University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Football Begins Spring Workouts March 22
3/15/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Football Begins Spring Workouts March 22 HATTIESBURG, Miss.
The Golden Eagles finished the 2004 season with an overall record of 7-5, including a 31-10 win over North Texas in the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. The winning season was the 11th-straight for Southern Miss, and the bowl appearance was the team's seventh in the past eight seasons.
Head Coach Jeff Bower and his squad will practice four times next week, three times the following week and four times each over the final two weeks, with the 15th and final practice being the annual Black and Gold Spring Game, set for Saturday, April 16.
Tentative times set for spring workouts include Tuesday, Thursday and Friday sessions starting at 3:30 p.m., and Saturday?s at 1:30 p.m. The times are subject to change.
Bower and his staff, which includes two new coordinators and two new coaches, will greet six offensive starters, seven defensive starters and all four starters on special teams. In all, 43 letterwinners return from last season.
Key returning players include All-American and Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year John Eubanks (kickoff returner) and All-Conference USA performers Trevis Coley (linebacker), Antwon Courington (wide receiver), Darren McCaleb (kicker) and C-USA All-Freshman honorees Chris Clark (offensive line) and Martavius Prince (defensive line).
The spring sessions also will give players the time to adjust to the revamped coaching staff, which includes new coordinators Jay Johnson, who served as the team's running backs coach last season, on offense and former Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson on defense. The team also features new coaches Courtney Messingham (wide receivers) and Fred Tate (defensive tackles). In addition to the new hires, the staff also underwent several changes. Assistant Head Coach Randy Butler will now coach the tight ends, Ron McCrone the defensive ends, Lytrel Pollard the linebackers and Derrick Nix the running backs. Mitch Rodrigue will continue to coach the offensive line and Pollard will coordinate the special teams.
Of the 15 spring practice days, the NCAA mandates three with no equipment, other than helmets. Twelve of the 15 days may involve contact, but only eight can involve tackling and no more than three can be full contact scrimmaging.
The complete spring practice schedule follows:
March 22 (Tues.), 24 (Thurs.), 25 (Fri.), 26 (Sat.), 29 (Tues.)
April 1 (Fri.), 2 (Sat.), 3 (Sun.), 5 (Tue.), 8 (Fri.), 9 (Sat.), 10 (Sun.), 12 (Tues.), 15 (Fri.)
Spring Game - April 16 (Sat.), 1 p.m. - M. M. Roberts Stadium
