Football
- Title:
- Head Coach
- Phone:
- 266-4567
Southern Miss football enjoys a long, storied history that includes 71 winning seasons over its first 102 seasons on the gridiron.
Fifth-year coach Jay Hopson holds the distinction with two other Golden Eagle coaches over that span with winning seasons over their respective first three seasons, along with Reed Green and Larry Fedora.
The 28-year coaching veteran on the collegiate level and twice previously a member of the Golden Eagle coaching staff, Hopson said he would hit the ground running when he took over the Golden Eagle program. And he has.
Hopson was named the school’s 21st head football coach prior to the school’s 100th season in football in 2016.
In his first year directing the program, Hopson started the season by leading the Golden Eagles to their first victory over an opponent in the Southeastern Conference since the 2000 campaign, rallying for a 44-35 win at Kentucky, and leading the team to its second-straight bowl appearance. The Golden Eagles went on to earn a berth in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl, capturing a 28-21 victory over the Ragin’ Cajuns of Louisiana-Lafayette.
In his second year, Hopson led the Golden Eagles to eight victories, marking the second time in the last three seasons that the program had reached at least eight victories and the third consecutive year as well as 25th overall time to reach a bowl game.
His third year saw the Golden Eagles win six games and finish the year by winning three of their final four contests. Southern Miss ended the year with a winning record of 6-5. The program had a canceled road non-conference game at Appalachian State due to Hurricane Florence.
Last season, Southern Miss again battled for the Conference USA West Division championship, beating eventual divisional champ UAB, 37-2. The squad returned to the postseason, earning its third bowl trip in four seasons under Hopson and fourth in the last five years.
In his first four seasons, Hopson has overseen 11 Conference USA first-team selections and he mentored four former Golden Eagles that have been taken in the National Football League draft, including Quez Watkins, who was a sixth-round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles last April.
As far as the national standings, the Golden Eagles collected Top 25 showings in both total offense (21st/472.8 ypg) and total defense (15th/324.8) in his first year and the Nasty Bunch defense ranked No. 20 in in total yards allowed in 2017 (331.9 ypg).
That string of national ranked defenses continued in 2018 in which that squad enjoyed its highest ranking under Hopson at No. 3, giving up 278.4 yards per contest. It was the highest finish for a Golden Eagle defense since 2000.
Last season, the Golden Eagles enjoyed one of their better special teams seasons that included a school-record three kickoff returns for touchdowns and one more punt return for a score.
A native of Vicksburg, Miss., Hopson returned to Southern Miss after a successful four-year stint as the head coach at Alcorn State. During his tenure there, Hopson led the Braves to a 32-17 record and consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference championships the last two seasons. Alcorn State also recorded at least nine victories in each of the last three seasons, including a 10-3 mark in 2014 and following this season, Hopson led the Braves to the inaugural Celebration Bowl, a postseason football bowl featuring two standout programs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).
His team also captured the SBN Black College Championship in 2014.
Prior to his arrival at Lorman, Hopson worked as linebackers coach for two seasons at Michigan (2008-09) and worked as defensive coordinator at Memphis during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns.
His first two stints at Southern Miss as an assistant coach came from 2001-03 (defensive backs) and then again from 2005-07 (linebackers, defensive coordinator).
Hopson’s defensive units led Conference USA in scoring defense each of his three seasons as defensive coordinator. In 2006, the Golden Eagles led C-USA in third down defense and red zone defense while his 2005 unit led the league in turnovers forced per game as well as led the nation in fumbles gained.
During his first stint with the Golden Eagles, the defensive unit led the nation in fewest passing touchdowns allowed and finished fourth nationally in pass efficiency defense in 2002. Southern Miss led C-USA and finished fifth nationally in pass defense during the 2003 season and each year during that stretch, Southern Miss ranked in the Top 15 nationally in scoring defense.
Hopson spent 2004 at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, as defensive backs coach and was the program’s recruiting coordinator. The Rebels’ pass defense improved from 109th nationally in 2003 to 49th during the 2004 campaign.
Hopson’s coaching experience also includes positions at Marshall (1996-2000) and Delta State (1993) as defensive backs coach. He was a member of the Herds’ 1996 NCAA I-AA National Championship staff and coached the team to four straight Mid-American Conference championships. Hopson also held defensive graduate assistant positions at Florida (1995), LSU (1994) and Tulane (1992). He helped the Gators to the Southeastern Conference championship and played for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl.
He earned four-year letters and received the 1991 John Howard Vaught Award as a player at Ole Miss. A CoSIDA Academic All-American, Hopson graduated from Ole Miss with a bachelor’s degree in business administration (1992) and received a master’s of health in physical education and recreation from Delta State (1994).
Hopson and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters, Hyde and Hannah.
Jay Hopson File
Date of Birth: Oct. 13, 1968
Hometown: Vicksburg, Miss.
Education: Ole Miss, '92 (bachelor's), Delta State, '94 (Master's)
Years at Southern Miss: 6 seasons as an assistant coach
Years in Coaching: 27
Coaching Career
1992 -- Tulane -- Graduate Assistant / Offensive Scout Team / Special Teams / Video Breakdown
1993 -- Delta State -- Defensive Backs
1994 -- LSU -- Graduate Assistant / Defensive Backs / Offensive Scout Team
1995 -- Florida -- Graduate Assistant / Offensive Scout Team / Special Teams
1996-00 -- Marshall -- Defensive Backs
2001-03 -- Southern Miss -- Defensive Backs
2004 -- Ole Miss -- Defensive Backs
2005 -- Southern Miss -- Defensive Coordinator / Defensive Backs
2006-07 -- Southern Miss -- Defensive Coordinator / Middle Linebackers
2008-09 -- Michigan -- Linebackers Coach
2010-11 -- Memphis -- Defensive Coordinator
2012-15 -- Alcorn State -- Head Coach
2016-Present -- Southern Miss -- Head Coach
Bowl / Playoff Experience
1995: Fiesta Bowl
1996: NCAA I-AA National Champions
1997: Motor City Bowl
1998: Motor City Bowl
1999: Motor City Bowl
2000: Motor City Bowl
2002: Houston Bowl
2003: Liberty Bowl
2004: New Orleans Bowl
2005: New Orleans Bowl
2007: GMAC Bowl
2007: PapaJohns.com Bowl
2014: SWAC Championship Game
2015: SWAC Championship Game
2015: Celebration Bowl
2016: New Orleans Bowl
2017: Independence Bowl
2019: Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl
