Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Head Coach Jeff Bower

es, the growing legacy of Jeff Bower for Southern ning-season streak is the second-longest for a Southern Miss football continues to become even more and Miss football coach, second only to Thad “Pie” Vann’s more impressive. school-record 17-straight winning seasons. The GMAC Bower enters his 29th overall year with the Bowl marked the fifth in a row, a school record, and Southern Miss program, first as a record-setting ninth overall bowl in the last 10 seasons. , then as a successful assistant coach, The season also produced 12 All-Conference USA and for the past 16 seasons as head coach. Bower selections – including four selected to the first team – has played a role second to none in the school’s ath- and Freshman All-America honorees Damion Fletcher letic history, and it has been appropriate that Bower and Gerald McRath. The Golden Eagles had a total of has been at the helm of the program at his alma four players tabbed to All-American teams, as George mater when it was a founding member of Batiste earned third-team honors from Conference USA, and now during a time when it is CollegeFootballNews.com and Travis Cooley notched enjoying unprecedented success. honorable mention from SI.com. The 2006 edition saw his team win the final four Bower continues to be one of the marquee games of the regular season that enabled them to cap- coaches in Conference USA, and Southern Miss Conference USA Coach of the Decade ture the C-USA East Division championship, before remains one of the top-tier programs in the league. rolling over Ohio, 28-7, in the GMAC Bowl for the In fact, Bower’s and Southern Miss’ success in C- Jeff Bower team’s third straight bowl victory. Southern Miss ended USA has set standards other coaches in the league Head Coach the campaign with a 9-5 mark – the team’s first nine- seek to emulate. When the Conference USA Team of 17th Season win season since 2003 and the 10th year in the past 11 the Decade was announced, the Golden Eagles land- (112-77-1) that the Golden Eagles have won at least seven games ed eight on the respective offensive and defensive in a season. The winning record marked the 13th- squads, and Bower took home the highest honor by he names that get bandied about when the talk straight winning season in Bower’s tenure. The win- being named the C-USA Coach of the Decade. Tturns to Southern Miss football generally include the likes of or Reggie 2007 GMAC Bowl Champions Collier, or maybe running backs Sammy Winder and Derrick Nix, or even look to the great names of the “Nasty Bunch” defense that have included , Rod Davis and Adalius Thomas. They might even mention Ray Gay, arguably the best punter to ever lace up the spikes. Those names are some of the best to ever be a part of the Black and Gold. There is one man, though, who has spent most of his collegiate playing and coaching career in Hattiesburg, and been a part of this program for almost a third of its 90-year history. During this sea- son, he will have coached more games than any other Golden Eagle football coach, and his stability on the sidelines have enabled the Southern Miss program to reach new heights. His name is Jeff Bower, and he is truly “the face” of this Golden Eagle program. As a player, assistant coach and for the last 16 years as the head coach, Jeff Bower has come to mean as much to the success of Golden Eagle foot- ball as that of Bear Bryant to Alabama, Joe Paterno to Penn State and Bobby Bowden to Florida State. Guided by his competitive fire, his loyalty and dedication and his tremendous character and work ethic, 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 – a group that boasts 13- straight winning seasons and nine bowl appearances in the last 10 years. And with each season that pass-

38 2007 Southern Miss Football Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Head Coach Jeff Bower

excelling at whatever Jeff Bower Year-By-Year sport he was playing at the time. He was a part Year School Position Record of state championship 1968 Roswell High Player State Champs in Football teams in football, base- 1969 Roswell High Player ball and basketball, but it State Champs in Baseball was his football heroics 1970-71 Roswell High Player State Champs in Football, Baseball and Basketball that would foreshadow Georgia Class AAA Back of the year/Georgia All-Star where his success would 1971 Georgia Player 11-1 be the greatest. A prep 1972 Southern Miss Player/Redshirt 3-7-1 1973 Southern Miss Player 6-4-1 All-American at Roswell AP All-South (HM) High, Bower guided his 1974 Southern Miss Player 6-5 team to a pair of state 1975 Southern Miss Player 8-3 Team Captain/MVP championships in football 1976 Southern Miss Graduate Assistant 3-8 and also was a starter on 1977 Southern Miss Graduate Assistant 6-6 two state championship 1978 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 7-4 1979 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 6-4-1 teams in baseball and in 1980 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 9-3 basketball. Following his Independence Bowl Champions senior season, Bower 1981 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 9-2-1 Tangerine Bowl was named the Class 1982 SMU Quarterbacks 11-0-1 AAA Georgia Back of the Cotton Bowl Champions Year, and he also played 1983 SMU Quarterbacks 10-2 Sun Bowl in the Georgia High 1984 SMU Quarterbacks 10-2 School All Star Game. Aloha Bowl Champions Bower originally 1985 SMU Quarterbacks 6-5 1986 SMU Quarterbacks 6-5 signed with the University 1987 Wake Forest Quarterbacks 7-4 of Georgia out of high 1988 Southern Miss Asst. HC/OC/QB 10-2 school, but soon after Independence Bowl Champions The Bower Family: 1989 Southern Miss Asst. HC/OC/QB 5-6 Debbie, Jeff and Stephanie made the decision to 1990 Oklahoma State OC/QB 4-7 transfer after his first year Southern Miss Head Coach 0-1 Under Bower, the Golden Eagles have posted an with the program. Pondering several options, Bower All-American Bowl 1991 Southern Miss Head Coach 4-7 impressive 112-77-1 record, making him the second- felt that the best opportunity was at Southern Miss, 1992 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-4 winningest coach in school history. In the C-USA era, playing for Head Coach P.W. Underwood. It was that 1993 Southern Miss Head Coach 2-8-1 his teams have posted a 58-19 league record, ranking opportunity which prompted the Georgia native to 1994 Southern Miss Head Coach 6-5 1995 Southern Miss Head Coach 6-5 among the top 10 list nationally for conference victo- head west and become a main cog for successful 1996 Southern Miss Head Coach 8-3 ries over the same period. He is the dean of confer- Golden Eagle teams of the early 1970s. Conference USA Champions ence coaches, with his teams winning four Conference After sitting out a redshirt season in 1972, Bower 1997 Southern Miss Head Coach 9-3 Conference USA Champions USA championships (1996, 1997, 1999, 2003). took over as the Eagles' starting quarterback in 1973 Conference USA Coach of the Year Following the team’s perfect league season in 2003, and guided the team to a successful 6-4-1 mark. In AXA Liberty Bowl Champs Bower was selected as the Conference USA Coach of his first season, he threw for 1,495 yards, while 1998 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-5 Humanitarian Bowl the Year for an unprecedented third time, adding to his completing 116-of-199 passes. Nine of his throws 1999 Southern Miss Head Coach 9-3 awards in 1997 and 1999. His 190 games coached also found their way to the end zone for touchdowns. Conference USA Champs make him only the second USM coach ever to coach His .583 passing percentage during the 1973 sea- Conference USA Coach of the Year AXA Liberty Bowl Champs more than 100 games, with Vann (200 games) being son stood as a single season record at Southern 2000 Southern Miss Head Coach 8-4 the other. In 2005, Bower also joined Vann as just the Miss for 23 years — falling by the side in 1996 at GMAC Bowl Champions second head coach to win 100 games at Southern the hands of Lee Roberts. In addition, Bower finished 2001 Southern Miss Head Coach 6-5 2002 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-6 Miss, after he won his 100th career game on Oct. 21, that season ranked 26th nationally in passing, and Houston Bowl with a 38-28 victory at UAB, becoming the 20th active he was an Associated Press All-South honorable- 2003 Southern Miss Head Coach 9-4 coach to earn his 100th career victory. mention selection. Conference USA Champions Conference USA Coach of the Year Bower also has compiled that enviable record, Perhaps his best performance as an Eagle came AXA Liberty Bowl while playing only 76 of those 190 games at home. His during the 1973 season, when he threw for 291 yards 2004 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-5 teams have posted a 60-16 record in those 76 games, and two touchdowns and ran for 85 yards and two Wyndham New Orleans Bowl Champions Conference USA Coach of the Decade including a 44-11 mark over the last 10 seasons. more scores in a 41-14 victory over Texas-Arlington. 2005 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-5 During his junior season in 1974, Bower complet- New Orleans Bowl Champions Everybody’s All-American ed 87 of 162 pass attempts for 1,189 yards and nine 2006 Southern Miss Head Coach 9-5 Conference USA East Division Champions Growing up in Roswell, Ga., Bower made a touchdowns. The Golden Eagles finished that season GMAC Bowl Champions name for himself as an all-around athlete, with a remarkable 6-5 record, despite having to play

SouthernMiss.com 39 Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Head Coach Jeff Bower

Kelly (.582) and Lee Roberts (.569). His 1973 total The Bower Years offense mark of 1,706 yards, until recently, ranked in 1991: 4-7 the top 10 at Southern Miss, and his 1,495 passing All-South Independent Selections: 7 yards in 1973 only recently dropped out of the top 10. The Golden Eagles defeated Delta State, 24-7, for Bower's first career victory on Aug. 31, 1991. While the team managed Only Brett Favre (1987-90), (1979- just four wins that season, the victories included a 10-9 victory 82), Lee Roberts (1995-98), (1999-2000) on the road over No. 16 Auburn -- Bower's first career win and Dustin Almond (2002-05) rank ahead of Bower's over a ranked opponent. 4,062 yards of career total offense. Ironically, Bower 1992: 7-4 coached all five players during their playing days at All-South Independent Selections: 9 Southern Miss. In addition, Bower still stands sev- After starting the season 3-3, Southern Miss finished strong with a 4-1 mark, culminating in a 13-12 win over Virginia Tech. enth in career passing yardage (3,589), completions Three of the four losses were by 10 points or less, including a (278), and attempts (506), and he is still fifth in four-point late season loss to Florida. career touchdown passes with 20. 1993: 3-7-1 All-South Independent Selections: 5 From Field General to Sideline Success The Golden Eagles fought through a challenging 3-7-1 season that included three losses by one touchdown or less. A pair of While playing sports had always been a passion wins came against Louisiana-Monroe and East Carolina, while for Bower, coaching in sports wasn’t always on his the final was a forfeit victory over Alabama. The season ended mind. It wasn’t until right before graduation that with a 30-30 tie on the road at Tulsa. Bower knew that he could have a future in the 1994: 6-5 coaching profession, and that he could get his All-South Independent Selections: 3 Master’s of Business Administration degree while Despite starting with a 2-3 record, Southern Miss rallied in the On Dec. 2, 1990, Jeff Bower officially was latter half of the season, winning four of the last five including doing it. After Bower completed his bachelor's a 20-18 win over LSU in the final game of the season, ensur- announced as the 17th head coach in degree in 1975, he decided to stay in Hattiesburg in Southern Miss history ing a winning season for the second time in Bower's tenure. order to pursue a master's degree. That was when 1995: 6-5 all 11 games on the road during the renovation of Coach Bobby Collins asked Bower to remain with the All-South Independent Selections: 11 M.M. Roberts Stadium. Golden Eagle program as a graduate assistant. While the record shows five losses, the season could easily have been better. Of the five losses, four of them were by four As a senior in 1975, Bower was named team During his first season as a graduate assistant, points or less, including a one-point loss to Indiana. The captain and responded by leading the Eagles to an 8- Southern Miss struggled to a 3-8 record. During his Golden Eagles finished with a pair of wins to end the season, 3 record. He completed 75-of-145 pass attempts for second year, however, the team made great strides moving the winning season streak to two years. During the season, Bower notched his 25th career victory with a 17-9 win 905 yards. For his efforts that season, he was by defeating national power Auburn, as well as over Memphis on Nov. 11, 1995. named team Most Valuable Player. state-foes Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Bower's career totals as a player included com- In 1978, Collins offered Bower the chance to join 1996: 8-3, 4-1 C-USA Champions All-Conference USA Selections: 13 pleting 278-of-506 passes for 3,589 yards and 20 his staff full time as receivers coach, and Bower Southern Miss made their inaugural season in Conference touchdowns. He still ranks third on the Golden Eagle jumped at the opportunity. It would be then that the USA a good one, finishing with a share of the league's first career list for completion percentage among players former quarterback would begin to make a name for championship. The season opened with an 11-7 win on the road over Georgia, and the team ran off seven wins in a row with a minimum 200 pass attempts with a .549 mark. himself on the sidelines instead of on the field. From during the season. The Golden Eagles were denied a berth in He trails only two of his recent quarterbacks, Jeff 1978 through 1981, Bower remained a part of Collins' the Liberty Bowl, however, as the spot went to Houston, who defeated Southern Miss 56-49 in the final league game of the season. During the season, Southern Miss was ranked for four weeks in the AP Poll and two weeks in the Coaches' Poll, climbing as high as Nos. 20 and 22, respectively.

1997: 9-3, 6-0 C-USA Champions Final Ranking: 19 (AP and Coaches) All-Conference USA Selections: 15 All-American Honors: 1 The Golden Eagles enjoyed one of the best seasons under Bower's direction, finishing with a 9-3 overall record. After dropping the season opener to Florida, the team ran off six wins in the next seven games. Standing at 6-3 with a pair of games remaining in league play, the Golden Eagles defeated Houston and Memphis to secure the outright league champi- onship and a berth in the Liberty Bowl. It was the first since the 1990 season, and the Golden Eagles defeated Pittsburgh, 41-7. The team was ranked the both of the major polls for six weeks each, ending the year ranked 19th in both of them. Bower earned his first C-USA Coach of the Year award, and defensive back Patrick Surtain was named the C- USA Defensive Player of the Year.

40 2007 Southern Miss Football Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Head Coach Jeff Bower

Southern Miss defeated Pittsburgh, 41-7, in 1997, 1998: 7-5, 5-1 C-USA to capture its first Liberty Bowl Championship All-Conference USA Selections: 11 All-American Honors: 4 After starting the season with a 1-3 record, including a loss to eventual league champion Tulane, Southern Miss won six of the last seven games in the regular season to ensure a fifth- straight winning season and a second-straight trip to a post- season bowl, taking on Idaho in the Humanitarian Bowl. During the season, Bower tallied his 50th career win with a 55-28 decision on the road at Nevada. Adalius Thomas won his first of two C-USA Defensive Player of the Year awards, while newcomer Derrick Nix earned the league's Freshman of the Year honors.

1999: 9-3, 6-0 C-USA Champions Final Ranking: 13 (Coaches), 14 (AP) All-Conference USA Selections: 16 All-American Honors: 6 The Golden Eagles started things off in a big way with a 48-14 league victory over rival Tulane on Labor Day. With a 2-2 record following four games, however, the team got things rolling over the final stretch of the season, winning six of the last seven and taking home the third league championship in four seasons. Another postseason appearance in the Liberty Bowl was the reward and the Golden Eagles capped the sea- son off with a 23-17 win over Colorado State. The team was ranked in both of the major polls for a total of eight weeks Southern Miss staff, working with both the receivers His recognition as an outstanding offensive with the final ranking of 13th in the Coaches Poll and 14th in AP Poll as the highest rankings since the 1981 season. Adalius and, later, with the quarterbacks. In 1980, the Eagles coach continued to grow after he took over the Thomas was the league's Defensive Player of the Year for the finished with a victory in the Independence Bowl, and Golden Eagles for the final game of that season. second-straight year, while Bower won Coach of the Year hon- in 1981 went to the Tangerine Bowl. Under Bower’s guidance, quarterback Brett Favre ors for the second time. When Collins left in 1982 to become head coach completed 28-of-39 passes for 341 yards and two 2000: 8-4, 4-3 C-USA at Southern Methodist University, Bower went with touchdowns during the 1990 All American Bowl All-Conference USA Selections: 11 him to become the Mustangs' quarterback coach. against North Carolina State. All-American Honors: 3 After starting the season with a three-point loss to Tennessee, During the period between 1982 and 1986, SMU Bower’s debut season may not have ranked Southern Miss reeled off six straight wins, climbing as high as won both the Cotton Bowl (1982) and the Aloha among the best records in his career as the Golden 11th in the polls. Included in that string was a 21-0 victory over nationally-ranked Alabama. But the team's success Bowl (1984) and played in the Sun Bowl (1983). Eagles finished that year with a 4-7 overall mark. waned over the final four regular season games with three In 1987, Bower moved on to coach the quarterbacks Among those four wins, however, was a victory over losses in the span. Still, the record was good enough to earn at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons finished that sea- Delta State in Bower’s first-ever regular-season Southern Miss an invitation to the GMAC Bowl where they would face nationally-ranked TCU. In the game, Jeff Kelly con- son with a 7-4 record, their best mark in 44 years. opener, and two more home victories over Colorado nected with Kenneth Johnson for a touchdown in the final The next season, Bower returned to his alma State and Tulane. The biggest win of the year, seconds of the game, giving Southern Miss its third bowl win mater as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator though, came in a dramatic 10-9 victory over nation- in four seasons. The team was ranked a total of 13 times in the two major polls. Cedric Scott was named the C-USA and quarterbacks coach, a job he held for two sea- ally-ranked Auburn on the road. Defensive Player of the Year, the fourth-straight Southern Miss sons. During his first season back, in 1988, the In 1992, Bower took a team with only four player to win the award. Eagles set numerous passing records and finished starters returning and molded it into one of the more 2001: 6-5, 4-3 C-USA the season with a 10-2 record and an Independence competitive teams ever fielded by the Golden Eagles. All-Conference USA Selections: 11 Bowl victory. During that season, the Eagles put up Southern Miss finished that season with a 7-4 All-American Honors: 1 the highest per game passing average in school his- record, losing only to eventual national champion The Golden Eagles opened the season with three-straight wins for the first time during Bower's tenure. But the fast start gave tory at 235.3 yards per game. The team was ranked Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Northern Illinois by a way to a 3-5 record over the final eight games, including a 14- 28th in the nation in that category that year. combined total of 32 points. 12 loss to TCU in the final game of the regular season. The winning record did extend the streak of consecutive winning Bower moved to Oklahoma State in 1989 to seasons to eight. serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks Winning Becomes The Norm coach. Although the team managed only a 4-7 After suffering through a rare losing season in 2002: 7-6, 5-3 C-USA All-Conference USA Selections: 8 record, Bower's offensive attack produced the 1993, the Golden Eagles bounced back with consecu- All-American Honors: 7 nation's leading rusher in Gerald Hudson. tive 6-5 campaigns in 1994 and 1995, beginning a Southern Miss again started the season with a 3-0 record, streak of 13-straight winning season with Bower at including a 23-20 victory over Illinois in Hattiesburg, which also was Bower's 75th career coaching victory. The team The Bower Era At Last the helm of the Southern Miss program. The 1994 couldn't get a rhythm going, though, over the next six games Then on Dec. 2, 1990, Bower returned to the squad clinched a winning season with a thrilling with a 3-3 record. The trend continued over the final three place where it all started as he became the 17th season-ending victory at LSU, and the 1995 squad games of the regular season, but a 24-7 win over East Carolina secured a ninth-straight winning season and a trip to head football coach in Golden Eagle history and posted consecutive road wins to close the year and the Houston Bowl, the fifth-postseason bowl appearance in six assumed the reins of the Southern Miss program for insured a second straight winning season. seasons. the final game of that season – the 1990 All- Bower enjoyed another great year in 1996, when American Bowl. he guided the Eagles to an 8-3 record and a share of

SouthernMiss.com 41 Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Head Coach Jeff Bower

the inaugural Conference USA Championship. was one of just a handful of schools to produce a 2003: 9-4, 8-0 C-USA Champions Southern Miss reeled off seven consecutive victories 2,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher, and a 1,000- All-Conference USA Selections: 18 during the year, and that streak helped vault yard receiver, and was one of just two schools to All-American Honors: 9 Despite a rough start with a 3-3 record over the first six Southern Miss into the nation's top 25 polls for the repeat the accomplishment from the previous season. games, a return to Conference USA supremacy would be in first time since the 1989 season. The Eagles jumped into the AP's Top 25 in early the cards for the Golden Eagles in 2003. Following the early struggles, the team righted the ship with six-straight victories During the 1997 season, Bower led the Golden October of 1999, stayed there a total of seven weeks to end the regular season with a 9-3 record, a fourth league Eagles to a 9-3 record and sole possession of the during the season, and finished the season as the championship and a third trip to the Liberty Bowl. Included in Conference USA crown. Southern Miss spent two highest postseason ranked team in Southern Miss the string of wins to end the season was a 40-28 victory over top-10 ranked and previously unbeaten TCU. Rod Davis earned weeks in the national polls during the year and fin- history, 14th in the AP, and 13th in the ESPN/USA the league's Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Bower ished the regular season ranked No. 22 in the TODAY Coaches’ Poll. Over that season, Southern won an unprecedented third Coach of the Year award. Associated Press Poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA Miss regained its dominant presence and finished 2004: 7-5, 5-3 C-USA TODAY Coaches Poll. After scoring the most lopsided with a 9-3 mark, a C-USA championship, and a All-Conference USA Selections: 9 victory of any bowl game that season, in a 41-7 rout Liberty Bowl victory that earned Bower a second C- All-American Honors: 10 of Pittsburgh in the Liberty Bowl, Southern Miss fin- USA Coach of the Year Award. After opening the season with a 21-17 upset over perennial powerhouse Nebraska, Southern Miss tallied three more victo- ished with a final national ranking of 19th in both In 2000, Southern Miss finished with an 8-4 ries in a row to start the season at 4-0 for the first time in major polls, marking the first time in school history a overall record and reached its highest ranking under Bower's tenure. Following a setback non-conference loss, the team got back on track with a 51-10 homecoming win over Golden Eagles squad finished the year in the top 25. Bower's leadership and was ranked for a school East Carolina for a 5-1 record and hopes of another successful The 1998 Golden Eagles rebounded from a 1-3 record 23-straight weeks dating back to the ‘99 sea- C-USA run. But as good as the season started, however, the start to the season by winning six of their final seven son. The highest ranking of the 2000 season was tail end of the slate wasn't as kind, as Southern Miss dropped four of its last five games. Still, the team earned a spot in the games, earning a second-consecutive bowl trip. For during the week of October 30, when the Golden New Orleans Bowl and picked up a 31-10 win over North the second time in as many seasons, Southern Miss Eagles were ranked 13th in the AP poll, and 11th in Texas in the event, extending the winning-season streak to 11. the USA Today/ESPN poll. During the season, Southern Miss appeared in the national polls in three different weeks. Michael Boley was named the With numerous standouts league's Defensive Player of the Year and John Eubanks was and future NFL players gone the Special Teams Player of the Year. from the previous season, a 2005: 7-5, 5-3 C-USA young 2001 squad worked hard All-Conference USA Selections: 11 and made its own mark, finish- All-American Honors: 6 ing 6-5 to continue to the win- The 2005 season proved from the onset to be one of the toughest ever for the Southern Miss program -- and none of it ning streak. had to do with the game of football. On August 29, 2005, The 2002 Golden Eagles had Hurricane Katrina, the worst natural disaster ever to affect the U.S. ravaged parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, postpon- another productive season, finish- ing the season opener against Tulane and sending Southern ing with a 7-6 overall record and Miss to a "home away from home" in Memphis. After just a return to postseason play with two games, Hurricane Rita postponed the game at Houston, sending the Golden Eagles schedule into one that would fea- a trip to the 2002 Houston Bowl. ture a strenuous four-game road stretch. Among the five loss- In 2003, Bower led the es on the season were three of four points or less. During the Golden Eagles to an unprece- season, Bower earned the 100th career victory with a 37-28 win over UAB. The team did receive its fourth-straight invita- dented fourth Conference USA tion to a postseason bowl as Southern Miss defeated championship, when Southern Arkansas State, 31-19, in the New Orleans Bowl at Lafayette. Miss finished the season with a Kevis Coley was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year, the third-straight and seventh overall for Southern Miss 9-4 record, winning the final six in league history. games of the regular season in the process. The Golden Eagles 2006: 9-5, 6-2 C-USA East Division Champions All-Conference USA Selections: 12 tallied an 8-0 league record, All-American Honors: 4 posting their unprecedented third Southern Miss defeated NC State and won at UCF in its first four games. The Golden Eagles reeled off four-straight victo- undefeated conference mark. ries to end the regular season to capture the Conference USA For his efforts, Bower was East Division crown. That winning streak enabled the team to selected as the Conference USA record its 13th straight winning season as they reached their fifth-straight bowl and nine in the last 10 years. The late run Coach of the Year for an by the Golden Eagles pitted them in the league championship unprecedented third time, adding game against Houston. Despite losing to the Cougars, the to his previous coach of the year Golden Eagles scored an outstanding win in the GMAC Bowl by scoring three second-quarter touchdowns and then a long honors from 1999 and 1997. drive for a score in the third quarter to beat Ohio 28-7 in Then in 2004, Bower guided Mobile. It was the first nine-win season for the program since the Golden Eagles to a 7-6 over- 2003. The season also saw the emergence of freshman run- ning back Damion Fletcher, who ran for a freshman-record all record in a year that started 1,388 yards. as one of the best in school his- tory. Southern Miss picked up its first-ever win over Nebraska

42 2007 Southern Miss Football Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Head Coach Jeff Bower in the season-opener and then rolled off another four were drafted and four oth- three more wins to start the season 4-0 ers signed free agent contracts and two for the first time in Bower’s career. In were drafted and one signed a free addition, the Golden Eagles picked up agent contract from the 2001 team. key wins throughout the season to keep Jeremy Bridges was drafted from the win streak intact. And with an invi- the 2002 team and from the 2001 tation to the Wyndham New Orleans group, Chad Williams and Jeff Kelly Bowl – which Southern Miss won 31-10 were selected in the draft and Roy over North Texas – Southern Miss also Magee signed a free agent contract. landed the third-straight bowl berth and The 2000 group included defensive end the seventh in eight years. Cedric Scott, defensive back Raymond Bower guided the program through Walls and defensive linemen John Nix its toughest season for the program, and Daleroy Stewart. In both 1997 and although the difficulties came off the 1999 the Golden Eagles sent seven field in the form of Hurricane Katrina, players into various camps around the one of the worst natural disasters to , and had four ever affect the United States, devastat- players drafted in each of those years. ing much of the Gulf Coast in the states The 1999 team also sported two of Mississippi and Louisiana. The storm All-Americans in defensive lineman forced the postponement of the season Adalius Thomas and receiver Sherrod opener against Tulane and sending Gideon. Thomas, an AFCA first-team All Southern Miss to Memphis to train. American in 1998, was named by After just two games, Hurricane Rita College Football News as the best postponed the game at Houston, send- defensive lineman in the nation for the ing the Golden Eagles schedule into one 1999 season and earned All-America that would feature a strenuous four- honors on a number of postseason game road stretch. Among the five loss- teams. Gideon left Southern Miss own- es on the season were three of four ing virtually every school receiving points or less. The team did receive its record, and he and Pinkston formed the fourth-straight invitation to a postsea- most prolific receiving duo in Southern son bowl as Southern Miss defeated Miss history. Arkansas State, 31-19, in the New In addition, while at SMU, Bower's Orleans Bowl at Lafayette. Kevis Coley quarterbacks received first-team all con- was named the league's Defensive ference honors for three-consecutive sea- Player of the Year, the third-straight and sons. At Wake Forest, Bower coached seventh overall for Southern Miss in Mike Elkins, who was the second quar- league history, as Bower captured his terback taken in the 1989 NFL draft. 100th win during the campaign. Jeff Kelly was another in a long line of successful quarterbacks to play under ‘Do The Little Things Right Bower. His on-field accomplishments And Big Things Will Happen’ ferent players were named to 40 different All- earned him a prominent place in the Southern Miss Throughout his career, Bower has coached a num- America teams and nine Freshman All-Americans. record book, and his classroom successes were even ber of standout athletes, some of them among the While Bower has worked with his share of out- more impressive. He graduated with a degree in busi- greatest ever to wear the Black and Gold. But more standing citizens with high moral character and a ness in only three years and finished his MBA when he important than that, Bower and his staff have contin- solid work ethic, he also helped guide a number of ended his playing career in Dec. 2001. He was honored ually sought to not only turn out outstanding football standout athletes. During his coaching career, Bower as a National Football Foundation and College Hall of players, but also turn out outstanding people and role has coached numerous All-America and all-confer- Fame scholar athlete as well as being named the models. Bower has prided himself and his teams in ence selections. Other than Favre and Collier, Bower Woody Hayes Division I Male Scholar Athlete by the working hard at doing the little things right. A lesson has had a hand in the careers of former Southern University and Northwest Sertoma Club of Columbus, that goes back to his days under Collins, Bower Miss offensive players Glen Howe, Mike Landrum, Ohio. In 2000, he was named a second-team CoSIDA preaches that if you do the little things right, then the Marvin Harvey, Louis Lipps, Sammy Winder, Fred Academic All-American, behind the Academic All- big will happen. That motto isn’t just a saying to Brock, Terry Hardy, Michael Jackson, Harold Shaw, American of the Year, Purdue’s Drew Brees. motivate the players to work hard on the field, but it’s and Tony Smith, all of whom went on to play profes- Kelly, along with Brett Favre and Lee Roberts a catalyst to being a success in all facets of life. sional football. In addition, four of his 1999 players ranks at or near the top of every Southern Miss Over the years, Bower has coached numerous were drafted, including receiving standouts Sherrod career passing lists. All-Conference USA selections, seven Conference Gideon and Todd Pinkston, defensive end Adalius Roberts immediately preceded Kelly, and despite USA Defensive Player of the Year selections, 10 dif- Thomas and linebacker T. J. Slaughter; in 2000, playing just half the season in 1996, was named sec-

SouthernMiss.com 43 Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Head Coach Jeff Bower

Jeff Bower Eubanks and Tom Johnson – sign free agent con- Against All Opponents tracts with four different NFL teams.

TEAM W L T PCT. The Bower Legacy Alabama 2 12 0 .143 Continues To Shine Arkansas State* 1 0 0 1.000 In 1988, Bower received his highest Golden Eagle Army 3 0 0 1.000 honor when the M Club voted him into the Southern Auburn 1 2 0 .333 Miss Sports Hall of Fame. In 2001, he was honored California 0 2 0 .000 with the prestigious "Hub Award" for his outstanding Cincinnati 6 4 0 .600 contributions to the community, commitment to Colorado State 2 0 0 1.000 excellence and dedication to public service in Delta State 1 0 0 1.000 Hattiesburg. East Carolina* 11 5 0 .688 Bower’s list of awards continued to grow in Florida 0 4 0 .000 2003, when the All- Foundation, at Florida State 0 1 0 .000 its Banquet of Champions XXXVIII, named Bower the Georgia 1 1 0 .500 Johnny Vaught All-American Head Coach and Bower’s wife, Debbie, the “First Lady” of football. Houston 7 3 0 .700 In Dec. 2004, Bower received the Captains of Idaho 0 1 0 .000 Hattiesburg Award, an honor given by the Mississippi Illinois 2 0 0 1.000 Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for an indi- Indiana 0 1 0 .000 vidual’s outstanding achievement in their profession Louisiana-Lafayette 7 1 0 .875 and contributions to promote economic and charita- Louisiana-Monroe 1 0 0 1.000 ble development across the state of Mississippi. Louisiana State 1 0 0 1.000 Born May 28, 1953, the 54-year-old Bower, who Louisiana Tech 1 1 0 .500 received his M.B.A. in management from Southern Louisville 5 5 0 .500 ond-team All-Conference USA, an honor he repeated Miss in 1978, is married to a former Miss Southern Jackson State 1 0 0 1.000 in 1997. In 1997, he also solidified his position as one Mississippi (1975) and Miss Mississippi USA (1972). Marshall* 2 0 0 1.000 of the great passers in school history by becoming the The former Debbie Pawlik, who was a Southern McNeese State 1 0 0 1.000 second player in school history to pass for more than Miss cheerleader and a member of the Kappa Delta Memphis* 11 5 0 .688 2,000 yards in a season, a feat he repeated in 1998, sorority while in Hattiesburg, graduated with a nurs- Nebraska 1 2 0 .333 breaking the school record with 2,680 yards passing. ing degree in 1975. She remains active in the Nevada 2 0 0 1.000 In addition to Roberts, Gideon also put together Southern Miss Eagle Club and a variety of other uni- North Carolina State 1 2 0 .333 three of the more prolific seasons of any pass catch- versity promotional efforts and continues to enjoy a Northern Illinois 1 1 0 .500 er in school history. It should come as no surprise nationally-recognized career as an Executive Senior North Texas 1 0 0 1.000 that Bower served as Gideon's position coach. The Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. Northwestern (La.) State 1 0 0 1.000 sophomore became the fastest player in school his- The Bower family, which includes 21-year-old Ohio 1 0 0 1.000 tory to reach 1,000 career receiving yards, taking just daughter Stephanie, a senior at Southern Miss, sur- 17 games to reach that plateau, and his 1,186 yards vived a tragedy early in the 1997 season when they Oklahoma State 2 1 0 .667 receiving as a junior was the highest individual sea- lost 17-year-old daughter Kristen in an automobile Penn State 0 2 0 .000 son total in school history. accident. The Southern Miss team and the entire Pittsburgh 1 2 0 .333 Roberts and Gideon capped their 1997 season by Hattiesburg community rallied around the Bowers in Samford 1 0 0 1.000 hooking up for three touchdowns in the win over an unprecedented show of love and support follow- Southeastern Louisiana 1 0 0 1.000 Pittsburgh in the Liberty Bowl. Gideon was named ing the accident. Tennessee* 0 3 0 .000 the game’s most outstanding offensive player, as Throughout the last three decades, Jeff Bower Texas A&M 0 3 0 .000 well as Liberty Bowl MVP. has taken Southern Miss to unparalleled heights. TCU 2 3 0 .400 That success has continued over the last few Whether it’s been through conference champi- Tulane 13 3 0 .813 seasons, where Golden Eagle players have been onships, record-setting seasons, numerous postsea- Tulsa 2 3 1 .417 named to numerous All-America teams and won son appearances or sending numerous players on to UAB* 7 0 0 1.000 countless other honors – including two Conerly the National Football League, Bower truly has led UCF* 2 0 0 1.000 Trophy (Mississippi’s Heisman) winners, Rod Davis the Golden Eagles to a place of national prominence USF 3 1 0 .750 and Michael Boley. and respect. It’s been through hard work and loyalty Utah 0 1 0 .000 The transition to the next level also has contin- that he has been able to accomplish so much for the Utah State 2 0 0 1.000 ued with many players selected in the NFL draft and university that gave him his start. And it will be Virginia Tech 1 2 0 .333 more signing NFL free-agent contracts. In fact, over through that hard work and loyalty, as well as TOTALS 112 77 1 .592 the last 15 seasons, 40 players have gone to play on Bower’s guidance that the Southern Miss football *2007 Opponents the next level. The 2005 group saw five players – program will continue to make strides in the realm of Dustin Almond, Kevis Coley, Trevis Coley, John college football.

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that season, including a No. 14 ranking in scoring The Butler File defense, No. 13 in pass efficiency defense and No. 23 in total defense. Date of Birth: Oct. 26, 1956 Four of the defensive linemen earned all-league Hometown: Hartford, Ala. honors for their efforts. Paul anchored the group Education: Southern Miss, ’79 (bachelor’s), with a first-team All-Conference USA selection, ’81 (master’s) Year at Southern Miss: 17 while Jones and Eric Scott picked up all-conference Year in Coaching: 29 third-team honors. Redshirt freshman Greg Casnave was one of three Southern Miss players to be named Coaching Career to the All-Freshman team. Jones signed an NFL free Southern Miss, 2005-07: Assistant Head Coach, agent contract with the Indianapolis Colts. Tight Ends; Southern Miss, 2001-04: Assistant Butler also coached a stellar defensive line in Head Coach, Defensive Line; Southern Miss, 2002, led by Paul, an All-Conference defensive end 1996 -00: Defensive Line; Southern Miss, 1995: Defensive Ends; Southern Miss, 1993 -94: Tight as a junior. The defensive line jelled toward the end Ends; Navarro Junior College, 1992: Offensive Randy Butler of the season and played its best football down the Coordinator, Offensive Line; Tulane, 1990 -91: Assistant Head Coach/ stretch, twice earning defensive Player of the Week Defensive Ends; Tulane, 1988 -89: Offensive Tight Ends honors from the Southern Miss coaching staff. Tackles and Tight Ends; Miss. Delta Junior Following the 2000 season, three defensive line- College, 1987: Defensive Coordinator, Defensive andy Butler is in his third year of his current stint men coached by Butler were selected for postseason Line, Linebackers; SMU, 1983 -86: Defensive Ends as the tight ends coach at Southern Miss, his honors, three were drafted in the NFL Draft and one and Outside Linebackers; SMU, 1982: Part time R assistant, defense; University of the South, seventh year overall coaching tight ends, his 17th year more signed a free agent contract. Cedric Scott was 1981: Offensive and Defensive Line; Southern with the Golden Eagles and 29th year overall as a selected in the fourth round by the , Miss, 1979 -80: Graduate Assistant coach. He also is in his seventh year as the Assistant Daleroy Stewart in the sixth by the Head Coach and third as the recruiting coordinator. and John Nix in the seventh, also by the Cowboys. Bowl Experience Over the past two seasons, Butler, who has the DeQuincy Scott signed a free agent contract with the 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2005: New Orleans Bowl; 2004: longest tenure of any coach on Bower’s staff, San Diego Chargers. Wyndham New Orleans Bowl; 2003: AXA Liberty coached two-time All-Conference USA selection That same season, three were named to various Bowl; 2002: Houston Bowl; 2000: GMAC Bowl; 1999: AXA Liberty Bowl; 1998: Humanitarian Bowl; 1997: Shawn Nelson. Nelson has had the two best years All-Conference USA teams — Cedric Scott, DeQuincy AXA Liberty Bowl; 1984: Aloha Bowl; 1983: Sun ever by a tight end in school history, registering 35 Scott and Nix. Cedric Scott was named C-USA Co - Bowl; 1982: Cotton Bowl; 1980: Independence Bowl catches for 540 yards and five touchdowns as a Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American by freshman and finishing with 36 catches for 506 yards The Associated Press and Football News. He moved over to coach defensive ends prior to the and three touchdowns as a sophomore. He was Butler also coached Jeff Posey, a two-year standout 1995 season. Prior to moving back to the defensive named the New Orleans Bowl MVP in 2005, posting who signed a free agent contract with San Francisco in side of the ball, Butler spent two seasons coaching six catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns. 1996 and played 11 years in the NFL. In 1997, he the tight ends. He also coached the tight end position at coached Robert Brown, a four-year letterwinner and Butler was an all-star performer at Southern Miss Southern Miss during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. All-Conference USA first-team honoree. Brown has at offensive tackle, earned three letters and partici- In 1994, Butler coached former Golden Eagle stand- played professionally in the League pated in both the East-West Shrine Game and the out Terry Hardy, who was later drafted by the for several years and has been an all-pro selection. Senior Bowl following his collegiate career. After a in the fifth round and played sev- Butler, the former Southern Miss standout was brief stint in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts, Butler eral years in the NFL. named Assistant Head Coach after the 2000 season. returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant In his nine years on the defensive side of the ball, coach. He was a part of the Southern Miss staff that Butler was an integral part of helping continue the coached the Golden Eagles to a 16-14 victory over tradition of the Southern Miss defense. Butler’s devel- McNeese State in the 1980 Independence Bowl. opment of defensive lines over his tenure at Southern In 1987, he went to Mississippi Delta Junior Miss helped further the long-time defensive tradition College as defensive coordinator. A year later, Butler that is synonymous with Golden Eagle football. traveled to Tulane as the Green Wave offensive tack- Butler spent the 2004 season retooling the les and tight ends coach. He spent 1992 as the defensive line after losing standout defensive ends offensive coordinator at Navarro Junior College. His Terrell Paul and Ronald Jones. The Golden Eagles squad was 8-2 and won the Texas Junior College finished 7-5 for the season and defeated North Conference Championship. Texas, 31-10, in the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. Butler graduated from Southern Miss in 1979 That defense finished No. 2 in Conference USA in with his bachelor’s degree and with his master’s scoring defense and No. 3 in total defense. degree in 1981. He was inducted into the Southern He coached an outstanding line that helped the Miss Athletics Hall of Fame prior to the 1999 spring 2003 Golden Eagles win their fourth Conference USA game. He is married to the former Angela Smith, championship and earn a third trip to the Liberty The Butler Family: Chelsea, Randy, also a Southern Miss graduate. The couple has two Bowl. The defense posted some impressive numbers Angela and Anna Leigh children, Anna Leigh and Chelsea.

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enough to rank him No. 21 in the nation. Another of The Hopson Hopson’s defenders, Brooks, finished with 14 pass Family: breakups and set the school’s career mark with 35. Jay, Hannah Two of the players Hopson coached in 2001, Renee, Michelle and Brooks and Chad Williams, both were selected first- Virginia Hyde 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 . 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. Jay Hopson The Thundering Herd won four-straight Mid- Defensive Coordinator/ American Conference championships and made four- Middle Linebackers straight appearances in the Motor City Bowl, win- ning three of those. Marshall also won a national ay Hopson’s second year as the defensive coordi- championship in its last year of NCAA I-AA competi- Jnator at Southern Miss last year was a good one tion in 1996. as the Golden Eagles led Conference USA in scoring Marshall also led the Mid-American Conference in defense for the second-straight year and set a In 2003, his group of defensive backs helped the interceptions for two of his seasons there, ranking No. school-record with seven scores. Golden Eagles win their fourth Conference USA 1 in the nation in 1999. The defense also ranked in the The Golden Eagles also led the conference in championship and make a third trip to the Liberty top 15 nationally in pass efficiency defense from 1997- pass efficiency defense, opponent’s 3rd down con- Bowl. They were tied for second in the national lead 99. He coached 10 all-conference selections, two play- versions and red zone defense. In addition, he in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (9) and ers named to Sports Illustrated’s All-Bowl Team, three tutored middle linebacker Gerald McRath to fresh- earned a No. 5 national ranking in pass defense, No. All-Americans and two Jim Thorpe Award candidates, man All-America honors by The Sporting News, 13 ranking in pass efficiency defense and helped honoring the nation’s top defensive back. CollegeFootballNews.com and the Football Writers maintain and even improve on the successes the Hopson’s coaching career started as a graduate Association of America/Scripps. Four of Hopson’s defense had enjoyed the previous two seasons. assistant at Tulane and has included stops at LSU, defensive players were named to the All-Conference Safety Etric Pruitt had another banner season, USA teams and two more were named to the all- earning All-America honors for the second-straight The Hopson File freshman team. year. He finished third on the tackle list with 132 Date of Birth: Oct. 13, 1968 The team’s success last fall followed a year in stops. He also had three interceptions, three fumble Hometown: Vicksburg, Miss. which the Golden Eagles led Conference USA in recoveries, a forced fumble, 10 pass breakups and Education: Mississippi, ’92 (bachelor’s), scoring defense, quarterback sacks and most four tackles for loss, and was named C-USA defen- Delta State, ’94 (master’s) turnovers forced per game. Hopson’s hope is that his sive player of the week following the UAB game. Year at Southern Miss: 6 third year will be even better. He also will coach the Three of Hopson’s defensive backs gained all- Year In Coaching: 16 middle linebackers for the second-straight year, after conference honors, including first-teamers Pruitt and Coaching Career coaching the defensive backs in 2005. Greg Brooks. Senior safety Alex Ray was selected to Southern Miss, 2006-07: Defensive In 2005, Hopson’s defense led the nation in fum- the league’s third team. Pruitt also was named a Coordinator/Middle Linebackers; Southern Miss, bles gained, No. 5 in turnovers gained per game, No. semifinalist for the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award, 2005: Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs; Ole 23 in interceptions, No. 33 in scoring defense and given to the best defensive back in the nation. Miss, 2004: Defensive Backs; Southern Miss, No. 34 in sacks. He coached a pair of All-Conference Brooks and Pruitt both were drafted in the sixth 2001-03: Defensive Backs; Marshall, 1996-2000: Florida, 1995: USA defensive backs, including Trevis Coley, now round of the NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and Defensive Backs; Graduate Assistant/Offensive Scout Team/Special Teams; with the New York Giants and current senior Atlanta Falcons, respectively. LSU, 1994: Graduate Assistant/Defensive Brandon Sumrall, named a sophomore All-American While the 2001 season was a success against Backs/Offensive Scout Team; Delta State, 1993: by collegefootballnews.com. Both players recorded the pass, the 2002 defense was even better. It led Defensive Backs; Tulane, 1992: Graduate career-highs in tackles, as Coley posted 109 and the nation in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (6) Assistant/Offensive Scout Team/Special Sumrall 88. As a whole, the secondary posted 15 and finished as the No. 4 team in pass efficiency Teams/Video Breakdown interceptions and 40 pass breakups. defense and was No. 10 in pass defense. He returned to Southern Miss in January 2005, One of Hopson’s players, Pruitt, was honored for Bowl/Playoff Experience 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2005: New Orleans Bowl; for his second stint, after serving for one year as the his performance when he was named an All- 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl; 2002: Houston Bowl; defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Conference USA first team selection, as well as 2000: Motor City Bowl; 1999: Motor City Bowl; his alma mater, Ole Miss. Hopson previously spent being named to several All-America teams. Pruitt 1998: Motor City Bowl; 1997: Motor City Bowl; three years at Southern Miss as the defensive backs was third on the team in tackles and led Southern 1996: NCAA I-AA Playoffs; 1995: coach from 2001-03. Miss with six interceptions. That total was good

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Florida and Marshall before coming to Southern Miss. yards for the first time since 1987. The Johnson File While at Florida, the Gators won the Southeastern The offense also was the top rushing team in the Conference championship and played for the national conference and No. 25 in the nation, as well as Date of Birth: Sept. 18, 1969 championship. While at LSU, the Tigers led the among the top in the conference in first downs and Hometown: Lakeville, Minn. in total defense. fewest sacks allowed. Education: Northern Iowa, ’92 (bachelor’s), Hopson was a four-year letterwinner as a defen- That showing by the Golden Eagle offense fol- Missouri, ’94 (master’s) Year at Southern Miss: 5 sive back at Ole Miss from 1988-91, playing free lowed one of the best seasons in recent memory in Year in Coaching: 16 safety for one season before moving to strong safety 2005, as Johnson guided an offense that netted 4,288 for his final three years. He was a four-time yards of total offense (1,336 rushing, 2,952 yards Coaching Career Academic All-SEC honor roll selection and was passing) and scoring 355 points (29.6 per game). The Southern Miss, 2005-07: Offensive named to the CoSIDA District VI Academic All- total offense was the fifth-best performance in school Coordinator/Quarterbacks; Southern Miss: 2003- America team as a senior in 1991. history, the passing yardage was the all-time best, the 04: Recruiting Coordinator; Southern Miss, 2004: He also was a member of the student athletic points scored were second most, while the passing Running Backs; Southern Miss, 2003: Tight Ends; Kansas, 2001: Running Backs; Kansas, 1999- advisory committee and was the recipient of the yardage per game (246.0) was second. 2001: Quarterbacks; Kansas, 1997-99: Graduate John Howard Vaught Award in 1991. Hopson was a His quarterback, Dustin Almond, had one of the Assistant/Quarterbacks; Truman State, 1995-97: speaker at the American Football Coaches best seasons ever by a Golden Eagle signal caller in Offensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator; Association Convention in January 2000. He enjoyed 2005, as he set the single-season record for passing Augsburg College, 1994-95: Offensive a successful playing career at Warren Central High completions (216), passing attempts (392), and total Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator; Missouri- School in Vicksburg, Miss., where he earned all- offense (2,762), while throwing 23 touchdowns, the Columbia, 1994: Graduate Assistant/Wide county, all-district and all-state honors. second most in school history. Receivers (spring); Columbia-Hickman HS, 1993: Quarterbacks/Receivers/Defensive Backs He received his bachelor’s degree in business In 2004, Johnson guided a solid stable of running administration from Ole Miss in 1992 and his mas- backs, which averaged 144.9 yards per game, 22.8 Bowl Experience ter’s degree in health, physical education and recre- more yards per game and six more rushing touch- 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2005: New Orleans Bowl; ation from Delta State in 1994. downs than in 2003. Anthony Harris, Sherron Moore 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl; Hopson is married to the former Michelle Russell and Larry Thomas carried the majority of the load for 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl of Vicksburg, Miss. The couple has two daughters, the season. Virginia Hyde and Hannah Renee. Johnson helped guide senior tight end Terrell the quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs coach. Browden to a successful season in 2003, when he In 1994, he moved to Missouri as a graduate assis- earned All-Conference USA second-team honors tant coach, later moving to Augsburg College, serving as and then signed a free agent contract with the the school’s offensive coordinator and recruitment coor- . dinator from 1994-95, before moving to that same posi- He has extensive coaching experience and tion at Truman State from 1995-97. He directed Truman knowledge of several positions, including quarter- State’s offense to an average of over 30 points and 400 backs, receivers, defensive backs, running backs and yards a game during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. tight ends. He served as a graduate assistant at Kansas Johnson has honed his coaching skills at a variety from 1997-99 and became its quarterbacks coach in of levels and schools. He started his coaching career 1999, serving in that role until 2001, when he moved at Columbia-Hickman High School in 1993, serving as to coach running backs and coached in that role before arriving at Southern Miss. The Johnson Family: Johnson, a three-time All-Gateway Conference Lori, Jay and Cole quarterback and four-time conference player of the week in his playing days at Northern Iowa, led his Jay Johnson teams to a 31-8 record, and won three conference Offensive Coordinator/ championships, while appearing in three national play- Quarterbacks offs. He finished his career with almost 500 completions and threw for over 8,000 yards and 58 touchdowns. ay Johnson returns in his role of overseeing the He was elected team captain in both the 1991 Joffense for the third season as offensive coordina- and 1992 seasons. He quarterbacked the ’92 team to tor and quarterbacks coach and fifth year overall on a 12-2 record, a conference championship and the the staff at Southern Miss. He joined Bower’s staff No. 3 ranking in the final NCAA Div. 1-AA poll. in 2003 as the tight ends coach, before coaching the Johnson also holds a variety of academic honors running backs in 2004. to go with his on-field prowess. He earned President’s In 2006, the Golden Eagles established a school Academic Excellence honors in the Gateway record for total yardage (4,635), while also tying a Conference and held a perfect 4.0 grade point average mark for most plays (888) in a season as Southern while completing his master’s degree at Missouri. Miss produced its first 1,000-yard rusher for a sea- That earned him a Superior Graduate Achievement son since 2002, and the team rushed for over 2,000 Award from the Department of Health and Exercise

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Science, and he was a Dean’s List scholar at Northern the school’s game record with four field Iowa where he compiled a 3.47 GPA. He also taught goals against East Carolina. In addition, All- several courses while at Truman State and Missouri. American punter Luke Johnson was the No. He is married to the former Lori Ross, and the 1 punter in Conference USA and was ranked couple has one son, Cole. No. 7 nationally in yards per punt (44.9). The school’s most prolific return man, John Eubanks had another strong year, and cur- rently plays in the NFL with the Washington Redskins. In 2004, Pollard coached outside line- backer Michael Boley, as he left his mark as one of the greatest linebackers to ever play at Southern Miss. He was a two-time The Pollard Family: Tylor, All-American, including consensus honors Lytrel, Kristina and Klabron in 2004, the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and a three-time All- All-America teams, including the Sporting News. Conference USA selection. Linebacker Antoine Cash During the 2000 season, one of his players, ban- had an outstanding senior season as the team’s dit end Terrell Paul, was named to the Conference third-leading tackler with 95 stops, four sacks, 15 USA all-freshman team, and during the 2001 season tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. Boley wolf linebacker Roy Magee was named second team Lytrel Pollard was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons, and Cash signed All-C-USA. Special Teams Coordinator/ a free agent contract, also with the Falcons. A native of Bay Springs, Miss., Pollard played at Defensive Backs Boley was tabbed a national semifinalist for the Stringer High School and completed an outstanding Butkus, Bednarik and Lott Awards, while winning the Golden Eagle playing career in 1997 by helping lead ytrel Pollard, now in his ninth year on the coaching , given since 1996 to Mississippi’s the team to a 9-3 record, a C-USA championship and Lstaff, returns to coach the defensive backs for the best college football player. He earned Conference a Liberty Bowl title. He led the team in tackles with second season, as well as continuing to serve as the USA Defensive Player of the Week Honors four times 114, a total that was good for fifth place in the con- special teams coordinator. After working with the line- and national player of the week honors by the ference. He was in double figures in tackles eight backers for six years, Pollard moved to overseeing the Football Writers Association of America and the times in 11 games as a senior and had a season-best defensive backs, while also holding the role of special Walter Camp Foundation following his 20-tackle, 13 stops in the season opener at Florida. teams coordinator since 2003. two forced fumbles, one tackle for loss and one pass He finished his Golden Eagle career with 274 Last season, Pollard, a former standout Golden breakup performance in the team’s season opening tackles, nearly reaching the top 10 on the career Eagle linebacker, helped construct a defense that win at Nebraska. He posted one of the best seasons tackles list at Southern Miss, and he was named was ranked No. 30 nationally in total defense and by a Southern Miss defensive player, as he finished permanent captain his senior season. No. 21 in pass efficiency defense, while his defen- with 125 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two sive backs recorded 14 of the team’s 17 intercep- interceptions, two pass breakups and five forced The Pollard File tions, including three for touchdowns. fumbles this season. His five forced fumbles gave Date of Birth: April 3, 1976 On special teams, kicker Darren McCaleb, a him nine for his career, which is a school record. Hometown: Bay Springs, Miss. three-time all-conference and two-time All-American In the same year, McCaleb was a semifinalist for Education: Southern Miss, (bachelor’s, ‘98); selection, finished his Golden Eagle career setting all the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation’s (master’s, ‘99) the school’s kicking records. He is the all-time lead- best collegiate kicker and earned All-America hon- Year at Southern Miss: 9 Year in Coaching: 9 ing scorer (365) and has the most made field goals ors. He was perfect on all of his regular season field (69) and extra points (138). goals attempts, before missing his first few of the Coaching Career Pollard coached the 2005 Conference USA season in the bowl game. Southern Miss, 2006-07: Special Teams Defensive Player of the Year and All-American Kevis Eubanks also enjoyed a strong 2004 season, as he Coordinator/Defensive Backs; Southern Miss, Coley, who posted 150 tackles (81 solos, 69 assists), led the nation in kickoff returns for part of the year, 2005: Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers; the sixth-best performance in school history. Coley’s and finished (5) in the top five in the nation for the Southern Miss, 2003-04: Special Teams total tackles ranked No. 8 nationally, while his solos second year in a row. He was named the Conference Coordinator/Outside Linebackers; Southern Miss, 2001-2002: Outside Linebackers; Southern Miss, stood No. 7 nationally. Even more than that, Pollard USA Special Teams Player of the Year, as well as 2000: Wolf Linebackers/Defensive Ends; also helped Wayne Hardy make the move from full- earning All-America honors for the second year. Southern Miss, 1999: Graduate Assistant back to linebacker, and as a result, Hardy finished In 2003, Pollard saw three of his specialists gain fifth on the team in tackles. all-conference honors. Eubanks and Marvin Young Bowl Experience: Pollard also coached a strong special teams unit, ranked among the nation’s leaders in kick return (4) and 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2005: New Orleans Bowl; 2004: as All-American and All-Conference USA performer punt return (10), respectively. The two players earned Wyndham New Orleans Bowl; 2003: AXA Liberty McCaleb, who was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza spots on the All-Conference USA First Team as return Bowl; 2002: Houston Bowl; 2000: GMAC Bowl; 1999: AXA Liberty Bowl Award, set the school single-season record with 23 men, while McCaleb was honored on the league’s all- field goals, most points in a season (107), while tying freshman team and was named to several Freshman

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Pollard earned his undergraduate degree in Nebraska, New Jersey and Florida. He also garnered The Grant File coaching and sport administration in the spring of experience working with Nebraska’s Public Relations 1998, and his master’s in the fall of 1999. He is the Date of Birth: Jan. 26, 1970 Office (1992-93) and served as the executive produc- son of Charles and Margaret Pollard of Bay Springs, Hometown: Tampa, Fla. er of the Tom Osborne Show (1993-94). Miss. Pollard, and his wife, Kristina, have two sons, Education: Nebraska, ’92 (bachelor’s), ’95 (bachelor’s) Grant graduated from Nebraska in 1992 with a Tylor and Klabron. Year at Southern Miss: 1 bachelor’s degree in communication studies, in 1995 Year in Coaching: 13 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an Coaching Career emphasis in advertising and has currently completed Southern Miss, 2007: Wide Receivers; Iowa the course work for his master’s degree in mass State, 2001-06: Wide Receivers; Iowa State, communication. While a student, he earned a spot 2000: Running Backs; Iowa State, 1999: Outside on the 1991 Phillips 66 Academic All-Big Eight Honor Linebackers; Southern Miss, 1998: Defensive Roll and was the recipient of the Student-Athlete Backs; James Madison, 1997: Tight Ends/Wide Academic Honor Medallion, The Reader’s Digest Receivers; Nebraska, 1994-95: Graduate Assistant, Wide Receivers Scholarship, the Omaha World Herald Scholarship and the Bobby Reynolds Scholarship. Bowl Experience: While playing at Nebraska from 1988-92, he let- 2005: EV1.net Bowl; 2004: Independence Bowl; tered three years as a quarterback and was a member 2002: Humanitarian Bowl; 2001: Independence of teams which earned three Orange Bowl invitations Bowl; 2000: Insight.com Bowl; 1997: Orange Bowl; and made appearances in the Fiesta and Citrus Bowls. 1996: Fiesta Bowl; 1994: Orange Bowl Grant and his wife, Nina, have a daughter, Mireia. Nina is the Senior Director of Multicultural Mike Grant Grant brings years of successful special teams Student Services at the University of Toledo. Wide Receivers experience as well. The special teams at Iowa State were ranked in the Top four of the Big XII Conference ike Grant is in his first season as each year. During his tenure at Iowa State, he was Mcoach at Southern Miss after spending the past the lead coach of the kickoff cover from 1998-2006, six years as the wide receivers coach at Iowa State. and PAT block team (1999) and assisted with the Beside working with the receiving corps and recruiting punt team (1998-2006), the punt return team (1998- responsibilities, he was the lead coach for the kickoff 2006) and the kickoff return (1999). cover unit. Other areas he was involved in included He went to Iowa State after serving as the tight serving as liaison with NFL scouts and the weight ends/wide receivers coach (1997) at James Madison room program, including offseason and summer condi- University in Harrisonburg, Va. He was a graduate tioning, handling freshman orientation and life skills assistant coach (1994-95), working with the program during fall camp, assisting with housing and receivers at Nebraska, spent a year as a student training table and program correspondence. assistant recruiting coordinator (1993-94) and three Grant’s wide receivers at ISU broke every receiv- years as the liaison to the football booster and ath- ing record in the school’s history. He had three play- letic clubs (1994-97), also at Nebraska. ers named first-team All-Big 12 in 2005, and one of From 1993 until 1996, he was a coach or facilita- Courtney Messingham his receivers became the all-time leading receiver in tor at football camps, workshops and clinics in Running Backs the history of ISU and another became the all-time leader in touchdown receptions. The Grant Family: ourtney Messingham makes the transition to run- Mike, Mireia Prior to that, he coached the running backs (2000), and Nina Cning backs coach after coaching the wide outside linebackers (1999) and defensive backs (1998) receivers for the last two seasons. He is in his third at Iowa State. He coached first-team All-Big 12 run- season overall at Southern Miss and 17th year in the ning back Ennis Haywood, who became the seventh profession. ISU back to post two 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and Joining the Golden Eagles allowed Messingham his running backs went two years without a fumble. the chance to be reunited with offensive coordinator While coaching the outside linebackers, one of the Jay Johnson, as both coached together at Truman players he mentored went from being a back-up quar- State from 1995-96 and both played together at the terback to the starting outside linebacker, finishing University of Northern Iowa. Before his arrival at fifth on the team in tackles and earning a tryout with Southern Miss, he served as the head coach at Upper the Philadelphia Eagles. While coaching the defensive Iowa University from 2003-04. backs, the secondary went from No. 107 in the nation Messingham had five different receivers finish to No. 29 in his first year with the position. The pass with 300 or more yards receiving over the past two efficiency defense went from 153.3 to 111.5 the next seasons, as they registered 27 touchdown receptions. season, and the secondary increased in interceptions They also garnered catches of 20 yards or more 48 and decreased in touchdowns given up. times during that period for an average of 24 a year,

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Coaching Staff including 23 receptions each from Damion Carter, The Messingham File Josh Barnes and Chris Johnson. The receiving corps caught 51 percent of the team’s passes a year ago. Date of Birth: Oct 23, 1966 In 2005, Messingham guided a youthful group of Hometown: Waterloo, Iowa receivers to a solid season. Despite losing All-Conference Education: Northern Iowa (bachelor’s, 1990), candidate Antwon Courington midway through the sea- (master’s, 1992) Year at Southern Miss: 3 son, and several other key receivers to injury for several Year in Coaching: 17 games, Messingham coached career-best, over 100-yard receiving performances, from Josh Barnes (103, Houston) Coaching Career and Chris Johnson (113, UAB), as the position produced Southern Miss, 2007: Running Backs; Southern five 100-yard receiving performances on the year. In addi- Miss, 2005-06: Wide Receivers; Upper Iowa, tion, Courington and Johnson both caught two touch- 2003-04: Head Coach; Southwest Missouri downs against UCF, becoming the first Golden Eagle State, 1999-02: Offensive Coordinator/Wide Receivers; Truman State, 1995-98: Offensive receiving duo to accomplish the feat in school history. Coordinator, Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Before becoming head coach at Upper Iowa, he Receivers, Kickoff Returners and Punters; Iowa Mitch Rodrigue was on the offensive staff at Missouri State University Lakes CC: 1993-94: Offensive Coordinator/ Offensive Line in Springfield, Mo., serving as offensive coordinator Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends; St. for three years from 2000-02 and wide receivers/tight Ambrose: 1991-92: Offensive itch Rodrigue is in his fifth season as the offensive ends and special teams coach for the 1999 season. Coordinator/Quarterbacks-Tight Ends; St. Mline coach for the Southern Miss football program Prior to his stint at SMS, he was an assistant coach at Ambrose: 1990: Graduate Assistant and his 11th season overall with the Golden Eagles’ foot- Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., serving as Bowl Experience ball program. During his tenure, he has proven to be a the offensive coordinator his last two years, while 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2005: New Orleans Bowl valuable member of the staff, not only on the field, but coaching the quarterback, , receiver, kick- also as a recruiter, as he was named one of rivals.com off return and punt positions for four years (1995-99). in school history. His tailback had the longest touchdown top-10 recruiters from a non-BCS conference in 2006. Messingham spent a two-year stint at Iowa Lakes run in the school history (95), and his starting quarterback Last season, Rodrigue mentored an offensive line Community College (1993-94) in Esterville, Iowa, serving threw a school-record seven touchdowns in one game, a that allowed just 10 sacks all season – ranking 18th as the offensive coordinator for two years. He was school-record 36 completions in a game and accumulat- nationally – while his team helped the Golden named the head coach in January 1995, before moving to ed game passing yard totals of 392, 407 and 427 yards. Eagles rush for an average of 169.9 yards a game, Truman State for the 1995 season. As the offensive coor- At Southwest Missouri State, his 2001 offense pro- which ranked first in Conference USA and 25th dinator at Iowa Lakes, he coached the quarterbacks, wide duced a conference-best 432 yards per game, fourth in nationally. The unit also collected its first two All- receivers and tight ends. Prior to that, he coached three the school’s history. His starting receiver set school marks Americans since the 1950s, with the naming of years at St. Ambrose University (1990-92) in Davenport, for receptions and yards. His quarterback in 2000 started George Batiste and Travis Cooley to different squads Iowa, as a graduate assistant for one year (1990) before a game hitting 20-of-20 passes, setting an NCAA record. as the duo spearheaded the Golden Eagles to a becoming the offensive coordinator the next two years, His receiver set a single-season record for receptions and school-record 4,635 yards of total offense, over coaching the quarterbacks and tight ends. career record for receiving touchdowns. He coached four 2,000 yards rushing for the first time since 1987 and Highlighting his coaching career, one of Division II All-Americans at Truman State, including the the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2002. Messingham’s wide receivers at Upper Iowa had 11 1996 Player of the Year. His running back finished with In 2005, Rodrigue guided the offensive line to anoth- touchdown receptions, third most in the school’s history 2,140 yards as a senior and ended his career as the third- er strong season, as the offense finished with 4,288 and four receiving touchdowns in one game, second most leading rusher in NCAA history with 6,166 yards and 73 yards of total offense, the sixth-best performance in rushing touchdowns. He coached four all-conference school history. The offensive line, led by All-Conference players at Iowa Lakes Community College and the all- USA performers Batiste and Cooley, only allowed nine time receptions leader at St. Ambrose. sacks in 2005, ranking No. 12 in the nation, and did not Messingham, who hails from Waterloo, Iowa, allow a sack in six games on the year. was a first-team all-state quarterback and an all-state In 2004, the offensive line continued its strong shortstop at Waterloo West High School. He was play, as it gave up only seven sacks for the season. named the Football Athlete of the Year in Waterloo Senior Jeremy Parquet was selected All-Conference for the 1984-85 school year. USA second team, and Chris Clark was named to the He was a four-year letterwinner at The University all-freshman squad. Parquet was drafted by the of Northern Iowa, while earning his bachelor of tech- Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Draft. nology degree, majoring in mechanical design with a Rodrigue made his first year as the offensive line coaching endorsement in 1990. He earned his mas- coach at Southern Miss a memorable one, as the ter’s degree in business administration, along with 12 Golden Eagles won their fourth Conference USA hours of graduate studies in physical education from title, was invited to the Liberty Bowl for the third Northern Iowa in 1992. time and earned a bowl bid. The program lost three Messingham and his wife, Carol, a 1990 graduate starting offensive lineman to the National Football The Messingham Family: of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in account- League from the 2002 squad, and he was charged Courtney, Carol and Taylor ing, have a daughter, Taylor. with retooling the line.

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1999 and the tight ends from 2000-02. He assisted The Rodrigue File with the offensive line during his initial stint at The Tate Family: Fred, Christian and Date of Birth: Jan. 2, 1965 Southern Miss, serving as the program’s graduate Andrea Hometown: Thibodaux, La. assistant in 1989 and 1990 under former head Education: Nicholls State, ‘88 coach . Year at Southern Miss: 11 A native of Thibodaux, La., and a veteran of Year in Coaching: 21 several seasons as both offensive line coach and Coaching Experience offensive coordinator at Nicholls State, Rodrigue Southern Miss, 2003-07: Offensive Line; Southern helped the Colonels lead the Southland Conference Miss, 2000-02: Tight Ends; Southern Miss, 1999: in passing. Running Backs; Nicholls State, 1998: Offensive In addition to his time as the Colonels’ offensive Line/Offensive Coordinator; Nicholls State, 1994 coordinator, he also served at various times as -97: Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator; recruiting coordinator and, after the resignation of Nicholls State, 1995: Interim Head Coach; Nicholls State, 1993: Offensive Line/Tight Ends; Rick Rhoades in 1995, interim head coach. Pearl River CC, 1991-92: Offensive Line/Strength As offensive line coach, Rodrigue’s linemen and Conditioning Coach; East St. John High blocked for the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher in School, 1991: Offensive Line/Strength and 1996. Prior to his coaching stint at Nicholls State, Conditioning; Southern Miss, 1989-90: Graduate Rodrigue worked for two seasons as an assistant Assistant/Offensive Line; Nicholls State, 1987- coach at Pearl River Community College. At PRCC, he 88: Student Assistant/Offensive Line served as offensive line coach, as well as strength Bowl/Playoff Experience and conditioning coach. Player last January as he intercepted an Ohio pass 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2005: New Orleans Bowl; 2004: Rodrigue played at Nicholls State and helped the for a touchdown, while also garnering four tackles Wyndham New Orleans Bowl; 2003: AXA Liberty Colonels reach the second round of the Division I - and a pass breakup. Abanikanda added four stops as Bowl; 2002: Houston Bowl; 2000: GMAC Bowl; AA playoffs in 1986 as well as win the 1984 Gulf well, including three solo tackles. 1999: AXA Liberty Bowl; 1996: NCAA I-AA Star Conference title. He played one season at In 2005, he coached Tom Johnson to an All- Playoffs; 1990: All-American Bowl Copiah-Lincoln Community College prior to his career Conference USA year, as he finished fourth on the at Nicholls State. He was an all-district performer at team in tackles, placing second in both tackles for The offensive line made significant progress as Thibodaux High School. loss and sacks. the season went along and earned notice and praise Rodrigue and his wife, Deidi, have three children, Tate, a former defensive line standout for from Head Coach Jeff Bower for its outstanding play Maci, Madden, and Mallori. Southern Miss in 1995-96, came to Southern Miss in throughout the second half of the season. 2005, after serving as an assistant coach at East The line also earned respect from the rest of Carolina for two years under former Southern Miss Conference USA, with three players garnering all- defensive coordinator John Thompson. league honors. Parquet was named to the first team, Tate was the outside linebackers coach and while center Jim Hicks took home second-team hon- assisted with various phases of special teams at ors. was the team’s selection on the East Carolina, coached the defensive line the previ- third team, and Cooley was named to the ous five seasons and started his coaching career in Conference USA All-Freshman team. Before taking over as the offensive line coach The Tate File in 2003, Rodrigue coached the running backs in Date of Birth: Oct. 31, 1968 The Rodrigue Family: Madden, Mallori, Hometown: Hattiesburg, Miss. Mitch, Deidi Education: Bachelor’s (Southern Miss,’ 97) and Maci Year at Southern Miss: 3 Year in Coaching: 11

Fred Tate Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2006-07: Outside Linebackers; Outside Linebackers Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Tackles; East Carolina, 2003-04: Outside Linebackers; Middle red Tate enters his second year coaching the out- Tennessee State, 2002: Defensive Line; Fside linebackers, third year on the Golden Eagle Southwest Texas State, 2001: Defensive Line; coaching staff and 11th season overall in coaching. East Mississippi CC, 2000: Defensive Line; Tate moved to outside linebackers prior to last Jacksonville State, 1998-99: Defensive season, after overseeing the defensive tackles in Line/Special Teams East Central CC, 1997: Tight Ends/Wide Receivers 2005. Two of his players last season, Tokumbo Abanikanda and James Denley, ranked third and Bowl Experience fourth on the team in tackles, respectively. Denley 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2005: New Orleans Bowl earned the GMAC Bowl Most Valuable Defensive

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1997, coaching the tight ends and wide receivers. defense finished in the top 40 in total defense and He coached the defensive line at Middle The Wilt Family: top 10 in pass defense. He had three players, Jamus Tennessee State (2002), defensive line and punting Sharon and Bill Martin, Toriano Brown and Washington earn all- team at Southwest Texas State (2001), defensive line, MAC second-team honors. punting and kicking teams at East Mississippi In 1999, the Herd defense ranked No. 7 in the Community College (2000), defensive line and special nation in total defense and No. 11 against the run. teams at Jacksonville State (1998-99) and tight ends Defensive tackle Giradie Mercer was a first-team and wide receivers at East Central Community College All-MAC selection and finished third in the defensive (1997). player of the year voting. As the special teams coach While at Southwest Texas State, he coached All- in 2001, he had two players, Maurice Hines and American Clenton Ballard, who played for the Curtis Jones finish in the top 20 nationally in punt and most recently with the San and kickoff returns, respectively. Defensive lineman Diego Chargers. He coached Mark Word at Orlando Washington and Ralph Street earned second Jacksonville State, who played in the NFL for the team All-MAC honors. Kansas City Chiefs and most recently with the Prior to his six-year tenure at Marshall, Wilt Cleveland Browns. spent 16 years at Western Illinois, serving as defen- Tate was a two-year letterwinner at Southern sive coordinator from 1987-98. He coached the defen- Miss from 1995-96, playing defensive end and tack- sive line from 1983-85, then coached the defensive le. He played for the Golden Eagles as they played line for five years (1986-90), before becoming the their first year in Conference USA as a founding linebacker coach for the next six years (1991-97) and member and helped lead them to the conference coached the defensive line his final season (1998). championship in 1996. Western Illinois won the Gateway Conference in He began his collegiate playing career at East year overall in the profession. His arrival in 1998 and was ranked No. 1 in the nation that sea- Central Community College, earning JC Gridwire All- Hattiesburg helped him reunite with Defensive son. The Leathernecks made five appearances in the America honors. He was selected as the team’s Coordinator Jay Hopson, as they both served togeth- NCAA I-AA Playoffs during Wilt’s time at WIU. offensive most valuable player of the National Junior er at Marshall from 1999-2001. Wilt graduated from Eureka College with a bach- College All-Star Game. After stepping away from coaching for one year, Bill elor’s degree in physical education in 1977 and Prior to enrolling at East Central, Tate served in Wilt joined the Golden Eagle coaching staff as the earned his master’s degree in physical education the United States Army in the Airborne Division. defensive line coach in 2006 and coached a pair of from Northeast Missouri State in 1980. He was a He served for five years, earned an Army Conference-USA selections in Robert Henderson and four-year starter at Eureka, playing two years at line- Commendation Medal and Soldier of the Quarter Martavius Prince as part of the “Nasty Bunch” defense. backer and two years as an offensive lineman. three times. Last season, the defense led Conference USA in He is married to the former Sharon Allen of Tate earned his bachelor’s degree in human per- scoring defense, No. 2 in rushing defense, passing Quincy, Ill., and the couple has two children, Aaron formance from Southern Miss in 1997. He and his and total defense and No. 3 in turnover margin, and Erica. wife, Andrea, have a son, Christian and a daughter, which was a direct result of improved defensive line Caitlyn Sori, and the family also includes Darrion and play. Nationally, the defense ranked among the top The Wilt File Donovan Tate. 30 teams in scoring defense and total defense. Date of Birth: October 20, 1954 Wilt came to Southern Miss after serving on the Hometown: Sheffield, Ill. coaching staff at Marshall from 1999-2004, the first Education: Bachelor’s (Eureka, ‘77); Master’s three years as the defensive line coach and the final (Northeast Missouri State, ’80) Year at Southern Miss: 2 three as the defensive coordinator, along with his Year in Coaching: 24 duties as defensive line coach. He also coached the special teams in 2001. During his tenure, the Coaching Career Thundering Herd won four Mid-American Conference Southern Miss, 2006-07: Defensive Line; Marshall: 2002-04: Defensive Championships and made five bowl appearances, Coordinator/Defensive Line; Marshall: 2001: winning four of them. Defensive Line/Special Teams Coordinator; Marshall led the MAC in defense in 2003 and Marshall: 2000: Defensive Tackles/Special Teams 2004 and was the No. 2 defense in 2002. He Coordinator; Marshall: 1999: Defensive Tackles; coached four all-conference players and his defen- Western Illinois: 1983-98: Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator; Salem (Ill.) High sive end, Johnathan Goodard, earned All-America School: 1981-82: Defensive Coordinator; honors in 2004. Wilt was tabbed as the best defen- Northeast Missouri State: 1979-80: Linebackers sive coordinator in the nation by College Football Bill Wilt News in 2005. Bowl Experience 2007: GMAC Bowl; 2004: PlainsCapital Fort Worth Defensive Line In 2003, Marshall was first in total defense, pass Bowl; 2002: GMAC Bowl; 2001: GMAC Bowl; defense and held opponents to a league-low first 2000: Motor City Bowl; 1999: Motor City Bowl ilt is in his second season as the defensive downs and third-down conversions. In his first year Wline coach for the Golden Eagles and his 24th as defensive coordinator in 2002, the Marshall

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the football program. He serves as Southern Miss’ The Cooley File liaison with NFL Scouts and oversees the player tim- ing days. Date of Birth: Nov. 15, 1983 In addition to his football duties, Miller serves as Hometown: Waynesboro, Miss. the Director of the Annual Jeff Bower Golf Education: Bachelor’s (Southern Miss, ‘05) Tournament. Year at Southern Miss: 1 Year in Coaching: 1 While in the Army, Miller worked in the criminal investigation division. He received two Army Coaching Career Commendations, a National Defense Award for Desert Southern Miss, 2007: Offensive Graduate Assistant Storm and a Cold War Era Award for Desert Storm. After serving for four years in the United States Award as a senior last year for the player who exem- Army, Miller worked as an assistant coach at Clinton plifies what Southern Miss football is all about. He High School under David Bradberry. also was named to Conference USA’s All-Academic Miller is the son of Walter and Mary Miller of team and was selected to the first team of the John Miller Clinton. He, and his wife Jill, live in Hattiesburg with Arthur Ashe Scholar-Athlete Football squad. Associate Director of their sons, Jonathon and Josh. He graduated from Southern Miss in 2005 with a Athletics/Football Operations bachelor’s degree in coaching and sport administra- tion and is currently completing the requirements for ohn Miller is in his second year as the Associate a master’s degree in sport administration, also at JDirector of Athletics for Football Operations and Southern Miss. Development at Southern Miss and the 12th overall He is the son of Hollis and Ruby Cooley of working with the football program. Waynesboro, Miss. He received the promotion during the summer of 2006 after serving as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Football Operations for the previous five 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 week- ends, practice and event scheduling and team travel. Travis Cooley He also assists with all areas of fundraising within Graduate Assistant Coach/Offense

fter finishing a standout career that was capped Aoff with All-America honors as a senior last sea- son, Travis Cooley is in his first year as the offensive Keith Pigott graduate assistant coach. He will assist with the Graduate Assistant Coach/Defense offensive line. Cooley was a two-time All-Conference USA eith Pigott is in his second year as the defensive selection, including first-team honors as a senior last Kgraduate assistant coach and third year with the year. He started all four years at Southern Miss and football program. He served as a student assistant was named one of the team captains last year. coach in 2005, assisting with the defensive line and Cooley was part of the offensive line that paved last year he helped with the defensive backs. the way for the first 1,000-yard rusher since 2002, This season, his on-field responsibilities include the team rushed for over 2,000 yards for the first assisting with the linebackers and overseeing the time since 1987 and set the school record for total offensive scout team. He also assists the coaching offense in a season (4,635). The offensive line was staff with Southern Miss’ player game evaluations ranked in the top 20 of the nation for three-straight and the scouting of opponents. years for the fewest sacks allowed each season. Pigott was an assistant coach at Bay High School He helped the Golden Eagles to a four-year in Bay St. Louis, Miss., from 2002-2004, working record of 32-18, the 2003 Conference USA with the wide receivers and the defensive backs. Championship, the 2006 C-USA East Division Prior to that time, he spent one year as the quarter- Championship and a school-record four-straight bowl backs coach at Centreville Academy in Centreville, The Miller Family: Jonathan, appearances, winning three of them. Miss., from 2001-02. John, Jill and Josh Cooley was awarded the Heart of the Eagle Pigott also spent one year as the head baseball

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Coaching Staff coach at Centreville Academy in 2001-02 and three instructor for the department of health, physical fit- The Bennett Family: years as the assistant baseball coach at Bay High ness and recreation. Scott, Jennifer, Tucker School from 2002-04. and Charles He has spoken at several clinics for strength He received his Associate of Arts degree from training and conditioning, has written several Southwest Mississippi Community College in 1997, columns for publications, worked with 12 teams his bachelor’s degree in physical education from which qualified for the NCAA Tournaments and bowl Southern Miss in 2000 and his master’s degree in games and coached 26 football players who played physical education from Southern Miss in 2001. He is in the NFL. He was named the Strength Coach of the currently working towards a doctorate in philosophy Year in the College Division by the American Football in teaching and administration from Southern Miss. Quarterly in 1996 and was nominated for the NSCA He is the son of Mike and Lynn Pigott of Strength Coach of the Year in 2002. Tylertown, Miss. He is a member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association since 1989, a member of The Pigott File the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Date of Birth: Nov. 23, 1976 Association since 2001 and holds certifications as a Hometown: Tylertown, Miss. certified strength and conditioning specialist (1991), Education: Bachelor’s (Southern Miss, ‘00); a strength and conditioning coach certified (2001), a Master’s (Southern Miss, ’01) NSCA Coach Practitioner Distinction (2004) and a Year at Southern Miss: 3 also was directly responsible for the design of the Master Strength and Conditioning Coach (2006). Year in Coaching: 3 Rochelle Athletic Center Weight Room as well as the He is married to the former Jennifer Anderson Coaching Career floor plan and equipment needs. and the couple has two children, Tucker and Charles. Southern Miss, 2006-07: Defensive Graduate Prior to Wyoming, Bennett was the Head Assistant; Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Strength Coach at Marshall from 1996-98 and served Student Assistant as the assistant strength coach at Virginia Tech from 1993-96. Bowl Experience While at Marshall, he was directly responsible 2007: 2005: GMAC Bowl; New Orleans Bowl for all facets of in-season and offseason strength and conditioning and created the programming for the football, baseball, volleyball and track programs. At Tech, he was responsible for the offseason and in-season strength and conditioning programs for 13 varsity sport programs, including testing and evaluation, proper training protocol, nutrition and lifting technique. He also assisted with the imple- mentation of all training for the football program. Prior to Virginia Tech, he was the graduate assistant strength and conditioning coach at Clemson from 1990 Ronnie Sanders until 1993. He assisted the strength and conditioning Program Coordinator/Recruiting coach with the implementation of the fall, winter and spring strength and conditioning programs. He also onnie Sanders is in his third year as the program taught Olympic lifting to all athletes and designed and Rcoordinator for recruiting for the Southern Miss implemented offseason and in-season baseball strength football program. In his position, he is responsible for and conditioning programs. He was the recruiting repre- all administrative aspects of the recruiting process, Scott Bennett sentative for the strength staff and made yearly presen- including creating and maintaining databases, coordi- Head Strength and tations on strength training at coaches clinics. nating the flow of recruiting correspondence, maintain- Conditioning Coach While at Clemson, he also was a weightlifting ing recruiting files for NCAA documentation, coordinat- instructor for the Department of Elementary and ing all documentation for official and unofficial visits, cott Bennett begins his first football season as Secondary Education. Areas of instruction that were producing recruiting materials used by the coaching SHead Strength and Conditioning Coach as he included in his emphasis were sport specific training, staff, maintaining and updating CoachBower.com and also oversees the 16-sport athletic program. nutrition, flexibility, as well as aerobic and anaerobic SouthernMissFootballCamp.com, overseeing the com- Bennett came to Southern Miss after serving as conditioning. plimentary ticket process for high school coaches and the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at He earned his bachelor’s degree in health and phys- prospects, securing academic records for prospects Wyoming since 1998. He oversaw the strength and ical education with a double major in sports medicine and directing the football camps and clinics. conditioning program for all varsity sports, coordinat- and sport management from Ole Miss and his master’s Sanders came to Southern Miss in 2005 after ed in-season and offseason program for football and degree in guidance and counseling from Clemson. spending three years at Florida, serving one year supervised a staff of four full-time employees and While at Ole Miss, he was a student and gradu- (2004-05) as the offensive game analysis coordinator student assistants at three strength facilities. He ate assistant strength coach and was a weightlifting and assistant to the head football coach and two

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Sanders, a native of Fort Payne, Ala., earned his overseeing the equipment room and 12th year over- The Sanders bachelor’s degree in political science from Auburn all as a member of the Southern Miss equipment Family: University in 1998 and is married to the former staff. Ronnie and Rebecca Rebecca Russell of Holland, Penn. 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 men’s and women’s golf and tennis. He 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 years (2002-04) as a graduate intern working with has served as an intern with the Cleveland Browns recruiting, special teams and handling administrative and with the Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. duties for the head coach. His responsibilities includ- Rev. Tommy Conway He is a member of the Athletic Equipment ed creating video cutups, defense and self scouting Team Chaplain Managers Association and received his certification reports and producing graphic packages for reports in June 1996. He is a former President of District 4 and presentations. He also assisted with various ev. Tommy Conway is in his fifth year as team of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association aspects in the video department, handled various Rchaplain for the football Golden Eagles. He is (A.E.M.A.), after serving six years as Vice President media requests for the coaching staff, assisted with the head pastor at St. Thomas Church and campus and also held a five-year term as chairman of the organization of recruiting and camps and clinics, minister for Catholic students at The University of Conference USA Equipment Managers. The Athletic handled administrative duties for the head coach and Southern Mississippi. Equipment Managers Association held its annual managed all areas relating to and dealing with the A native of Galway County, Ireland, and a graduate convention in New Orleans during the summer of special teams unit. of St. Patrick College in Carlow, Ireland, Rev. Conway 2002, and Stewart was one of its featured speakers. He spent one year at LSU (2000-01) as the gradu- was ordained in the Biloxi Diocese, and served as the The Southern Miss Equipment Department was hon- ate assistant for recruiting and football operations. His pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Columbia, Miss., for six ored as the best equipment operation in Conference responsibilities included updating recruiting boards, years prior to coming to St. Thomas. USA for 1999-00 and 2001-02, as voted on by the tracking recruiting news and information, updating and Active in a variety of area civic activities including other equipment managers in the conference. maintaining the recruiting film library, assisting with the Red Cross, where he serves on the board of direc- In 2003 and 2006, Stewart was honored with the football camps and clinics, recruiting weekends and tors, Rev. Conway is an ardent supporter of Southern with the development of the head coaches’ website. Miss athletics and can be found at many Golden The Stewart Family: Sanders worked three years at Auburn, one year as Eagle athletic events throughout the athletic year. Patrick and Ty 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 newspa- per articles and via the internet and coordinating foot- ball camps and clinics and the walk-on program. Sanders spent two summers as a training camp intern in the NFL, one with the Baltimore Ravens (1998) and one with the Washington Redskins (1999), assisting with football operations, the equip- ment room and special teams. He also spent one summer in Washington, D.C. as an intern for U.S. Senator Richard Shelby (1995) and worked two presidential nominating conventions (San Diego 1996 and Philadelphia 2000). In addition, Patrick Stewart he also worked as a fundraiser for Shelby’s political Director of Equipment Operations action committee (1998), in the office of U.S. Congressman Spencer Bachus (2001) and has volun- atrick Stewart is in his second year as the teered in numerous political campaigns. PDirector of Equipment Operations, 11th year

SouthernMiss.com 55 Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Coaching Staff

Jeff Boss District 4 Equipment Manager of the Year assistant in the equipment office and as an under- fly system and is the executive producer and director Award, signifying the top equipment manager in the graduate assistant for three seasons prior to that. of Golden Eagle Vision. He also will create highlight district as selected by his peers. He was recently Windham got an early start on his vocation when videos for sports as needed. nominated for the Glenn Sharpe Award in 2006, given he served as manager for the Bay Springs High School While at Louisiana-Monroe, his duties included annually to the top equipment manager in the nation. football team, while also competing in baseball for coordinating the filming of football practice, games Stewart is married to the former Ty’Shuna Dyess of three seasons. and special events, film exchanges and highlight Bassfield, Miss. Ty is in her 14th year working with the He continued to serve as a football manager at films. He provided team video for the men’s and Athletic Media Relations Department at Southern Miss. Jones County Community College before arriving at women’s basketball teams, volleyball and soccer. He Southern Miss. also served as the director and producer of in-house The Southern Miss alum earned his bachelor’s live broadcasts of all home games and provided degree in coaching in 1997, before adding a master’s of footage for playback shows. science in sport administration in 1998. He is a mem- Prior to his tenure at Louisiana-Monroe, he ber of the Athletic Equipment Manager’s Association served as the Assistant Director of Video Operations and received his certification in June 1998. at The University of Colorado. McDowell also served The Southern Miss Equipment Department was as the Director of Video Operations at Louisiana- honored as the best equipment operation in Monroe from 1998-2000. While there, he was Conference USA for 1999-00 and 2001-02, as voted on awarded the Independent Video Coordinator of the by the other equipment managers in the conference. Year award in 2000. He also served as Video Windham married the former Brandy Mixon of Coordinator at McNeese State from 1996-97. Sumrall, Miss., in June 2004. He is the staff advisor for McDowell graduated from McNeese State with the Association of Baptist Students at Southern Miss. a bachelor’s degree in mass communications in 1997. While at McNeese State, he was a four-year letterwinner on the football team. As a senior, he Marty Windham helped lead McNeese State to the NCAA I-AA play- Assistant Equipment Manager offs and made an appearance in the national cham- pionship game. As a sophomore, the Cowboys arty Windham is in his 10th year as assistant advanced to the semifinals of the I-AA playoffs. He Mequipment manager at Southern Miss. He represented McNeese State in NCAA swimming assists with the football equipment operation, as competition for four years and was an alternate in well as overseeing the needs for the sports of base- the 100 freestyle on the US Olympic team that com- ball, men’s and women’s track, women’s cross coun- peted in Atlanta in 1996. try, softball and soccer. McDowell and his wife Misty have a son, The Bay Springs, Miss., native is no stranger to Dakota, and a daughter, Mia Isabel, who will be born the Southern Miss family, having served as a graduate in October.

The Windham Family: Marty and Brandy Jay McDowell Director of Video Operations

ay McDowell is in his third year as the Director of JVideo Operations at Southern Miss. He came to Hattiesburg after serving as the Director of Video Operations for five years at the University of Louisiana at Monroe. He is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Golden Eagle athletic department’s video efforts. With the football program, he handles the day-to-day video operations for practices and games, maintaining the recruiting internet server, including film breakdown and exchange and the production of highlight films. For the athletic department, he is in charge of video board operation, creating the graphics and ani- mations, maintenance and inventory at M.M. Roberts Stadium, Coliseum and Pete Taylor Park. He oversees the video internet stream- The McDowell Family: ing of all home sporting events, all instant replay Jay, Misty and Dakota systems, the internet game video exchange dragon-

56 2007 Southern Miss Football Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Support Staff

Lennon Thompson Owen Bowen Nathan Grace Pete Young Thad Rhodes Secretary To Head Football Coach and Staff Assistant Graduate Assistant/Strength and Graduate Assistant/Video Operations Graduate Assistant/Administrative Coaching Staff Conditioning

Kyle Munzy Adam Sullivan Nick Ainsworth Courtney Hamil Mary Anna Shows Student Assistant/Administrative Student Assistant/Administrative Assistant to the Associate Director of Assistant to the Associate Director of Assistant to the Associate Director of Athletics/Football Operations Athletics/Football Operations Athletics/Football Operations

Alicia Smithhart Shane Coghlan Greg Herring Stacy Breazeale Tracy Robinson Assistant to the Associate Director of Associate Director of Assistant Director of Director of Academics Director of Student Services Athletics/Football Operations Athletics/Internal Affairs Athletics/Marketing and Promotions

Shaun Williams Tim Atkinson Billy Harrington Neal Mead Coordinator of Sales Assistant Director of Athletics Assistant Director for Facilities and Assistant Director for Facilities and For Facilities and Game Management Game Management Game Management

SouthernMiss.com 57 Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Sports Medicine

Sports Hall of Fame, and recently served as presi- dent of the M-Club Alumni Association. In 1991, the Southern Miss athletic department awarded him its annual honor for distinguished serv- ice. He also has served on the board of directors of the Southern Miss Athletic Foundation and was the chairman of the capital campaign committee. He cur- rently is on the past president’s council. He is a partner in Southern Bone and Joint Specialists and Southern Sports Medicine and holds membership in the American Medical Association, Todd McCall, ATC-L Stephen Beam, M.D. American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Assistant Director of Team Physician American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Athletics/Sports Medicine Michael Hoke Society. He is past president of the r. Stephen Beam is in his 20th year as a team Mississippi Orthopaedic Society. odd McCall is in his second year as the Assistant Dphysician for the Southern Miss Sports Rouse is married to the former Pam Stamps of TDirector of Athletics for Sports Medicine and Medicine Department. He provides continuous care, Hattiesburg, and they are the parents of three chil- fifth year overseeing the Golden Eagle Athletic covering football games, as well as traveling with dren, Christa, Wes and Haley. Training Department. He came to Southern Miss in the team during the season. 2003 after serving as the Director of Sports As a Southern Miss graduate, he has been a long Medicine and an adjunct faculty member in the ath- time supporter of Golden Eagle athletics. Serving as letic training education program at the University of team doctor for all 16 varsity sports is just one of his Wyoming for two years. duties. Beam is the medical director of Work Well Prior to working at Wyoming, McCall served as the Clinic, the occupational health medicine service of Head Athletic Trainer for Football and Assistant Wesley Medical Center and Wesley’s VA Clinic of Athletic Trainer at Marshall University for two years. Hattiesburg. He is certified in occupational medicine, He took the job at Marshall after working as an assis- AAFP Board Certified in Family Practice and has tant athletic trainer at Georgia Southern, where he received advanced training in sports medicine. handled the medical coverage for the men’s basketball In addition, Beam is actively involved with the and baseball teams from 1998-1999. Southern Miss Athletic Training Department, serving A native of Elba, Ala., McCall, 35, earned his bach- as an instructor in the school’s department of health, Lance Line, M.D. elor’s degree in athletic training and sports medicine human performance and recreation. Team Orthopaedic Physician from the in 1996. While at Beam is married to former Dawn Henderson of Alabama, McCall worked with the football, basketball Brandon, Miss. The couple has five children, Amy, r. Lance Line has served as one of the team and gymnastics programs, as well as other Olympic Jason, Matt, Sam and Will. Dorthopaedic surgeons for the Golden Eagles’ sports. In 1998, McCall completed his master’s degree sports medicine department since 1995. He provides a in sport administration at Southern Miss, while work- subspecialty interest in shoulder and elbow conditions. ing with the Golden Eagle football team. He received his medical degree from the In 2003, McCall was awarded the Jack Davis University of Mississippi School of Medicine in 1983 Professional Achievement Award from the and subsequently completed his residency at University of Alabama for his outstanding profes- University Medical Center in Jackson in 1994. sional accomplishments in the field of athletic Following his residency, he completed a one-year fel- training. A certified member of the National lowship in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy in Athletic Trainer’s Association, McCall also gained Richmond, Va., which included an internship with the experience while working with the Jacksonville of the National Football League. Jaguars of the NFL (training camp, 1996), the He is Board Certified and a member of the American Shreveport Pirates of the CFL (training camp, 1995) Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. and the Blue/Gray All-Star football game in Doug Rouse, M.D. Apart from his work at Southern Bone and Joint, Montgomery, Ala. Team Orthopaedic Physician Line serves as the Medical Director for the Southern Surgery Center and the President-Elect of the Golden Eagle Fact ormer Southern Miss football standout Dr. Doug Wesley Medical Center Medical Staff. He has been FRouse continues to serve as one of the team published in numerous scholarly journals and cur- Southern Miss players have earned 44 All-American orthopaedic surgeons for the Golden Eagles’ sports rently is conducting research on ACL reconstructions. honors since 1997, and the Golden Eagles have had medicine department. In addition, he is actively involved with United Way, at least one player named to an All-American team in A football letterwinner in 1968-69, Rouse has where he serves as the co-chairman of fundraising. each of the past 10 seasons. long been a supporter of Golden Eagle athletics. In Line and his wife, Marcia, have two children, 1982, he was inducted into the Southern Miss Haley and Hayes.

58 2007 Southern Miss Football Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Sports Medicine

Southern Miss Team Doctors

Dr. Rocco Barbieri Dr. Virginia Crawford Dr. Susi Folse Dr. Terry Lowe Dr. Alan Lucas Sports Medicine Director, Health Services Sports Medicine Family Practice Dentist

Dr. Keith Melancon Dr. Michael Molleston Dr. John Pendergrass Dr. Clay B. Thames Dr. Scott Thames Orthopaedics Neurosurgery Ophthalmology Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon

R

THE OFFICIAL CLOTHING PROVIDER FOR SOUTHERN MISS FOOTBALL

Head Coach Jeff Bower

SouthernMiss.com 59

Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

The President

College of Arts and Sciences at the University of “Trust building is very important, and team building West Florida, where she also worked as Director of is right on its heels,” she states. the University Honors Program. The University is moving forward to recover, Dr. Saunders’ training and experience in the field rebuild and build anew on the Mississippi Gulf Coast of communication led to numerous publications on following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina in crisis communication and public relations; widely August 2005. anthologized published speeches; and the Public A new campus site has been announced, and Dr. Relations Society of America’s highest national Saunders is leading the charge to thoughtfully plan award for the “Just 2 It!” public safety communica- and progress in this critical area of the state and tion campaign. region. She is moving quickly on all fronts as “Build trust, build a team and build a campus,” is Southern Miss welcomes Dr. Saunders, the ninth the mantra Dr. Saunders brings to her presidency. president, home again.

Aubrey K. Lucas Dr. Martha D. Saunders Administration Building President

r. Martha D. Saunders is the ninth president of DThe University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss. She took office on May 21, 2007, continuing an illustrious career of higher-education leadership. She is the first woman to hold the position and previously was chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, the first woman to hold that position. Throughout her 30-year career in higher educa- tion, Dr. Saunders has taught thousands of students. Her philosophy of education follows three simple guiding principles: know your students, connect them to bigger things and set a good example. A native of Hattiesburg, Miss., Dr. Saunders tells students that much of what she remembers from being a student herself at Southern Miss is still true today — the family atmosphere, educational excel- lence and freedom to be yourself. She challenges the students to “ride all the rides” – do everything that’s available to you as a student; and that “it doesn’t count unless you finish so be sure to graduate,” she states. Dr. Saunders comes to Southern Miss from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she served as Chancellor. During her tenure, she brought the campus together with a widely inclusive strategic planning process; hosted a successful Higher Learning Commission re-accreditation review; and finalized plans for major building projects totaling $110 million, including a new University Center and a new building for the College of Business and Economics. Prior to her appointment at Wisconsin- Whitewater, she was vice president for academic affairs at Columbus State University in Columbus, Ga., where she was on the leadership team for a suc- cessful $100 million capital campaign, and developed several initiatives to increase student enrollment, and to recruit and retain outstanding faculty and staff. She previously held the position of Dean of the

60 2007 Southern Miss Football Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Director of Athletics

recently was inducted into the University of Florida’s • Introduced and implemented a new athletic College of Health and Human Performance Hall of department logo in 2003, which has tripled the amount Fame in March of 2004 and the Saint Leo University of licensing revenue for the department. Athletics Hall of Fame in February of 2005. The Golden • Increased the amount of endowed scholarships Eagle athletics director was a track athlete, competing to over 80, worth a total of $3.5 million, and raised the in the weight events, at Furman; and graduated from athletic giving from $750,000 to an excess of $5 mil- the University of Florida in 1966. lion annually through the Athletic Foundation. He has continued to work at both the conference • Orchestrated and renegotiated a multi-media and national levels. He serves on several Conference rights agreement with ISP Sports, a national Sports USA committees, was chairman of the C-USA foot- Marketing Firm, which guarantees the University a ball athletic director’s committee in 2001-02 and cur- sizeable rights fee and has reduced its expenses by rently serves as the chairman of the Football almost $250,000. Committee and also is on the Scheduling, Finance • Since 1999, he has overseen over $52.8 million and Strategic Planning Committees. Giannini recently worth of new athletic facilities or renovations to cur- Richard Giannini completed a term on the NCAA Football Issues rent ones. Director of Athletics/Chairman and Committee and is in the third year of a four-year • He is currently overseeing a $50 million facility Chief Executive Officer of the term as a member of the NCAA Championships upgrade, which includes renovation and expansion Southern Miss Athletic Foundation Cabinet. He also is in the third year on the NCAA projects at M. M. Roberts Stadium and Reed Green postseason football licensing committee, which gov- Coliseum. A new state-of-the-art high definition ince Richard Giannini was named Director of erns all bowl games, and currently serves as its scoreboard is being added to Roberts Stadium for SAthletics in 1999, his vision, leadership and unwa- chairman. He also represents C-USA Athletics the 2007 season, making it one of three collegiate vering work ethic has transformed the face and land- Directors at BCS meetings. stadiums to have this type of scoreboard. scape of Southern Miss athletics that will have lasting Giannini and his wife, Gayle, are parents of four • A new press box and 12 suites will be added effects for years to come. daughters–Ansley Stone, Brittney Borbash, Carlyn at Pete Taylor Park for the 2008 baseball season. In fact, to see the impact he has made on Golden Linker, and DeLancey, and grandparents of Tori, Parker, Construction began in the fall of 2006. Eagle Athletics, one need only look at all the improve- Sara, Kelsey, Ryleigh, and Kyle. • The Athletic Center, an $11 million edifice ments that have been made during his tenure, espe- which replaced an aging Fairchild Fieldhouse, was cially in the areas of academics, facilities, athletic During Giannini’s Tenure erected and has been in use since 2002. achievement and increased revenue. • The Graduation Rates and Academic Progress • The Rogers, Thames and Welch Baseball Center A tireless and innovative administrator, Giannini Rates of USM student-athletes have been recognized at Pete Taylor Park was completed in 2002. brought outstanding intercollegiate athletic experience as one of the best in the nation. Last year, the NCAA • A new women’s softball facility has been in use to Hattiesburg, including five years as director of ath- graduation success rate for all athletes was 66 per- for the past five seasons. Additions and improvements letics at one of Southern Miss’ longtime interstate cent, football was 78 percent and men’s basketball 83 continue at that venue. rivals, Louisiana-Monroe. percent. The APR rate had every program in compli- • A new artificial turf system, Momentum Turf by While working for the NCAA in the mid-1970s, ance, with the football, baseball and women’s soccer SportExe, was installed on Carlisle-Faulkner Field in Giannini’s responsibilities included serving as execu- teams ranking in the top 20 and women’s cross country Roberts Stadium in 2004. tive producer of the ABC Football Highlight Shows, finished in the top 30. Southern Miss ranks as an aca- • A new lighting system was installed at Roberts as well as NCAA Tournament basketball games not demic leader in Mississippi, C-USA and the nation. Stadium to meet the lighting requirements so the foot- aired by NBC. He also arranged and produced the • The football team was honored by the American ball games can be televised. first national telecast of the College Baseball World Football Coaches Association (AFCA) for having a gradu- • The Golden Eagles have been the only Series for HBO, and produced numerous conference ation rate of 90 percent or better in 2006. The program Conference USA program to have won championships football highlight films. He was also director of also has been honored for four of the past five years for in the sports of football (1996, 1997, 1999 and 2003), licensing for the NCAA. having a graduation rate of 70 percent or better. men’s basketball (2001) and baseball (2003). He served as assistant sports information director • Southern Miss has had 14 ESPN The Magazine • The football team won the Conference USA at Florida (his alma mater) from 1966 to 1970, was Academic All-Americans, 17 Conference USA Scholar championship in 1999 and 2003 and has participated sports information director at Duke from 1970 to 1973, Athletes of the Year, 173 Conference USA Academic in a postseason bowl game in every year but one dur- became assistant athletics director at Duke in 1974, Medalists (3.75 GPA or higher) and 583 ing his tenure at Southern Miss. Various players have and, after working for the NCAA in 1976 and 1977 and Commissioner’s Honor Roll (3.0 or better), including earned 44 All-American honors. returned to Florida as senior associate athletics direc- 104 for the 2006-07 year. • The baseball team has enjoyed the best five- tor to oversee external affairs. • Established the Southern Miss Athletic year period in the program’s history, making five- He left Florida in 1986 to enter the private sector, Foundation and has spearheaded efforts to raise more straight appearances in the NCAA Tournament and taking over as CEO and co-owner of Raycom than $57 million in property, cash and endowments hosting the 2003 Hattiesburg Regional. Various players Management Group in Charlotte, N.C., a subsidiary of with the addition of pledges and suite leases totaling have earned 27 All-American honors. Raycom Sports, where he developed numerous sport- near $100 million raised in the last eight years, includ- • The softball team participated in three NCAA ing events, including the Blockbuster Bowl, the most ing the development of the Circle of Champions pro- Tournaments and advanced to the 2000 Women’s successful first-year bowl in NCAA history. gram, which currently has over 100 members, who College World Series, finishing fourth in the nation. Giannini’s successes have not gone unnoticed. He each committed $100,000. Several players earned six All-American honors.

SouthernMiss.com 61

Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Athletic Staff Directory

(All phone numbers are area code 601) Ticket Office (Pat Ferlise Center) Main Switchboard ...... 266-5017 Associate Director of Athletics/Internal Affairs ...... Shane Coghlan ...... 266-5418 Ticket Manager ...... Joanne Morris ...... 266-5418 Administration (Athletic Center) Assistant Ticket Manager ...... Travis Tuckey ...... 266-5418 Director of Athletics/ Baseball (Rogers, Thames, and Welch Baseball Center) Chief Financial Officer of Athletic Foundation ...... Richard Giannini ...... 266-5422 Head Coach ...... Corky Palmer ...... 266-4046 Deputy Director of Athletics/External Affairs ...... Scott Carr ...... 266-5422 Associate Head Coach ...... Scott Berry ...... 266-4046 Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Internal Affairs ...... Diane Stark ...... 266-5422 Assistant Coach ...... Lane Burroughs ...... 266-4046 Senior Associate Director of Athletics/ Volunteer Assistant Coach ...... Graham Martin ...... 266-4046 Olympic Sports/Senior Woman Administrator ...... Sonya Varnell ...... 266-5017 Basketball, Men’s (Reed Green Coliseum) Executive Secretary to the Director of Athletics ...... Lynn McLelland ...... 266-5422 Head Coach ...... Larry Eustachy ...... 266-6355 Secretary, Olympic Sports ...... Nancy Williams ...... 266-4046 Associate Head Coach ...... Steve Barnes ...... 266-6355 Receptionist/Athletic Assistant ...... Hunter Graybeal ...... 266-5017 Assistant Coach ...... Nate Loenser ...... 266-6355 Athletic Foundation (Pat Ferlise Center) Assistant Coach ...... Ricky Wilson ...... 266-6355 Chief Financial Officer ...... Christi Holloway ...... 266-5299 Coordinator of Operations ...... William J. “Billy” Reid ...... 266-6355 Broadcasting/Video (Athletic Center) Secretary ...... Norma Burke ...... 266-6355 Director of Sports Broadcasting ...... John Cox ...... 266-5017 Basketball, Women’s (Reed Green Coliseum) Sports Video Coordinator ...... Jay McDowell ...... 266-6819 Head Coach ...... Joye Lee-McNelis ...... 266-6444 Business Office (Athletic Center) Assistant Coach ...... Kirk Crawford ...... 266-6444 Assistant Director of Athletics/Business Operations ...... Jane Massengale ...... 266-5526 Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-6444 Cheer & Dance Assistant Coach ...... Chandra Dorsey ...... 266-6444 Head Cheerleader Coach ...... Tim and Cathy Giron ...... 579-0312 Coordinator of Operations ...... TBA ...... 266-6444 Head Dance Team Coach ...... Bridgett Hunt ...... 297-1988 Secretary ...... Beth Hymel ...... 266-6444 Compliance & Student Services (West Stadium) Football (Athletic Center) Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Compliance and Student Services Head Coach ...... Jeff Bower ...... 266-4567 ...... Jason Gray ...... 266-6586 Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends ...... Randy Butler ...... 266-5393 Coordinator of Compliance ...... Kristi Pierce ...... 266-5485 Assistant Coach/Defensive Coordinator/Middle Linebackers ...... Jay Hopson ...... 266-5393 Director of Student Services ...... Tracy Robinson ...... 266-5474 Assistant Coach/Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks ...... Jay Johnson ...... 266-5393 Director of Academics ...... Stacy Breazeale ...... 266-5488 Assistant Coach/Special Teams Coordinator/Defensive Backs . . . .Lytrel Pollard ...... 266-5393 Academic Counselor/Life Skills ...... Lauren Hillman ...... 266-5472 Assistant Coach/Wide Receivers ...... Mike Grant ...... 266-5393 Academic Counselor/Life Skills ...... Tiffany Beckham ...... 266-5474 Assistant Coach/Running Backs ...... Courtney Messingham ...... 266-5393 Secretary ...... TBA ...... 266-5474 Assistant Coach/Offensive Line ...... Mitch Rodrigue ...... 266-5393 Eagle Club (Pat Ferlise Center) Assistant Coach/Outside Linebackers ...... Fred Tate ...... 266-5393 Associate Director of Athletics/Executive Director ...... Dick Vogel ...... 266-5299 Assistant Coach/Defensive Line ...... Bill Wilt ...... 266-5393 Athletics Gifts Specialist ...... Vickie Delancey ...... 266-5299 Associate Director of Athletics/Football Operations ...... John Miller ...... 266-5393 Secretary ...... Emily Dykes ...... 266-5299 Program Coordinator/Recruiting ...... Ronnie Sanders ...... 266-6536 Equipment (Athletic Center) Secretary to Head Coach ...... Lennon Thompson ...... 266-4567 Director of Equipment Operation ...... Patrick Stewart ...... 266-6550 Golf, Men’s (Athletic Center) Assistant Equipment Manager ...... Marty Windham ...... 266-5678 Head Coach ...... Jerry Weeks ...... 266-4046 External Affairs (Athletic Center) Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-4046 Deputy Director of Athletics/External Affairs ...... Scott Carr ...... 266-5017 Golf, Women’s (Athletic Center) Coordinator of Development and Community Relations ...... Reggie Collier ...... 266-6477 Head Coach ...... Julie Gallup ...... 266-4046 Coordinator of Sales ...... Shaun Williams ...... 266-6866 Graduate Assistant Coach ...... Ofelia Lopez ...... 266-4046 Facilities & Event Operations (Athletic Center) Soccer (Athletic Center) Assistant Director of Athletics/Facilities and Event Operations Head Coach ...... Gail Macklin ...... 266-4046 ...... Tim Atkinson ...... 266-5025 Assistant Coach ...... Claire Rea ...... 266-4046 Assistant Director ...... Billy Harrington ...... 266-6492 Graduate Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-4046 Facilities & Event Management Specialist ...... Neal Mead ...... 266-6412 Softball (Athletic Center) Licensing (Athletic Center) Head Coach ...... Howard Dobson ...... 266-4046 Director of Collegiate Licensing ...... Gene Fitts ...... 266-5164 Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-4046 Marketing (Athletic Center) Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-4046 Assistant Director of Athletics/Marketing & Sales ...... Greg Herring ...... 266-5017 Volunteer Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-4046 Media Relations (Athletic Center) Tennis, Men’s (Athletic Center) Associate Director of Athletics/Athletic Media Relations ...... Mike Montoro ...... 266-4503 Head Coach ...... Teddy Viator ...... 266-4046 Associate Director ...... Shirley Hill ...... 266-4503 Graduate Assistant Coach ...... Marc Lux ...... 266-4046 Associate Director ...... Jack Duggan ...... 266-4503 Tennis, Women’s (Athletic Center) Assistant Director ...... Mallory Haynes ...... 266-4503 Head Coach ...... Randy Rowley ...... 266-4046 Secretary ...... Ty Stewart ...... 266-4503 Graduate Assistant Coach ...... Martha Montano ...... 266-4046 International Sports Properties (Pat Ferlise Center) Track & Field - Men’s & Women’s (Athletic Center) Assistant Vice President, GM ...... Craig Curtis ...... 266-7600 Head Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-4046 Associate General Manager ...... Jamie Walker ...... 266-7601 Assistant Coach ...... Greg Stringer ...... 266-4046 Account Executive ...... Jason Jones ...... 266-7602 Assistant Coach ...... Kevin Stephen ...... 266-4046 Marketing Assistant ...... Jen Kniese ...... 266-4216 Assistant Coach/Cross Country ...... Cassandra Goodson ...... 266-4046 Sports Medicine (Athletic Center) Volleyball (Reed Green Coliseum) Assistant Director of Athletics/Sports Medicine ...... Todd McCall ...... 266-5579 Head Coach ...... Ricci Luyties ...... 266-6355 Associate Director ...... Tanya Watson ...... 266-5579 Assistant Coach ...... Abby Sutherland ...... 266-6355 Assistant Director ...... Kevin McShan ...... 266-5579 Graduate Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-6355 Assistant Director ...... Molly Cannell ...... 266-5799 Secretary ...... Norma Burke ...... 266-6355 Strength & Conditioning (Athletic Center) Head Coach ...... Scott Bennett ...... 266-5017 Assistant Coach ...... TBA ...... 266-5017

SouthernMiss.com 63 Southern Miss G o l d e n E a g l e s

Athletic Foundation

he mission of The University of Southern TMississippi Eagle Club is to provide deserving student-athletes a means to obtain a quality educa- tion while exhibiting their athletic talents. The Eagle Club provides its members the opportunity to con- tribute to the success of the University, both on and off the field of competition. Eagle Club members know they have done their part to enhance the lives of students and to advance the interests of The University of Southern Mississippi. More than 300 students in 16 different sports receive some type of benefit from athletic Athletic Foundation Board (2006-07) scholarships at Southern Miss. Back Row (from left): Dr. Doug Rouse, H.D. “Doc” Roberts, Gene Carlisle, Bob Mixon, B.G. “Spike” Newman, Dr. Dennis Phillips (Faculty In order to give these individuals a chance to real- Athletic Representative), David Rimes, Mickey Hudson, Dick Simmons, Spencer Adams. ize their dreams, the scholarships must be funded. The Front Row (from left): Krandall Howell, Mack Grubbs, Paul H. “Bud” Holmes, Dr. Wayne Adkison (Secretary), Richard Giannini (Director of current cost for these scholarships totals $3.4 million Athletics/Chief Executive Officer), Aubrey Collum (President), Mike Landrum (Vice President), Nick Welch (Treasurer), Col. Tyler Fletcher, Paige annually. Loyal alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students Howell, Christi Holloway, Becky Sappington. and friends of the University join the membership of Not Pictured: Rosemay Aultman (President of the Southern Miss Alumni Association), Joe Bryant (President of the “M” Club), John Deakle, the Eagle Club in an effort to offset these costs. Dickie Dunaway, Larry Payne, Vic Roberts, Dr. Shelby F. Thames (University President), Dr. Jim Thompson (President of the Southern Miss This, in turn, allows the Department of Athletics to Foundation), Dr. Christy Thornton, Billy Walker, Bill Ward. disburse its income to other needed areas, which further enhances the success of Southern Miss as a whole. also know that giving to the University offers a Director in the fall of 2000. The Eagle Club has been contributing to this sense of gratification, knowing that they helped Former Southern Miss All-American quarterback effort for 20 years. During that time, athletic scholar- move Southern Miss in a positive direction. Reggie Collier serves as the Coordinator of Athletic ship recipients have gone on to greatness in profes- During the last nine years, athletic giving has grown Development and Community Relations, while Christi sional sports and in medicine, law, education, busi- tremendously. Total giving has jumped from $750,000 to Holloway is the Chief Financial Officer for the Southern ness, the arts, sciences and the humanities. Without an excess of $5 million annually. While Eagle Club giv- Miss Athletic Foundation. Vickie DeLancey, office man- the support of the Eagle Club members, the educa- ing has more than doubled, the overall endowments ager, and Emily Dykes, office secretary, handle all the tion of more than 3,925 students over the last 20 have grown as well, as the Eagle Club currently has day-to-day administrative functions. Additionally, grad- years would not have been possible. over 80 endowments, valuing close to $3.5 million. uate assistants Robby D'Angelo and Jason Hudson The Eagle Club has already raised in excess of $1.7 The Eagle Club is an integral part of the Southern help with the daily operation of the Eagle Club. million in 2007, and continues to strive to meet its Miss Department of Athletics. The staff is headed by For more information on the Eagle Club, please scholarship requirement of more than $3 million. With Richard Giannini, Director of Athletics and Chairman write, call or e-mail the following: Conference USA getting stronger each year, the Eagle and Chief Executive Officer of the Southern Miss Club wants to give the Golden Eagles every opportuni- Athletic Foundation. He is assisted by Dick Vogel, Eagle Club ty to be successful on the field of competition. Associate Director of Athletics and Executive The University of Southern Mississippi Athletics is an efficient avenue in which to bring Director of the Eagle Club, who oversees all of the 118 College Drive, #15458 national attention to the University, and the Eagle daily operations and fund raising. Vogel is in his 10th Hattiesburg, MS 39404 Club is part of that effort at Southern Miss. All Eagle year on the Eagle Club staff, serving as a field repre- Telephone: 601-266-5299 Club members know 100 percent of their donation is sentative the first three years and then Associate E-mail: [email protected] going to assist a deserving student-athlete. They irector for a year, before becoming the Executive [email protected]

Richard Giannini Dick Vogel Christi Holloway Reggie Collier Vickie DeLancey Emily Dykes Director of Athletics/ Associate Director of Athletics/ Chief Financial Officer Coordinator of Athletic Office Manager Office Secretary Chairman and Chief Executive Executive Director Development and Officer of the Southern Miss of the Eagle Club Community Relations Athletic Foundation

64 2007 Southern Miss Football