1998 Golden Eagles rebounded from a 1-3 start
to the season by winning six of their final seven games,
earning a second-consecutive bowl trip. For the second
time in as many seasons, Southern Miss was one of
just a handful of schools to produce a 2,000-yard passer,
a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver, and was
one of just two schools to repeat the accomplishment
from the previous season.
The Eagles jumped into the AP’s Top 25 in early
October of 1999, stayed there a total of seven weeks
during the season, and finished the season as the highest postseason ranked team in Southern Miss history,
14th in the AP, and 13th in the ESPN/USA TODAY
Coaches’ Poll.
Over the 1999 season, Southern Miss regained its
dominant presence and finished with a 9-3 mark, a
C-USA championship, and a Liberty Bowl victory that
earned Bower a second C-USA Coach of the Year
Award.
In 2000, Southern Miss reached its highest ranking
under Bower’s leadership and was ranked for a schoolrecord 23-straight weeks dating back to the ‘99 season.
The highest ranking of the 2000 season was during the
week of October 30, when the Golden Eagles were
ranked 13th in the AP poll, and 11th in the USA
Today/ESPN poll. Southern Miss produced another
2,000-yard passer in quarterback Jeff Kelly, and six
Golden Eagles were named to the All-Conference USA
teams. Kelly, defensive end Cedric Scott, linebacker Rod
Davis, safety Leo Barnes and wide receiver Kenny
Johnson were all named to various All-America teams.
Scott also was named the C-USA Co-Defensive Player
of the Year, marking the fourth-straight year that a
Southern Miss defensive player was tabbed as the best
in the conference.
A young 2001 squad worked hard and made its own
mark, finishing 6-5, capturing an eighth-straight winning
season. The Golden Eagles lost seven defensive starters
from the 2000 team and 12 letterwinners, including
seven players who were either drafted or signed NFL
free agent contracts. That defensive group was one of
the best in school and conference history.
People were wondering whether the 2001 defense
would be able to replace the losses or would it lose the
outstanding reputation that it had established over the
last several years. And as it has done in years before,
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Head Coach Jeff Bower
Southern Miss defeated Pittsburgh, 41-7, to
capture its first Liberty Bowl Championship
“Jeff Bower was as competitive a player as I’ve
ever coached, and he’s carried that same determination into the coaching profession. He continues to
add to the great tradition of Southern Miss football.”
—MACK BROWN
Head Football Coach
University of Texas
“Year-in and year-out, Bower has one of the
nation’s most well-prepared teams. Offense,
defense, special teams, the Golden Eagles have it
all. And Bower’s ability to maximize talent might be
his best trait. Southern Miss has proven it can play
with the big boys, which means it is one of the
nation’s big boys.”
—TOM DIENHART
The Sporting News
“If it weren’t for Jeff Bower, people wouldn’t
know if it were Southern Miss or Northern Miss.
There’s a reason why Jeff Bower’s name is on every
athletic director’s short list of job candidates. The
guy knows how to win and does it the right way.”
—GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI
ESPN The Magazine /
ESPN College Football Analyst
the defense rose to the challenge, proved its ability by
ranking among the national leaders in most defensive
statistical categories, finishing 11th in total defense,
eighth in scoring defense, 12th in pass efficiency
defense, 13th in rushing defense and 21st in turnover
margin.
A talented group of five First-Team All-Conference
USA selections were major factors in the ’02 success,
including linebackers Michael Boley and Davis, running
back Derrick Nix, defensive back Etric Pruitt and offensive lineman Torrin Tucker. Davis was named to several
All-America teams, was a semifinalist for the Butkus
Award and was Southern Miss’ first winner of the
Conerly Trophy, given to the best player in the state of
Mississippi, and the first defensive player ever to win
the award. Pruitt also was named to several AllAmerica teams and was a semifinalist for the Thorpe
Award. Defensive end Terrell Paul and offensive lineman Jason Jimenez were named to the league second
team and redshirt freshman defensive back John
Eubanks was named to the all-freshman team.
The 2002 Golden Eagles had another productive season as the offense amassed more than 4,000 yards of
total offense, one that included the school’s and
Conference USA’s first three-year, 1,000-yard rusher in
Derrick Nix. The team averaged 21.7 points per game,
outscoring opponents 282-238. Southern Miss again had
another solid defensive season, finishing 34th in total
defense, 15th in scoring defense and fourth in pass efficiency defense. The Golden Eagles also had the
10th-ranked pass defense.
In 2003, Bower led the Golden Eagles to an unprecedented fourth Conference USA championship, when
Southern Miss finished the season with a 9-4 record,
winning the final six games of the regular season in the
process. The Golden Eagles tallied an 8-0 league record,
posting their unprecedented third undefeated conference mark. The successes of 2003 did not end there.
SouthernMiss.com
For his efforts, Bower was selected as the
Conference USA Coach of the Year for an unprecedented third time, adding to his previous coach of the year
honors from 1999 and 1997. His 2003 Southern Miss
squad featured a league-best 15 All-Conference USA
selections, including Defensive Player of the Year and
three-time All-American Rod Davis. Among the 15
selections, eight players were named to the all-league
first team. Three first-year players also were honored as
members of the all-freshman team. Three members of
that group earned All-American status, Boley, Davis and
Pruitt, who played key roles in helping the ’03 team
enjoy one of the more successful season in Golden
Eagle history. The Golden Eagles also returned to the
postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons when
they secured a berth in the 2003 Liberty Bowl.
The 2003 defense finished the regular season ranked
5th nationally in pass defense, 14th in scoring defense,
13th in pass efficiency defense and 23rd in total
defense, and gave up just 20 touchdowns during the 12game schedule. Offensively, the team didn’t post great
national rankings, but did whatever necessary to win
games. Individually, John Eubanks finished 4th in kickoff
returns and Marvin Young 10th in punt returns. That
offense again amassed more than 4,200 yards, including
1,877 passing yards by Dustin Almond, 703 receiving
yards by Young and 671 rushing yards by Anthony
Harris. The Golden Eagle offense outscored the combined opposition, 293-216.
‘Do The Little Things Right And Big
Things Will Happen’
Throughout his career, Bower has coached a number
of standout athletes, some of them among the greatest
ever to wear the Black and Gold. But more important
than that, Bower and his staff have continually sought
to not only turn out outstanding football players, but
also turn out outstanding people and role models.
“Whenever a major college job opens up, one of
the first names mentioned is Jeff Bower. That, in
itself, is a testament to the outstanding job he has
done at Southern Mississippi. In his 13 years at
Southern Miss, the coaching fraternity at the highest-profile schools have learned this. Do not pencil
in a non-conference ‘W’ when the Golden Eagles
come to town.”
—RICHARD ROSENBLATT
The Associated Press
New York
“Every year I keep thinking that one of the big
boys of college football is going to wise up and realize that for the past 14 years, few have done it
better than Jeff Bower at Southern Mississippi. I
keep thinking that some day one of the super powers is going to beg him to leave Hattiesburg and
save their program because when it comes to coaching, this guy can stand toe to toe with any of them.
But then I realize that the relationship between Jeff
Bower and Southern Mississippi is more than just
that between a coach and his school. To him,
Hattiesburg is not a location on a map but a place in
the heart, and it will take a lot to ever pry him away.
Golden Eagle fans ought to be pretty grateful for
that.”
—TONY BARNHART
Atlanta Journal Constitution/
ESPN College Football Analyst
“A fiery competitor, very smart football coach,
very fair coach … His loyalty to Southern Miss is
tremendous, it is been good for him and even better
for the school … Jeff Bower could be coaching anywhere in the country … Not that this isn’t a great
stop but its good that he decided he is going to win
and win at his alma mater and that is fantastic.”
—CRAIG JAMES
ESPN Analyst
23
Head Coach Jeff Bower
“I think Jeff is an outstanding coach, who has
had 11-straight winning seasons at Southern Miss.
The test of his character has been that other schools
have tried to get him to leave and yet he still stays
loyal to the school and the city of Hattiesburg. That
speaks well of him but also of this community. When
you look at the good coaches in the country, he is in
the top 10, without a question.”
—LEE CORSO
ESPN College Game Day Analyst
“Of all of Jeff Bower’s accomplishments in his
years at Southern Miss, what stands out to me is his
decision to stay in one place and build a program.
Modern-day coaches have become transients. Bower
has withstood the lure of larger schools and built a
team known for physical defense and its willingness
to embrace the challenges posed by a schedule that
would make most knees knock.”
—IVAN MAISEL
ESPN.com Senior Writer
“People continue to ignore Jeff Bower and
Southern Mississippi and perhaps there could be no
greater compliment. In these bowl-crazed days of
not being allowed to lose, non-conference opponents are dodging the Golden Eagles. Those with
enough courage must face the consequences. Bower
and company have shown there’s much more to
Mississippi college football than Oxford and
Starkville.”
—JOHN ROHDE
Daily Oklahoman
“People who really know college football recognize Jeff Bower as one of the top coaches in the
country. He seems to love his alma mater, he wins
championships, he takes his team to bowls and he
doesn’t chase jobs at other schools. He doesn’t
seem to care about ‘star’ status and that, in itself, is
a rarity. Jeff Bower is an athletic director’s dream –
a coach who wins big at a university that has, relative to schools in the SEC, a modest athletic
budget.”
—BILL HAISTEN
Tulsa World
“I wish I had had him for more than one game.
He has a great mind for offense, which, of course, I
consider my area of expertise. I think he relates to
players really well. In college, more so than pro football or high school, you have to spend a lot of time
with those guys. You almost have to baby sit them,
to a certain degree. He does that as well as anybody, as well as coach and lead.”
—BRETT FAVRE (1987-90)
Quarterback
Green Bay Packers
“One thing I will always appreciate about Coach
Bower is that he constantly reminded us to ‘do the
little things right’. He taught us to be personally
accountable for our actions both on and off the
field.”
—TODD PINKSTON (1995-99)
Wide Receiver
Philadelphia Eagles
24
Bower has prided himself
and his teams in working
hard at doing the little
things right. A lesson that
goes back to his days
under Collins, Bower
preaches that if you do the
little things right, then the
big will happen. That
motto isn’t just a saying to
motivate the players to
work hard on the field, but
it’s a catalyst to being a
success in all facets of life.
While Bower has
worked with his share of
outstanding citizens with
high moral character and a
solid work ethic, he also
helped guide a number of
standout athletes. During
his coaching career, Bower
has coached numerous
All-America and all-conference selections.
Other than Favre and
Collier, Bower has had a
hand in the careers of former Southern Miss
offensive players Glen
Howe, Mike Landrum,
Marvin Harvey, Louis
Lipps, Sammy Winder, Fred
Brock, Terry Hardy, Michael
Jackson, Harold Shaw and
Tony Smith, all of whom went on to play professional
football. In addition, four of his 1999 players were drafted, including receiving standouts Sherrod Gideon and
Todd Pinkston, defensive end Adalius Thomas and linebacker T. J. Slaughter; in 2000, another four were
drafted and four others signed free agent contracts and
in two were drafted and one signed a free agent contract from the 2001 team.
Jeremy Bridges was drafted from the 2002 team and
from the 2001 group, Chad Williams and Jeff Kelly were
selected in the draft and Roy Magee signed a free
agent contract. The 2000 group included defensive end
Cedric Scott, defensive back Raymond Walls and defensive linemen John Nix and Daleroy Stewart. In both
1997 and 1999 the Golden Eagles sent seven players
into various camps around the National Football League,
and had four players drafted in each of those years.
The 1999 team also sported two All-Americans in
defensive lineman Adalius Thomas and receiver Sherrod
Gideon. Thomas, an AFCA First-Team All-American in
1998, was named by College Football News as the best
defensive lineman in the nation for the 1999 season and
earned All-America honors on a number of postseason
teams. Gideon left Southern Miss owning virtually every
school receiving record, and he and Pinkston formed the
most prolific receiving duo in Southern Miss history.
That success continued through two seasons ago,
where five players – linebackers Rod Davis and Michael
Boley, defensive back Etric Pruitt and specialists John
Eubanks and Marvin Young – each garnered All-America
accolades. Three players from that group, including
Davis, Pruitt and Greg Brooks, also were selected in the
NFL Draft and three more, Terrell Browden, Ronald
Jones and Corey Yates, went on to sign NFL free-agent
contracts.
Last year the trend of successful standouts continued. Linebacker Michael Boley became the second-ever
defensive player to be awarded the Conerly Trophy –
awarded annually to the best player in the state of
Mississippi. The only other defensive player to win the
award is another Bower product – Rod Davis.
In addition, while at SMU, Bower’s quarterbacks
received first-team all-conference honors for three-consecutive seasons. At Wake Forest, Bower coached Mike
Elkins, who was the second quarterback taken in the
1989 NFL draft.
Jeff Kelly was another in a long line of successful
quarterbacks to play under Bower. His on-field accomplishments earned him a prominent place in the
Southern Miss record book, and his classroom successes were even more impressive. He graduated with a
degree in business in only three years and finished his
MBA when he ended his playing career in Dec. 2001.
He was honored as a National Football Foundation and
College Hall of Fame scholar athlete as well as being
named the Woody Hayes Division I Male Scholar
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Head Coach Jeff Bower
Athlete by the University and Northwest Sertoma Club
of Columbus, Ohio. In 2000, he was named a secondteam CoSIDA Academic All-American, behind the
Academic All-American of the Year, Purdue’s Drew
Brees.
Kelly, along with Brett Favre and Lee Roberts, ranks
at or near the top of every Southern Miss career passing lists.
Roberts immediately preceded Kelly, and despite
playing just half the season in 1996, was named
Second-Team All-Conference USA, an honor he repeated in 1997. In 1997, he also solidified his position as
one of the great passers in school history by becoming
the second player in school history to pass for more
than 2,000 yards in a season, a feat he repeated in
1998, breaking the school record with 2,680 yards
passing.
In addition to Roberts, Gideon also put together
three of the more prolific seasons of any pass catcher
in school history. It should come as no surprise that
Bower served as Gideon’s position coach. The sophomore became the fastest player in school history to
reach 1,000 career receiving yards, taking just 17
games to reach that plateau, and his 1,186 yards
JEFF BOWER
Against All Opponents
TEAM
Alabama*
Army
Auburn
California
Cincinnati
Colorado State
Delta State
East Carolina*
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Houston*
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Louisiana-Lafayette
Louisiana-Monroe
LSU
Louisiana Tech
Louisville
Jackson State
Memphis*
Nebraska
Nevada
North Carolina State*
Northern Illinois
North Texas
Northwestern (La.) State
Oklahoma State
Penn State
Pittsburgh
Samford
Tennessee
Texas A&M
TCU
Tulane*
Tulsa*
UAB*
USF
Utah
Utah State
Virginia Tech
TOTALS
*2005 Opponents
W
2
3
1
0
6
2
1
10
0
0
1
6
0
2
0
7
1
1
1
5
1
10
1
2
0
1
1
1
2
0
1
1
0
0
2
11
2
5
3
0
2
1
96
SouthernMiss.com
L
11
0
2
2
4
0
0
4
3
1
1
1
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
5
0
4
2
0
1
1
0
0
1
2
2
0
3
3
3
3
1
0
1
1
0
1
67
T
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
PCT.
.153
1.000
.333
.000
.600
1.000
1.000
.714
.000
.000
.500
.857
.000
1.000
.000
.875
1.000
1.000
.500
.500
1.000
.714
.333
1.000
.000
.500
1.000
1.000
.667
.000
.333
1.000
.000
.000
.400
.786
.625
1.000
.750
.000
1.000
.500
.588
receiving as a junior was the highest individual season
total in school history.
Roberts and Gideon capped their 1997 season by
hooking up for three touchdowns in the win over
Pittsburgh in the Liberty Bowl. Gideon was named the
game’s most outstanding offensive player, as well as
Liberty Bowl MVP.
The Bower Legacy Continues
To Shine
In 1988, Bower received his highest Golden Eagle
honor when the M-Club voted him into the Southern
Miss Sports Hall of Fame. In 2001, he was honored with
the prestigious “Hub Award” for his outstanding contributions to the community, commitment to excellence
and dedication to public service in Hattiesburg.
Bower’s list of awards continued to grow in 2003,
when the All-American Football Foundation, at its
Banquet of Champions XXXVIII, named Bower the
Johnny Vaught All-American Head Coach and Bower’s
wife, Debbie, the “First Lady” of football.
In Dec. 2004, Bower received the Captains of
Hattiesburg Award, an honor given by the Mississippi
Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for an individual’s outstanding achievement in their profession and
contributions to promote economic and charitable development across the state of Mississippi.
Born May 28, 1953, the 52-year-old Bower, who
received his MBA in management from Southern Miss
in 1978, is married to a former Miss Southern
Mississippi (1975) and Miss Mississippi USA (1972).
The former Debbie Pawlik, who was a Southern Miss
cheerleader and a member of the Kappa Delta sorority
while in Hattiesburg, graduated with a nursing degree
in 1975. She remains active in the Southern Miss Eagle
Club and a variety of other university promotional efforts
and continues to enjoy a nationally-recognized career as
an Executive Senior Sales Director for Mary Kay
Cosmetics.
The Bower family, which includes 19-year-old daughter Stephanie, a sophomore and cheerleader at
Southern Miss, survived a tragedy early in the 1997 season when they lost 17-year-old daughter Kristen in an
automobile accident. The Southern Miss team, and the
entire Hattiesburg community, rallied around the Bowers
in an unprecedented show of love and support following
the accident.
Throughout the last quarter century, Jeff Bower has
taken Southern Miss to unparalleled heights. Whether
it’s been through conference championships, record-setting seasons, numerous postseason appearances or
sending numerous players on to the National Football
League, Bower truly has led the Golden Eagles to a
place of national prominence and respect. It’s been
through hard work and loyalty that he has been able to
accomplish so much for the university that gave him his
start. And it will be through that hard work and loyalty,
as well as Bower’s guidance that the Southern Miss
football program will continue to make strides in the
realm of college football.
LEADERSHIP + STABILITY
= SUCCESS
Southern Miss football has enjoyed much success on and off the field due largely to the
leadership of Golden Eagle Head Football Coach
Jeff Bower. His 14 years as the head coach and
26 years overall with the program as either a
player, an assistant coach or head coach has
given the program stability currently enjoyed only
by a few other schools. Because of his loyalty to
Southern Miss, his leadership and stability and
his commitment to developing the total studentathlete, the program has risen to unparalleled
heights. Since the formation of Conference USA
in 1996, Southern Miss’ winning percentage,
bowl appearances, academic success and professional player development have been at a rate
that only a handful of schools can claim.
• Southern Miss has won four Conference USA
championships in the nine-year history of the
league
• Southern Miss is the only school in Conference
USA to post three undefeated league records,
including an 8-0 record in 2003
• Head Football Coach Jeff Bower was selected
the Conference USA Coach of the Decade and
earned conference coach of the year honors
three times
• Southern Miss has had six Conference USA
Defensive Players of the Year selections
• Southern Miss is one of eight schools in the
nation to have at least 11-straight winning
seasons
• Southern Miss players have earned 39 AllAmerica honors, including at least one
All-American being named each of the past
eight years
• Southern Miss has had six freshman AllAmericans in the past nine years
• Southern Miss’ graduation rates have continually improved during Bower’s tenure and the
program was nationally recognized by the
AFCA each of the past three years
• Southern Miss has had 24 players drafted by
the NFL and currently has 21 former players on
NFL rosters led by the NFL’s only three-time
MVP Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers
• Southern Miss has had at least one player play
in the seven of the past nine NFL Super Bowls
• Southern Miss’ current NFL Players have accumulated three NFL Most Valuable Player
honors and 11 Pro Bowl Invitations
• Southern Miss is ranked in the top 10 nationally for conference winning percentage of
schools which have been I-A during that time
• Bower has the second-longest tenure of a
head coach at his respective alma mater and
the seventh-longest tenure by a head coach at
the same institution
25
Coaching Staff
Randy Butler
ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/
TIGHT ENDS
onship, and a third trip to the Liberty Bowl and sixth
bowl appearance. The defense posted some impressive numbers that season, including a No. 14 ranking
in scoring defense, No. 13 in pass efficiency defense
and No. 23 in total defense.
Four of the defensive linemen earned all-league
honors for their efforts. Paul anchored the group with
a First-Team All-Conference USA selection, while
Jones and Scott picked up all-conference third-team
honors. Redshirt-freshman Greg Casnave was one of
three Southern Miss players to be named to the allfreshman team. Jones signed an NFL free agent
contract and played last season with the Indianapolis
Colts.
Butler also coached a stellar defensive line in
2002, led by Paul, an all-conference defensive end as
a junior. The defensive line jelled toward the end of
the season and played its best football down the
stretch, twice earning defensive Player of the Week
honors from the Southern Miss coaching staff.
Following the 2000 season, three defensive linemen coached by Butler were selected for postseason
honors, three were drafted in the NFL Draft and one
more signed a free agent contract. Cedric Scott was
selected in the fourth round by the New York Giants,
Daleroy Stewart in the sixth by the Dallas Cowboys
and John Nix in the seventh, also by the Cowboys.
DeQuincy Scott signed a free agent contract with the
San Diego Chargers.
Three were named to various All-Conference USA
teams – Cedric Scott, DeQuincy Scott and Nix. Cedric
After serving a successful nine-year stint as the
defensive line coach and now entering his 15th year
overall at Southern Miss on Jeff Bower’s staff and
27th year overall as a coach, Randy Butler moves to
the offensive side of the ball to coach the tight ends
this season. He also will serve as the program’s
recruiting coordinator.
Butler, who has the longest tenure of any coach on
Bower’s staff, coached the tight end position during
the 1993 and 1994 seasons. In 1994, Butler coach former Golden Eagle standout Terry Hardy, who was
later drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth
round and played several years in the NFL.
Butler has been an integral part of helping build
the tradition of Southern Miss
football of which it currently
The Butler Family: Anna Leigh, Randy,
enjoys. Butler’s development
Angela and Chelsea
of defensive lines over his
tenure at Southern Miss
helped further the long-time
defensive tradition that is synonymous with Golden Eagle
football.
Butler spent the 2004 season retooling the defensive
line after losing standout
defensive ends Terrell Paul
and Ronald Jones. The Golden
Eagles finished 7-5 for the
season and made their seventh bowl appearance in the
last eight years, defeating
North Texas, 31-10 in the
Wyndham New Orleans Bowl.
That defense finished No. 2 in
Conference USA in scoring
defense and No. 3 in total
defense.
He coached an outstanding
line that helped the 2003
Golden Eagles win their fourth
Conference USA champi26
Scott was named C-USA Co-Defensive Player of the
Year and an All-American by The Associated Press
and Football News.
The former Southern Miss standout was named
Assistant Head Coach after the 2000 season. He
moved over to coach defensive ends prior to the 1995
season. Prior to moving back to the defensive side of
the ball, Butler spent two seasons coaching the tight
ends.
Butler also coached Jeff Posey, a two-year standout who signed a free agent contract with San
Francisco in 1996 and is currently a starter for the
Buffalo Bills. In 1997, he coached Robert Brown, a
four-year letterwinner and All-Conference USA firstteam honoree. Brown has played professionally in the
Canadian Football League for several years and has
been an all-pro selection.
Butler was an all-star performer at Southern Miss
at offensive tackle, earned three letters, and partici-
The BUTLER File
Date of Birth: Oct. 26, 1956
Hometown: Hartford, Ala.
Education: Southern Miss, ’79 (bachelor’s),
’81 (master’s)
Year at Southern Miss: 15th
Year in Coaching: 27th
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Assistant Head Coach,
Tight Ends
Southern Miss, 2001-04: Assistant Head
Coach, Defensive Line
Southern Miss, 1996-00: Defensive Line
Southern Miss, 1995: Defensive Ends
Southern Miss, 1993-94: Tight Ends
Navarro Junior College, 1992: Offensive
Coordinator, Offensive Line
Tulane, 1990-91: Defensive Ends
Tulane, 1988-89: Offensive Tackles and
Tight Ends
Miss. Delta Junior College, 1987: Defensive
Coordinator, Defensive Line, Linebackers
Southern Methodist, 1983-86: Defensive Ends
and Outside Linebackers
Southern Methodist, 1982: Part time assistant, defense
University of the South, 1981: Offensive and
Defensive Line
Southern Miss, 1979-80: Graduate Assistant
Bowl Experience
2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl
2003: AXA Liberty Bowl
2002: Houston Bowl
2000: GMAC Bowl
1999: AXA Liberty Bowl
1998: Humanitarian Bowl
1997: AXA Liberty Bowl
1984: Aloha Bowl
1983: Sun Bowl
1982: Cotton Bowl
1980: Independence Bowl
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Coaching Staff
pated in both the East-West Shrine Game and the
Senior Bowl following his collegiate career. After a
brief stint in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts, Butler
returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant
coach. He was a part of the Southern Miss staff that
coached the Golden Eagles to a 16-14 victory over
McNeese State in the 1980 Independence Bowl.
In 1981, he accepted a position as the offensive
and defensive line coach at the University of the
South. After one season there, Butler went to
Southern Methodist University, where he spent the
next five seasons as SMU’s defensive ends and outside linebacker’s coach under Bobby Collins. While at
SMU, Butler was a part of the 1983 Cotton Bowl and
Southwest Conference Championship squad. In addition, the Mustangs won the 1984 league title and
participated in the Aloha Bowl and in the 1983 Sun
Bowl.
In 1987, he went to Mississippi Delta Junior
College as defensive coordinator. A year later, Butler
traveled to Tulane as the Green Wave offensive tackles and tight ends coach. He spent 1992 as the
offensive coordinator at Navarro Junior College. His
squad was 8-2 and won the Texas Junior College
Conference Championship.
Butler graduated from Southern Miss in 1979 with
his bachelor’s degree and with his master’s degree in
1981. He was inducted into the Southern Miss
Athletics Hall of Fame prior to the 1999 spring game.
He is married to the former Angela Smith, also a
Southern Miss graduate. The couple has two children,
Anna Leigh and Chelsea.
Jay Hopson
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/
DEFENSIVE BACKS
Jay Hopson returned to Southern Miss in January
for his second stint as a member of Jeff Bower’s staff
as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs
coach. Hopson previously spent three years at
Southern Miss as the defensive backs coach from
2001-03, before leaving to spend one season as the
defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator at
his alma mater, Ole Miss.
In 2003, his group of defensive backs helped the
SouthernMiss.com
Golden Eagles win their fourth Conference USA
championship and make a third trip to the Liberty
Bowl. They were tied for the national lead in fewest
passing touchdowns allowed (9) and earned a No. 5
national ranking in pass defense, No. 13 ranking in
pass efficiency defense, and helped maintain and
even improve on the successes the defense had
enjoyed the previous two seasons.
Safety Etric Pruitt had another banner season,
earning All-American honors for the second-straight
year. He finished third on the tackle list with 132
stops. He also had three interceptions, three fumble
recoveries, a forced fumble, 10 pass breakups and
four tackles for loss, and was named C-USA defensive player of the week following the UAB game.
Three of Hopson’s defensive backs gained all-conference honors, including first-teamers Pruitt and
Greg Brooks. Senior safety Alex Ray was selected to
the league’s third team. Pruitt also was named a
semifinalist for the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award,
given to the best defensive back in the nation. Brooks
and Pruitt both were drafted in the sixth round of the
NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta
Falcons, respectively.
While the 2001 season was a success against the
pass, the 2002 defense was even better. It led the
nation in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (6) and
finished as the No. 4 team in pass efficiency defense
and was No. 10 in pass defense.
One of Hopson’s players, Pruitt, was honored for
his performance when he was named an
All-Conference USA first team selection, as
well as being named to several All-America
teams. Pruitt was third on the team in tackles and led Southern Miss with six
interceptions. That total was good enough
to rank him No. 21 in the nation. Another of
Hopson’s defenders, Brooks, finished with
14 pass breakups and set the school’s
career mark with 35.
Two of the players Hopson coached in
2001, Brooks and Chad Williams, both were
selected first-team All-Conference USA following the season. Brooks finished the
2001 season ranked No. 6 in the nation in
pass breakups, and Brooks and Leroy
Johnson were ranked by the NCAA in interceptions. Williams was drafted in the sixth
round of the NFL Draft by the Baltimore
Ravens.
Hopson joined the Southern Miss staff
following the 2000 season, after spending
five years at Marshall University as the
defensive backs coach. The Thundering
Herd won four-straight Mid-American
Conference championships and made fourstraight appearances in the Motor City
Bowl, winning three of those. Marshall also
won a national championship in its last
year of NCAA I-AA competition in 1996.
The HOPSON File
Date of Birth: Oct. 13, 1968
Hometown: Vicksburg, Miss.
Education: Mississippi, ’92 (bachelor’s),
Delta State, ’94 (master’s)
Year at Southern Miss: 4th
Year In Coaching: 14th
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive
Coordinator/Defensive Backs
Ole Miss, 2004: Defensive Backs
Southern Miss, 2001-03: Defensive Backs
Marshall, 1996-2000: Defensive Backs
Florida, 1995: Graduate Assistant/Offensive
Scout Team/Special Teams
LSU, 1994: Graduate Assistant/Defensive
Backs/Offensive Scout Team
Delta State, 1993: Defensive Backs
Tulane, 1992: Graduate Assistant/Offensive
Scout Team/Special Teams/Video Breakdown
Bowl/Playoff Experience
2003: AXA Liberty Bowl
2002: Houston Bowl
2000: Motor City Bowl
1999: Motor City Bowl
1998: Motor City Bowl
1997: Motor City Bowl
1996: NCAA I-AA Playoffs
1995: Fiesta Bowl
The Hopson Family: Jay,
Virginia Hyde,
Hannah Renee
and Michelle
27
Coaching Staff
Marshall led the Mid-American Conference in
interceptions for two of his seasons there, ranking
No. 1 in the nation in 1999. The defense also ranked
in the top 15 nationally in pass efficiency defense
from 1997-99. He coached 10 all-conference selections, two players named to Sports Illustrated’s
All-Bowl Team, three All-Americans and two Jim
Thorpe Award candidates, honoring the nation’s top
defensive back.
Hopson’s coaching career started as a graduate
assistant at Tulane and has included stops at LSU,
Florida and Marshall before coming to Southern Miss.
While at Florida, the Gators won the Southeastern
Conference championship and played for the national
championship. While at LSU, the Tigers led the
Southeastern Conference in total defense.
Hopson was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive back at Ole Miss from 1988-91, playing free
safety for one season before moving to strong safety
for his final three years. He was a four-time Academic
All-SEC honor roll selection and was named to the
CoSIDA District VI Academic All-America team as a
senior in 1991.
He also was a member of the student athletic advisory committee and was the recipient of the John
Howard Vaught Award in 1991. Hopson was a speaker at the American Football Coaches Association
Convention in January 2000. Hopson enjoyed a successful playing career at Warren Central High School
in Vicksburg, Miss., where he earned all-county, alldistrict and all-state honors.
He received his bachelor’s degree in business
administration from Ole Miss in 1992 and his master’s
degree in health, physical education and recreation
from Delta State in 1994.
Hopson is married to the former Michelle Russell
of Vicksburg, Miss. The couple has two daughters,
Virginia Hyde and Hannah Renee.
Jay Johnson
OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/
QUARTERBACKS
Jay Johnson is in his first year as the offensive
coordinator and quarterbacks coach and third year on
the staff at Southern Miss. He spent his first year as
28
The JOHNSON File
Date of Birth: Sept. 18, 1969
Hometown: Lakeville, Minn.
Education: Northern Iowa, ’92 (bachelor’s),
Missouri, ’94 (master’s)
Year at Southern Miss: Third
Years in Coaching: 12th
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Offensive
Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Southern Miss, 2004: Running Backs
Southern Miss, 2003: Tight End
Kansas, 2001: Running Backs
Kansas, 1999-2000: Quarterbacks
Kansas, 1997-98: Graduate
Assistant/Quarterbacks
Truman State, 1995-96: Offensive
Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator
Augsburg College, 1994: Offensive
Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator
Missouri-Columbia, 1994: Graduate
Assistant/Wide Receivers (spring)
Columbia-Hickman HS, 1993:
Quarterbacks/Receivers/Defensive Backs
Bowl Experience
2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl
2003: AXA Liberty Bowl
Truman State’s offense to an average of more than 30
points and 400 yards a game during the 1995 and
1996 seasons.
He served as a graduate assistant at Kansas from
1997-99 and became its quarterbacks coach in 1999,
serving in that role until 2001, when he moved to
coach running backs and coached in that role before
arriving at Southern Miss.
Johnson, a three-time All-Gateway Conference
quarterback and four-time conference player of the
week in his playing days at Northern Iowa, led his
teams to a 31-8 record, and won three conference
championships, while appearing in three national
playoffs. He finished his career with almost 500 completions and threw for more than 8,000 yards and 58
touchdowns.
He was elected team captain in both the 1991 and
1992 seasons. He quarterbacked the ’92 team to a 122 record, a conference championship and the No. 3
ranking in the final NCAA Div. 1-AA poll.
Johnson also holds a variety of academic honors to
go with his on-field prowess. He earned President’s
Academic Excellence honors in the Gateway
Conference and held a perfect 4.0 grade point average while completing his master’s degree at Missouri.
That earned him a Superior Graduate Achievement
Award from the Department of Health and Exercise
Science, and he was a Dean’s List scholar at Northern
Iowa where he compiled a 3.47 GPA. He also taught
several courses while at Truman State and Missouri.
He is married to the former Lori Ross, and the couple has one son, Cole.
the tight ends coach and then coached the running
backs last year.
In 2004, Johnson guided a solid stable of running
backs, which averaged 144.9 yards per game, 22.8
more yards per game and six more rushing
touchdowns than in 2003. Veterans Anthony
The Johnson Family:
Harris and Sherron Moore carried the majority
Jay, Lori and
of the load for the season, and newcomer
Cole
Larry Thomas proved that he is a capable runner and will give the team a proven runner for
the future.
Johnson helped guide senior tight end
Terrell Browden to a successful season in
2003, earning All-Conference USA secondteam honors and then signed a free agent
contract with the Cleveland Browns.
Johnson has extensive coaching experience
and knowledge of several positions, including
quarterback, receivers, defensive backs, running backs, and tight ends.
Johnson has honed his coaching skills at a
variety of levels and schools. He started his
coaching career at Columbia-Hickman High
School in 1993, serving as the quarterbacks,
receivers and defensive backs coach.
In 1994, he moved to Missouri as a graduate assistant coach, later moving to Augsburg
College, serving as the school’s offensive coordinator and recruitment coordinator from
1994-95, before moving to that same position
at Truman State from 1995-97. He directed
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Coaching Staff
Lytrel Pollard
SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR/
LINEBACKERS
Lytrel Pollard is another former standout Golden
Eagle linebacker that has shown his ability to be successful as a collegiate football coach. Now in his
seventh season as a member of the Southern Miss
coaching staff, he continues as the special teams’
coordinator and now becomes the linebackers coach.
For the past five years, he coached the outside linebackers. Pollard continues to share his knowledge,
advancing the tradition of the Southern Miss defense.
Pollard has experienced coaching success, as outside linebacker Michael Boley left his mark as one of
the greatest linebackers to ever play at Southern
Miss. He was a two-time All-American, including consensus honors in 2004 and a three-time
All-Conference USA selection. Linebacker Antoine
Cash had an outstanding senior season as the team’s
third-leading tackler with 95 stops, four sacks, 15
tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. Boley
The POLLARD File
Date of Birth: April 3, 1976
Hometown: Bay Springs, Miss.
Education: Southern Miss, (bachelor’s, ‘98);
(master’s, ‘99)
Year at Southern Miss: Seventh
Year in Coaching: Seventh
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Special Teams
Coordinator/Linebackers
Southern Miss, 2003-04: Special Teams
Coordinator/Outside Linebackers
Southern Miss, 2001-2002: Outside
Linebackers
Southern Miss, 2000: Wolf Linebackers/
Defensive Ends
Southern Miss, 1999: Graduate Assistant
Bowl Experience
2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl
2003: AXA Liberty Bowl
2002: Houston Bowl
2000: GMAC Bowl
1999: AXA Liberty Bowl
SouthernMiss.com
was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and
The Pollard Family: Lytrel, Kristina, Tylor and Klabron
Cash signed a free agent contract, also
with the Falcons.
Boley was tabbed a national semifinalist for the Butkus, Bednarik and Lott
Awards, while winning the Conerly
Trophy, given since 1996 to Mississippi’s
best college football player. He earned
Conference USA Defensive Player of the
Week Honors four times last season,
and national player of the week honors
by the Football Writers Association of
America and the Walter Camp
Foundation following his 20-tackle, two
forced fumble, a tackle for loss and a
pass breakup performance in the team’s
season opening win at Nebraska. He
posted one of the best seasons by a
Southern Miss defensive player, as he
finished with 125 tackles, 17 tackles for
loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, two
pass breakups and five forced fumbles
last season. His five forced fumbles
gave him nine for his career, which is a
school record.
Last year, in Pollard’s second year as
the special teams’ coordinator, kicker Darren McCaleb times in 11 games as a senior and had a season-best
13 stops in the season opener at Florida.
was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given
He finished his Golden Eagle career with 274 tackannually to the nation’s best collegiate kicker and
les,
nearly reaching the top 10 on the career tackles
earned All-American honors. He was perfect on all of
list
at
Southern Miss, and he was named permanent
his regular season field goals attempts, before misscaptain
his senior season.
ing his first few of the season in the bowl game.
Pollard earned his undergraduate degree in coachKickoff returner John Eubanks also enjoyed a
ing and sport administration in the spring of 1998,
strong season, as he led the nation in kickoff returns
and his master’s in the fall of 1999. He is the son of
for part of the year, and finished (5) in the top five in
Charles and Margaret Pollard of Bay Springs, Miss.
the nation for the second year in a row. He was
Pollard, and his wife, Kristina, have two sons, Tylor
named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of
and Klabron.
the Year, as well as earning All-American honors for
the second year.
In 2003, Pollard saw three of his specialists gain
all-conference honors. Eubanks and Marvin Young
ranked among the nation’s leaders in kick return (4)
and punt return (10), respectively. The two players
earned spots on the All-Conference USA First Team
as return men, while freshman kicker Darren McCaleb
was honored on the league’s all-freshman team and
was named to several Freshman All-America teams,
including The Sporting News.
During the 2000 season, one of his players, bandit
end Terrell Paul, was named to the Conference USA
All-Freshman Team, and during the 2001 season wolf
linebacker Roy Magee was named Second Team AllC-USA.
Ron McCrone
A native of Bay Springs, Miss., Pollard played at
DEFENSIVE ENDS
Stringer High School and completed an outstanding
Golden Eagle playing career in 1997 by helping lead
Coaching veteran Ron McCrone is coaching the
the team to a 9-3 record, a C-USA championship, and
defensive ends this season after coaching the defena Liberty Bowl title. He led the team in tackles with
sive backs in the first year of his second tour of duty
114, a total that was good for fifth place in the conat Southern Miss. He first coached the Golden Eagle
ference. He was in double figures in tackles eight
29
Coaching Staff
defensive ends in 1974 for standout player and former
Head Coach P.W. Underwood.
As the defensive backs coach last year, McCrone
guided a solid group of defensive backs that, despite
injuries, continued to improve over the course of the
season. Preseason All-American John Eubanks was
named a First-Team All-Conference USA defensive
back, and Trevis Coley was named a second-team
performer. Coley led the team in interceptions with
four, was the second-leading tackler on the team with
104 stops and had six pass breakups. Eubanks led the
team with nine pass breakups and was second on the
team in interceptions with three.
Despite an elbow injury, Caleb Hendrix improved
over the course of the season, finishing with 47 tack-
The McCRONE File
Date of Birth: Jan. 17, 1946
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.
Education: Florida, ’68 (bachelor’s)
Year at Southern Miss: Second
Year in Coaching: 37th
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Ends
Southern Miss, 2004: Defensive Backs
Southwest Missouri State, 2003: CoDefensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs
Jacksonville Tomcats, 2000-01 (AFL2): Head
Coach
Tallahassee Thunder, 2000 (AFL2): Defensive
Coordinator
Orange Park, 2000-02: Head Coach
Alabama State, 1998-99: Defensive
Coordinator
Temple, 1997: Assistant Head Coach/Defensive
Coordinator
Temple, 1995-96: Defensive Backs
UCF, 1992-95: Defensive Coordinator/Defensive
Backs
UTEP, 1989-92: Defensive Backs
Orange Park High School, 1988-89: Head
Coach
Citrus High School, 1987-88: Head Coach
Tampa Bay Bandits, 1984-86:
Linebackers/Special Teams
Duke, 1982-84: Defensive Backs
Ole Miss, 1981-92: Linebackers
Vanderbilt, 1979-81: Defensive
Coordinator/Defensive Backs
Auburn, 1978-79: Assistant Defensive Backs
Tennessee-Martin, 1975-78: Defensive
Coordinator/Defensive Backs
Southern Miss, 1974: Defensive Ends
Tampa, 1972-73: Defensive Backs
Florida, 1971-72: Defensive Ends
Gordon Military College, 1970: Head
Coach/Defensive Coordinator
Paxon High School, 1969: Defensive Backs
Bowl/Playoff Experience
2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl
1995: NCAA I-AA Playoffs
1985: USFL Playoffs
30
les and four pass breakups. Darrell Bennett
The McCrone Family:
was the team’s fourth-leading tackler with 70
Ron, Blair
stops and had six pass breakups, two interand Mary
ceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble
recoveries.
McCrone has 36 years of coaching experience at the high school, collegiate and
professional levels. He came to Southern Miss
after spending a year as the co-defensive
coordinator and defensive backs coach at
Southwest Missouri State. While he was at
Southwest Missouri State, his defensive secondary was ranked No. 1 in the Gateway
Conference in pass defense, No. 1 in pass efficiency defense and No. 3 in the nation in pass
efficiency defense. Prior to that, he was the
head coach at Orange Park (Fla.) High School
for three years, where he coached current
Golden Eagle quarterback Dustin Almond.
McCrone began his coaching career in 1969
as the defensive backs coach at Paxon High
School in Jacksonville, Fla., before taking his
first head coaching job in 1970 at Gordon (Ga.)
Military College. From there, he served as the
Coach and Defensive Coordinator in 1997. The Owls
defensive ends coach at Florida in 1971-72, the secfinished No. 11 in the nation in sacks in 1997 and
ondary coach at Tampa in 1973 and at Southern Miss
was third in the Big East Conference in total defense.
in 1974.
McCrone was the Defensive Coordinator at
For the next three years (1975-78), he was the
Alabama State in 1998, where his Alabama State
defensive coordinator and secondary coach at
secondary was first in the SWAC in passing defense
Tennessee-Martin. In 1976, the Skyhawks led the Gulf and third in total defense. He then spent two years in
South Conference in total defense and set the NCAA
the Arena Football League 2, the 2000 season as the
record with four interceptions returned for touchdefensive coordinator of the Tallahassee Thunder and
downs and 269 yards in returns.
the Head Coach of the Jacksonville Tomcats in 2001.
He spent four years at three different Southeastern
McCrone, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., is a graduConference schools from 1978-82. He spent a year as
ate of the University of Florida (1968) with a
the assistant defensive secondary coach at Auburn
bachelor’s degree in recreational physical education
(1978), two years as the defensive coordinator and
and health and was a member of the 1967 Orange
secondary coach at Vanderbilt (1979-80) and one year
as the linebackers coach at Ole Miss (1981). While at
The MESSINGHAM File
Vanderbilt in 1980, the Commodores set an NCAA
record with five interceptions against Memphis.
Date of Birth: Oct. 23, 1966
He coached the defensive secondary at Duke for
Hometown: Waterloo, Iowa
two years (1982-83) before spending two years as the
Education: Northern Iowa (bachelor’s, 1990),
linebackers and special teams coach with the Tampa
(master’s, 1992)
Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. The
Year at Southern Miss: First
Bandits advanced to the USFL playoffs in 1985.
Year in Coaching: 15th
McCrone spent two years as a head high school
Coaching Career
coach, one year at Citrus High School in Inverness,
Southern Miss, 2005: Wide Receivers
Fla., in 1987 and one year at Orange Park High School
Upper Iowa, 2003-04: Head Coach
(1988). He spent a three-year stint at UTEP as the secSouthwest Missouri State, 1999-02: Wide
ondary coach from 1989-91. The 1991 squad was first
Receivers
in the Western Athletic Conference in pass defense
Truman State, 1995-98: Quarterbacks, Running
Backs, Wide Receivers, Kickoff Returners and
and second in total defense.
Punters
He then moved to UCF from 1992-94 as the defenIowa Lakes CC: 1993-94: Offensive
sive coordinator and secondary coach. In 1993, the
Coordinator/Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers,
Golden Knights set a school record with 58 sacks and
Tight Ends
led all the teams in the state of Florida in intercepSt. Ambrose: 1991-92: Offensive
tions with 22. From 1995-97, McCrone worked at
Coordinator/Quarterbacks-Tight Ends
Temple University, serving as the defensive secondary
St. Ambrose: 1990: Graduate Assistant
coach the first two years and as the Assistant Head
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Coaching Staff
Bowl team. He and his wife, Mary, have three children, Jeff, Kelly and Blair, and one grandchild, Cody
Carroll.
Courtney Messingham
WIDE RECEIVERS
Courtney Messingham is in his first year as the
wide receivers coach at Southern Miss and 15th year
overall. He is reunited once again with offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, as both coached together at
Truman State from 1995-96 and both played together
at the University of Northern Iowa. He came to
Southern Miss after serving as the head coach at
Upper Iowa University.
Before becoming head coach at Upper Iowa, he
was on the offensive staff at Southwest Missouri
State University in Springfield, Mo., serving as offensive coordinator for three years from 2000-02 and
wide receivers/tight ends and special teams coach for
The Messingham Family:
Courtney, Carol and
Taylor
SouthernMiss.com
the 1999 season. Prior to his stint at SMS, he was an
assistant coach at Truman State University in
Kirksville, Mo., serving as the offensive coordinator
his last two years, while coaching the quarterback,
running back, receiver, kickoff return and punt positions for four years (1995-99).
Messingham spent a two-year stint at Iowa Lakes
Community College (1993-94) in Esterville, Iowa, serving as the offensive coordinator for two years. He
was named the head coach in January 1995, before
moving to Truman State for the 1995 season. As the
offensive coordinator at Iowa Lakes, he coached the
quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends. Prior to
that, he coached three years at St. Ambrose
University (1990-92) in Davenport, Iowa, as a graduate assistant for one year (1990) before becoming the
offensive coordinator the next two years, coaching
the quarterbacks and tight ends.
Highlighting his coaching career, one of
Messingham’s wide receivers at Upper Iowa had 11
touchdown receptions, third most in the school’s history and four receiving touchdowns in one game,
second most in school history. His tailback had the
longest touchdown run in the school history (95) and
his starting quarterback threw a school-record seven
touchdowns in one game, a school-record 36 completions in a game and accumulated game passing yard
totals of 392, 407 and 427 yards.
At Southwest Missouri State, his 2001 offense
produced a conference-best 432 yards per game,
fourth in the school’s history. His starting receiver set
school marks for receptions and yards. His quarterback in 2000 started a game hitting 20-of-20 passes,
setting an NCAA record. His receiver set a single-season record for receptions and career
record for receiving touchdowns. He coached
four Division II All-Americans at Truman State,
including the 1996 Player of the Year. His running back finished with 2,140 yards as a senior
and ended his career as the third-leading rusher in NCAA history with 6,166 yards and 73
rushing touchdowns. He coached four all-conference players at Iowa Lakes Community
College and the all-time receptions leader at
St. Ambrose.
Messingham, who hails from Waterloo,
Iowa, was a first-team all-state quarterback
and an all-state shortstop at Waterloo West
High School. He was named the Football
Athlete of the Year in Waterloo for the 198485 school year.
He was a four-year letterwinner at The
University of Northern Iowa, while earning his
bachelor of technology degree, majoring in
mechanical design with a coaching endorsement in 1990. He earned his master’s degree
in business administration, along with 12
hours of graduate studies in physical education from Northern Iowa in 1992.
Messingham and his wife, Carol, a 1990
graduate of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in
accounting, have a daughter, Taylor.
Derrick Nix
RUNNING BACKS
Derrick Nix, one of the best-known players to ever
wear a Southern Miss uniform, is coaching the running backs this year after serving as the tight ends
coach last season. He started his coaching career in
2003 as the defensive graduate assistant, before
moving over to the offensive side of the ball in 2004.
Last season, Nix’s tight ends, used primarily as
blockers in the offensive scheme, were successful.
Otho Graves caught six passes, three of them for
touchdowns on the season, and Patrick Corbett had
four catches on the year, a career-high.
Nix was a record-setting running back throughout
his Southern Miss playing days. He was so successful
that he was named to the Golden Eagle Team of the
Century that was announced in 2000 and recently
became one of only five players in the history of the
football program to become a member of the
Southern Miss Legends Club.
His name is prominent in the Southern Miss record
book, including becoming the first Golden Eagle player ever to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his freshman
and sophomore seasons and the only Southern Miss
and Conference USA player ever to rush for 1,000
yards or more in three seasons, finishing just 12 yards
The NIX File
Date of Birth: Feb, 22, 1980
Hometown: Attalla, Ala.
Education: Southern Miss, ’02 (bachelor’s)
Year at Southern Miss: Third
Year in Coaching: Third
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Running Backs
Southern Miss, 2004: Tight ends
Southern Miss, 2003: Defensive Graduate
Assistant
Bowl Experience
2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl
2003: AXA Liberty Bowl
31
Coaching Staff
short of becoming the all-time leading rusher at
Southern Miss and 53 yards short of the C-USA
record, despite an injury-shortened career that
required him to have a kidney transplant in June
2003.
A sprained ankle, along with the kidney problem,
forced Nix, a three-time All-Conference USA selection, to sit out a year and a half, before returning to
fashion a successful senior season.
Nix, a 2002 Southern Miss graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport administration, is working toward
a master’s degree in the same field. His older brother,
Tyrone, a member of the Southern Miss coaching
staff from 1995-2004, was a four-year standout linebacker for Southern Miss and is now the co-defensive
coordinator at South Carolina. He is the son of
Preston and Mary Nix of Attalla, Ala.
Mitch Rodrigue
OFFENSIVE LINE
Mitch Rodrigue is in his third season as the offensive line coach for the Southern Miss football
program and his seventh season overall of his second
tour of duty with the Golden Eagles’ football program.
During his tenure, he has proven to be a valuable
member of the staff, not only on the field, but also as
a recruiter.
He coached the running backs in 1999 and the
tight ends from 2000-02, before taking over as the
offensive line coach in 2003. He assisted with the
offensive line during his initial stint at Southern Miss,
serving as the program’s graduate assistant in 1989
and 1990 under former head coach Curley Hallman.
In 2004, the offensive line continued its strong
play, as it gave up only seven sacks for the season.
The Golden Eagles finished with seven wins and
earned its seventh bowl invitation in the past eight
seasons. Senior Jeremy Parquet was selected to the
All-Conference USA second team, and Chris Clark
was named to the all-freshman squad. Parquet was
drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Draft in
April.
Rodrigue made his first year as the offensive line
coach at Southern Miss a memorable one as the
Golden Eagles won their fourth Conference USA title,
32
was invited to the Liberty Bowl for the third time and
earned a bowl bid. The program lost three starting
offensive lineman to the National Football League
from the 2002 squad, and Rodrigue was charged with
retooling the line.
The offensive line made significant progress as the
season went along and earned notice and praise from
Head Coach Jeff Bower for its outstanding play
throughout the second half of the season.
The line also earned respect from the rest of
Conference USA, with three players garnering allleague honors. Parquet was named to the first team,
while center Jim Hicks took home second-team honors. Chris White was the team’s selection on the third
team and Travis Cooley was named to the Conference
USA All-Freshman team.
A native of Thibodaux, La., and a veteran of several seasons as both offensive line coach and offensive
coordinator at Nicholls State, Rodrigue helped the
Colonels lead the Southland Conference in passing.
In addition to his time as the Colonels’ offensive
coordinator, he also served at various times as recruiting coordinator and, after the resignation of Rick
Rhoades in 1995, interim head coach.
As offensive line coach, Rodrigue’s linemen
blocked for the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher in
1996. Prior to his coaching stint at Nicholls State,
Rodrigue worked for two seasons as an assistant
coach at Pearl River Community College. At PRCC, he
served as offensive line coach, as well as strength
and conditioning coach.
Rodrigue played at Nicholls State and helped the
Colonels reach the second round of the Division I-AA
playoffs in 1986 as well as win the 1984 Gulf Star
Conference title. He played one season at CopiahLincoln Community College prior to his career at
Nicholls State. He was an all-district performer at
Thibodaux High School.
The RODRIGUE File
Date of Birth: Jan. 2, 1965
Hometown: Thibodaux, La.
Education: Nicholls State, ‘88 (bachelor’s)
Year at Southern Miss: Ninth
Year in Coaching: 19th
Coaching Experience
Southern Miss, 2003-05: Offensive Line
Southern Miss, 2000-02: Tight Ends
Southern Miss, 1999: Running Backs
Nicholls State, 1998: Offensive Line/Offensive
Coordinator
Nicholls State, 1994-97: Offensive
Line/Recruiting Coordinator
Nicholls State, 1995: Interim Head Coach
Nicholls State, 1993: Offensive Line/Tight
Ends
Pearl River CC, 1991-92: Offensive
Line/Strength and Conditioning Coach
East St. John High School, 1991: Offensive
Line/Strength and Conditioning
Southern Miss, 1989-90: Graduate
Assistant/Offensive Line
Nicholls State, 1987-88: Student
Assistant/Offensive Line
Bowl Experience
2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl
2003: AXA Liberty Bowl
2002: Houston Bowl
2000: GMAC Bowl
1999: AXA Liberty Bowl
1996: NCAA I-AA Playoffs
1990: All-American Bowl
Rodrigue and his wife, Deidi, have three children,
Maci, Madden, and Mallori.
The Rodrigue Family: Madden, Mallori,
Mitch, Deidi and Maci
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Coaching Staff
Fred Tate
DEFENSIVE TACKLES
Fred Tate, former defensive line standout for
Southern Miss in 1995-96, is in his first year as the
defensive tackles coach at Southern Miss and ninth
year in coaching overall. He comes to Southern Miss
after serving as an assistant coach at East Carolina
for the past two years under former Southern Miss
defensive coordinator John Thompson.
Tate was the outside linebackers coach and assisted with various phases of special teams at East
Carolina, coached the defensive line the previous five
seasons and started his coaching career in 1997,
coaching the tight ends and wide receivers.
He coached the defensive line at Middle
Tennessee State (2002), defensive line and punting
team at Southwest Texas State (2001), defensive line,
punting and kicking teams at East Mississippi
Community College (2000), defensive line and special
teams at Jacksonville State (1998-99) and tight ends
and wide receivers at East Central Community College
(1997).
While at Southwest Texas State, he coached AllAmerican Clenton Ballard, who played for the
Jacksonville Jaguars and most recently with the San
Diego Chargers. He coached Mark Word at
Jacksonville State, who played in the NFL for the
The TATE File
Date of Birth: Oct. 31, 1968
Hometown: Hattiesburg, Miss.
Education: Southern Miss, ’97 (bachelor’s)
Year at Southern Miss: First
Year in Coaching: Ninth
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Tackles
East Carolina, 2003-04: Outside Linebackers
Middle Tennessee State, 2002: Defensive
Line
Southwest Texas State, 2001: Defensive Line
East Mississippi CC, 2000: Defensive Line
Jacksonville State, 1998-99: Defensive
Line/Special Teams
East Central CC, 1997: Tight Ends/Wide
Receivers
SouthernMiss.com
Kansas City Chiefs and most recently with
the Cleveland Browns.
Tate was a two-year letterwinner at
Southern Miss from 1995-96, playing defensive end and tackle. He played for the
Golden Eagles as they played their first year
in Conference USA as a founding member
and helped lead them to the conference
championship in 1996.
He began his collegiate playing career at
East Central Community College, earning JC
Gridwire All-America honors. He was selected as the team’s offensive most valuable
player of the National Junior College AllStar Game.
Prior to enrolling at East Central, Tate
served in the United States Army in the
Airborne Division. He served for five years,
earned an Army Commendation Medal and
Soldier of the Quarter three times.
Tate earned his bachelor’s degree in
human performance from Southern Miss in
1997. He and his wife, Andrea, have a son,
Christian and the family also includes
Darrion and Donovan Tate.
The Tate Family: Fred, Andrea
and Christian
In addition to his football duties, Miller serves as
the Director of the Southern Miss Coaching Clinic, the
Jeff Bower Football Camps and as Director of the
Annual Jeff Bower Golf Tournament.
While in the Army, Miller worked in the criminal
investigation division. He received two Army
Commendations, a National Defense Award for
Desert Storm and a Cold War Era Award for Desert
Storm.
After serving for four years in the United States
The Miller Family:
John and Jill
John Miller
ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/
FOOTBALL OPERATIONS
A native of Clinton, Miss., John Miller is in his fifth
year as the Assistant Athletic Director for Football
Operations and sixth year working with the football
program at Southern Miss.
He received the promotion in 2001 after serving as
Director of Football Operations for two years. Prior to
that, he worked as an assistant with the recruiting
program and also spent time assisting with the defensive backs.
He oversees the day-to-day operations of the
Golden Eagle football office, which also includes
working with academics, bowl preparation, camps,
game-day operations, on-campus recruiting weekends, practice and event scheduling and team travel.
He also is Southern Miss’ liaison with NFL Scouts and
oversees the player timing days.
33
Coaching Staff
Army, Miller worked as an assistant coach at Clinton
High School under David Bradberry.
Miller is the son of Walter and Mary Miller of
Clinton. Miller, and his wife Jill, live in Hattiesburg
with their sons, Jonathon and Josh.
was selected to play in the Mississippi North-South
All-Star Game.
Causey earned his bachelor’s degree in business
administration with an emphasis in marketing from
North Alabama in 2004. He is currently pursuing his
master’s degree in sport administration from Southern
Miss and will graduate in December. He is the son of
Pat and Kathy Causey of Petal, Miss.
The TRIMM File
Date of Birth: Feb. 26, 1977
Hometown: Hamilton, Ala.
Education: Southern Miss (bachelor’s, ‘00),
(master’s, ’02)
Year at Southern Miss: Third
Year in Coaching: Fifth
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Graduate
Assistant
Itawamba CC, 2004: Defensive Coordinator
Hinds CC, 2003: Defensive Backs/Special
Teams Coordinator
Southern Miss, 2001-02: Defensive Graduate
Assistant
Bowl/Playoff Experience
2004: NJCAA State Playoffs
2003: NJCAA State Playoffs
2002: Houston Bowl
Drew Causey
GRADUATE ASSISTANT
COACH/OFFENSE
Drew Causey is in his first year as the offensive
graduate assistant with the Golden Eagles and second year with the program. He served as a student
assistant coach last season, assisting with the offensive line.
His on-field coaching responsibilities include
assisting with the offensive line and overseeing the
defensive scout team. He also assists the coaching
staff with Southern Miss’ player game evaluations
and the scouting of opponents.
Causey played two years at Pearl River Community
College before transferring for his final two seasons
at North Alabama. While at Pearl River, he was
named the team’s most valuable offensive lineman as
a sophomore. He also was named to the all-state
team. As a senior, he helped lead North Alabama to
the Gulf South Conference Championship.
He was a four-year letterwinner at Petal High
School in Petal, Miss. He was named the team’s most
valuable offensive lineman as a junior and senior. He
also was named to the all-state team as a senior and
The CAUSEY File
Date of Birth: Oct. 17, 1981
Hometown: Petal, Miss.
Education: North Alabama, 2001 (bachelor’s)
Year at Southern Miss: Second
Year in Coaching: Second
Coaching Career
Southern Miss, 2005: Offensive Graduate
Assistant
Southern Miss, 2004: Offensive Student
Assistant
Bowl Experience
2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl
34
Ferrell Trimm
GRADUATE ASSISTANT
COACH/DEFENSE
season. The Golden Eagles won the Conference USA
championship and the Liberty Bowl championship that
season.
He spent his first three years in college as a twotime all-conference and all-region selection in
baseball at the University of Alabama-Huntsville.
Trimm earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern
Miss in secondary education in 2000 and his master’s
degree in sport administration in 2002. He currently is
pursuing a doctorate in human performance and
recreation at Southern Miss.
He, and his wife, Tessa, are the parents of one
daughter, Jordan.
A former Golden Eagle football player, Ferrell
Trimm returns to Southern Miss as the defensive
graduate assistant coach. He served as an offensive
student assistant coach during the 2000 season and
as the defensive graduate assistant coach in 2001
and 2002.
He spent last year as the defensive coordinator at
Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss. His
defensive unit finished second in the
state in fewest passing touchdowns
The Trimm Family: Ferrell, Jordan and Tessa
allowed and third in pass defense.
Last year, Itawamba advanced to the
playoffs for the first time in four
years. Trimm coached current
Golden Eagle linebacker Jerome
Lyons at Itawamba.
Trimm spent one year as the special teams coordinator and
defensive backs coach at Hinds
Community College in 2003. The
defense led the state in fewest
touchdowns allowed and was No. 2
in pass defense. The special teams
ranked first in the state in kickoff
returns and punting average. Trimm
helped lead Hinds to a 9-2 record
and a No. 12 national ranking.
Trimm coached current Golden Eagle
defensive end Ken Griffith while at
Hinds.
Trimm added depth at quarterback as a member of the Southern
Miss football team during the 1999
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Coaching Staff
Patrick Stewart
HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER
Patrick Stewart is in his 10th year as a member of
the Southern Miss staff and ninth as the head equipment manager. A native of Miamisburg, Ohio, Stewart
came to Southern Miss after serving as a student
manager at the University of Cincinnati for five years.
He administers the total equipment operation and
day-to-day business for the athletic department with
primary emphasis on football. He also oversees inventory and purchasing for the entire department. Other
sports that Stewart is responsible for include volleyball, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s
tennis.
Stewart received his bachelor’s degree in business
administration in 1996 from the University of
Cincinnati, and was awarded his master’s in sport
administration at Southern Miss in 1997. In addition
to his experience on the collegiate level, Stewart has
served as an intern with the Cleveland Browns and
Baltimore Ravens of the NFL.
He is a member of the Athletic Equipment
Managers Association and received his certification
The Stewart Family: Patrick and Ty
in June 1996. He also is in his sixth year as Vice
President of District 4 of the Athletic Equipment
Managers Association (A.E.M.A.), and served four
years as chairman of Conference USA Equipment
Managers. The Athletic Equipment Managers
Association held its annual convention in New
Orleans during the summer of 2002, and Stewart was
one of its featured speakers. The Southern Miss
Equipment Department was honored as the best
equipment operation in Conference USA for 1999-00
and 2001-02, as voted on by the other equipment
managers in the conference.
In 2003, at the A.E.M.A National Convention in
Cleveland, Ohio, Stewart was honored with the Jeff
Boss District 4 Equipment Manager of the Year
Award. He was recently nominated for the Glenn
Sharpe Award, given annually to the top equipment
manager in the nation.
Stewart is married to the former Ty’Shuna Dyess of
Bassfield, Miss. Ty is in her 12th year working with
the Athletic Media Relations Department at Southern
Miss.
member of the Athletic Equipment Manager’s
Association and received his certification in June
1998.
The Southern Miss Equipment Department was
honored as the best equipment operation in
Conference USA for 1999-00 and 2001-02, as voted
on by the other equipment managers in the conference.
Windham married the former Brandy Mixon of
Sumrall, Miss., in June 2004.
Chris Hooley
SPORTS VIDEO COORDINATOR
Chris Hooley is in her sixth year with the Golden
Eagle athletic department after becoming the athletic
department’s first-ever, full-time video coordinator
prior to the start of the 2000 football season.
Hooley is responsible for coordinating all aspects
of the Golden Eagle athletic department’s video
efforts. She handles the day-to-day video operations
for practice and games, including film breakdown and
exchange.
Marty Windham
ASSISTANT EQUIPMENT MANAGER
The Windham Family:
Marty and Brandy
Marty Windham is in his eighth year as assistant
equipment manager at Southern Miss. He assists
with the football equipment operation, as well as
overseeing the needs for the sports of baseball, men’s
and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track,
women’s cross country, softball and soccer.
The Bay Springs, Miss., native is no stranger to the
Southern Miss family, having served as a graduate
assistant in the equipment office and as an undergraduate assistant for three seasons prior to that.
Windham got an early start on his vocation when
he served as manager for the Bay Springs High
School football team, while also competing in baseball for three seasons.
He continued to serve as a football manager at
Jones County Community College before arriving at
Southern Miss.
The Southern Miss alum earned his bachelor’s
degree in coaching in 1997, before adding a master’s
of science in sport administration in 1998. He is a
SouthernMiss.com
35
Coaching Staff
In 2003, she was honored as the Conference USA
Video Coordinator of the Year as voted on by the
other conference coordinators. The award was presented by the Collegiate Sports Video Association.
She graduated from the University of Kentucky in
1996 with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications.
She then worked with the Kentucky Sports Video
Department from August 1996 through April 1998. At
Kentucky, she worked primarily with football and
men’s and women’s basketball.
Hooley became Assistant Video Coordinator at the
University of Houston in 1998. While there, she
worked with every team in the athletic department,
but primarily with football and men’s and women’s
basketball.
She is a native of Sistersville, W.Va., and is the
daughter of Dave and Linda Hooley, who reside in
Sistersville.
ous aspects in the video department, handled various
media requests for the coaching staff, assisted with
the organization of recruiting and camps and clinics,
handled administrative duties for the head coach and
managed all areas relating to and dealing with the
special teams unit.
He spent one year at LSU (2000-01) as the graduate assistant for recruiting and football operations.
His responsibilities included updating recruiting
boards, tracking recruiting news and information,
updating and maintaining the recruiting film library,
assisting with football camps and clinics, recruiting
weekends and with the development of the head
coaches’ Web site.
Sanders worked three years at Auburn, one year as
the recruiting assistant (1998-98) and the previous
two years (1996-98) as a student manager/student
assistant for recruiting and football operations. He
assisted with the official visit process, maintaining
the film library, gathering information about each
recruit from newspaper and through the internet and
coordinating football camps and clinics and the walkon program.
He also spent two summers as a training camp
intern, one with the Baltimore Ravens (1998) and one
with the Washington Redskins (1999), assisting with
football operations, the equipment room and special
teams.
Sanders, a native of Fort Payne, Ala., earned his
bachelor’s degree in political science from Auburn in
1998. He is the son of Roy and Phyllis Sanders.
library, the organization of camps and clinics and
gives administrative support to the coaching staff. He
also handles multiple office functions and game-day
duties for the Assistant Director of Athletics for
Football Operations and assists him with in-house
operations.
Jones served as a student assistant for football
operations for three years. He assisted with the dayto-day operation of the Golden Eagle football office,
camps and clinics, game-day operations, on-campus
recruiting weekends, team travel and bowl preparation.
Jones, a native of Petal, Miss., earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Miss in sport
administration in 2002 and his master’s degree in
sport administration in 2004. He is the son of David
and Gail Jones.
Rev. Tommy Conway
Ronnie Sanders
TEAM CHAPLAIN
PROGRAM
COORDINATOR/RECRUITING
Ronnie Sanders is in his first year as the program
coordinator for recruiting for Southern Miss football.
In his position, he is responsible for all administrative
aspects of the recruiting process, including creating
and maintaining data bases, coordinating the flow of
recruiting correspondence, maintaining recruiting files
for NCAA documentation, coordinating all documentation for official and unofficial visits, producing
recruiting materials used by the coaching staff on
their visits, overseeing the complimentary ticket
process for high school coaches, securing academic
records for prospects and directing the football camps
and clinics.
Sanders came to Southern Miss this past spring
after spending the past three years at Florida, serving
one year (2004-05) as the offensive game analysis
coordinator and assistant to the head football coach
and two years (2002-04) as a graduate intern working
with recruiting, special teams and handling administrative duties for the head coach. His responsibilities
included creating video cutups, defense and self
scouting reports and producing graphic packages for
reports and presentations. He also assisted with vari36
Jason Jones
RECRUITING AND OPERATIONS
ASSISTANT
Jason Jones is in his first year as the recruiting
and operations assistant and fourth year working with
the football program at Southern Miss. He assists
with all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the
football office, as well as handling various responsibilities with recruiting.
He assists with the day-to-day administrative operation associated with the recruiting process, including
written correspondence, unofficial and official oncampus visits, maintenance of the video recruiting
Rev. Tommy Conway is in his third year as team
chaplain for the football Golden Eagles. He is the
head pastor at St. Thomas Church and campus minister for Catholic students at The University of Southern
Mississippi.
A native of Galway County, Ireland, and a graduate
of St. Patrick College in Carlow, Ireland, Rev. Conway
was ordained in the Biloxi Diocese, and served as the
pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Columbia, Miss., for
six years prior to coming to St. Thomas.
Active in a variety of area civic activities including
the Red Cross where he serves on the board of directors, Rev. Conway is an ardent supporter of Southern
Miss athletics and can be found at many Golden
Eagle athletic events throughout the athletic year.
Southern Miss has won the
Conference USA championship four
times – 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2003,
the only school in the conference to
own four titles in the nine-year history
of the league.
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l
Support Staff
SUPPORT STAFF
Lennon Thompson
Owen Bowen
Nick Ainsworth
Mary Ann McManus
Penny Larsen
Secretary to Head Football Coach
and Coaching Staff
Staff Assistant
Assistant to the Assistant
Director of Athletics/
Football Operations
Assistant to the Assistant
Director of Athletics/
Football Operations
Graduate Assistant/
Equipment Manager
Chris Zuccaro
Tim Atkinson
Billy Harrington
Greg Herring
Charlie Rogers
Graduate Assistant/Video
Assistant Director of Athletics/
Facilities and Game Management
Assistant Director for Facilities
and Game Management
Director of Marketing
and Promotions
Director of Corporate Sales
R
THE OFFICIAL CLOTHING PROVIDER
FOR SOUTHERN MISS FOOTBALL
COACH JEFF BOWER
SouthernMiss.com
37
The Southern Miss Walk-On Program
their own way. They are
games into the season. Daigle and Johnson have
working out every single
been starters at their respective positions for the past
day.”
two years. Johnson was selected to the American
It’s that blue-collar atti- Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) Good Works
tude that makes the
Team for his dedication and commitment to communiwalk-on program at
ty service.
Southern Miss a successJust completing their careers last season were forful one. Players know, that mer walk-ons DaRon Lawrence (WR), LeVon Pears
regardless of whether
(DE), Chad Ruffin (DL) and Marvin Young (WR). Young
they were signed to a
finished his career among the top five on the school’s
scholarship or not, they
all-time receiving charts for catches, yards and receivhave as much right as any ing touchdowns. Pears and Ruffin both finished their
to be a part of the Golden
careers as starters on the defensive line and
Eagle family.
Lawrence was a starter for the past two years.
One of the most
“I think it started a long time ago, but walk-on stufamous walk-ons in
dent-athletes know that they are going to be given an
Southern Miss history
opportunity,” Bower said. “We treat them just like we
was none other than
do scholarship athletes. But over the years, the proSammy Winder, a former
gram has continually improved because walk-ons
running back with the
know that they are going to get a chance to play and
Golden Eagles in 1978-81. contribute. It means more to them because they don’t
Not heavily recruited out
have to be here. They are paying their own way.”
he Southern Miss football program prides itself
of high school, Winder chose to walk-on at Southern
Walk-ons who earn a scholarship at Southern
on the fundamental values of hard work, loyalty
Miss and eventually played his way into the school
Miss are awarded the Kristen Bower Endowed
and dedication. It’s a pride which emphasizes that
record books. A Team of the Century running back and Scholarship, which is named after Head Coach Jeff
when you put in the time and effort on the practice
Legends Club member, Winder was drafted in 1983 by Bower’s daughter, Kristen, who was tragically killed
field and in the weight room, then the good things
the Denver Broncos and went on to a successful NFL
in a car accident in September 1997. The scholarship
will happen on game days.
Pro Bowl career that included three Super Bowl
is given annually to a former walk-on who displays
While a select number of Golden Eagles get the
appearances.
hard work and determination to be a contributor on
glory when the final whistle blows, there are many
While Winder may have set the bar, there have
the team. Current members of the Golden Eagle
more student-athletes who get to share in the sucbeen a number of walk-ons who worked their way
squad who are Kristen Bower Endowed Scholarship
cess. For in addition to the maximum 85 scholarship
into contributing roles as either starters or key
recipients are Matthew Chatelain (DE), Stephen
players allowed by the
reserves. Players like Chris
Daigle (LS) and Luke Johnson (P).
NCAA, there are many
Pierce, who competed
“A lot of times your walk-ons are the
more players – known
as a place kicker and a
hardest-working players. They always have
as walk-ons – who
punter during the 1994
a great attitude. You really appreciate the
play just as vital a role
and 1995 seasons and
sacrifices those kids make. They are
in the success of the
kicked the game-wingoing to school and paying their own way,
overall program.
ning field goal against
while at the same time, they are practicing
Over the past few
LSU in 1995. Melvin
and attending meetings that a scholarship
decades, there have
Ratcliff, a defensive
player would.”
been a good number of
back from 1992-95,
– Head Coach
walk-ons who have
played his way into
Jeff Bower
had as much to do
the lineup and the
with the Southern
record books, currently
Miss’ accomplishments as the traditional recruits
ranking in the top five in pass breakups and
have had.
fumble recoveries. Former walk-ons Karr
That tradition of a successful walk-on program has
Shannon (1995-97) and Michael Villalonga
continued through current Head Coach Jeff Bower’s
(1997-99) both contributed heavily as special
tenure. Over the years, numerous players have given
teams standouts, as did kicker Brant Hanna
their blood, sweat and tears to help the Golden
(1998-01) and punter Mark Haulman (1999-02)
Eagles achieve their goals. In fact, there have been 41 in recent seasons.
of those former walk-ons who were rewarded for
Through the successes of Winder and curtheir hard work and dedication by being awarded a
rent walk-ons-turned-scholarship players
coveted scholarship.
Matthew Chatelain (DE), Stephen Daigle (LS)
“A lot of times your walk-ons are the hardestand Luke Johnson (P), the walk-on program has
working players,” Bower said. “They always have a
been a source of pride for the University.
great attitude. You really appreciate the sacrifices
Chatelain walked on the team last fall and
those kids make. They are going to school and paying
earned the starting job at defensive end four
Marvin Young
Sammy Winder
T
38
2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l