HATTIESBURG, Miss.
— Following a disappointing start to the season, Southern Mississippi’s football head coach, Will Hall, was relieved of his duties on Sunday after the team managed only one win in their first seven games of the year. Assistant head coach Reed Stringer has been appointed as the interim coach for the remainder of the season.

Hall concludes his tenure with a record of 14 wins and 30 losses, with the recent tough defeat against Arkansas State, which ended 44-28 at home. The Golden Eagles’ sole victory this season came against Southeastern Louisiana, an opponent from the Football Championship Subdivision’s lower tier.

The athletic director of Southern Miss, Jeremy McClain, reflected on Hall’s commitment to the program, expressing gratitude towards Hall and his family for their contributions over the past four years. McClain noted that Hall invested tremendous effort into both the football program and the development of the players, while regretfully acknowledging that the team’s performance did not meet the established expectations.

Hall is well-known within the state of Mississippi, having been raised in Amory and being the son of a veteran high school football coach. He earned recognition as a top player during his time as a two-time junior-college All-America quarterback at Northwest Mississippi Community College, eventually transferring to North Alabama, where he received the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the leading player in Division II football.

Before taking on the head coaching role at Southern Miss after the 2020 season, Hall spent two years as the offensive coordinator at Tulane.

Under his leadership, the Golden Eagles showed progress in his second year, bouncing back from a 3-9 record in 2021 to finish 7-6 and secure a bowl victory. However, the last season saw the team regress to a 3-9 performance, only managing a win against an FCS team, which led Hall to make significant coaching changes, including hiring new offensive and defensive coordinators. Currently, the team ranks at the bottom of the Sun Belt Conference with an average of 18.3 points scored per game and is nearly last in points allowed, averaging 34.1.

Since the previous season, Southern Miss has faced difficulties in conference play, losing nine out of their last eleven matchups in the Sun Belt.