Southern Miss: a football coaching history
See Southern Miss’s full 91-year Zeitgeist History →← all coaches
Stature and coaches, 1963–2026
The program’s standing over time, with every coach’s tenure beneath it — read down to see who was there for each rise and fall.
Run↔pass identity, by season
Every coach
Big movers show how many stature points they built or lost against what they inherited; steadier tenures show the tier they reached instead. A small blue arrow marks a real System Shift at that changeover — how hard the offense’s run/pass identity flipped.
9th-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Tim Billings (2020) · succeeded by Reed Stringer (2024).
| Season | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||
| Record | 3-9 | 7-6 | 3-9 | 1-6 | |
| Postseason | — | W bowl | — | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #123 | #79 | #81 | #77 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||
| Pass rate | 38.2 | 42.1 | 42.9 | 43.7 | |
| Coordinators | |||||
| OC | Sam Gregg | Sam Gregg | Sam Gregg | Chip Long | |
| DC | Austin Armstrong | Austin Armstrong | Dan O'Brien | Clay Bignell | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||
| Offense | 3 | 38 | 15 | 0 | |
| Defense | 53 | 81 | 24 | 4 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||
| 1st-down pass% | 40.8 | 42.2 | 46.5 | 44.8 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 41.8 | 41.9 | 40.7 | 26.7 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 26.5 | 22.2 | 32.6 | 39.3 | |
Underperforms his recruiting talent on offense and performs about as expected for his recruiting talent on defense.
A typical amount of portal roster-building.
Brings in smaller-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits older, more experienced transfers than most.
1 NFL Draft pick: Eric Scott Jr (2023)
8th-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Todd Monken (2013–2015) · succeeded by Tim Billings (2020).
| Season | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||
| Record | 7-6 | 8-5 | 6-5 | 7-6 | 0-1 | |
| Postseason | W bowl | L bowl | — | L bowl | — | |
| Recruiting rank | #100 | #74 | #80 | #82 | — | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||
| Pass rate | 46.8 | 46.8 | 49.4 | 50.2 | — | |
| Coordinators | ||||||
| OC | Shannon Dawson | Shannon Dawson | Shannon Dawson | Buster Faulkner / Scotty Walden | — | |
| DC | Tony Pecoraro | Tony Pecoraro | Derek Nicholson / Tim Billings | Derek Nicholson / Tim Billings | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||
| Offense | 68 | 69 | 13 | 35 | — | |
| Defense | 68 | 67 | 96 | 66 | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||
| 1st-down pass% | 43.3 | 42.5 | 45.1 | 38.0 | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | 33.6 | 43.1 | 42.0 | 39.4 | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 40.0 | 21.6 | 32.5 | 25.0 | — | |
Performs about as expected for his recruiting talent on offense and outperforms his recruiting talent on defense.
4 NFL Draft picks: Tarvarius Moore (2018), Ito Smith (2018), Cornell Armstrong (2018), Quez Watkins (2020)
7th-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Ellis Johnson (2012) · succeeded by Jay Hopson (2016–2020).
| Season | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||
| Record | 1-11 | 3-9 | 9-5 | |
| Postseason | — | — | L bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | #82 | #82 | #87 | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||
| Pass rate | 59.1 | 56.2 | 51.4 | |
| Coordinators | ||||
| OC | — | Chip Lindsey | Chip Lindsey | |
| DC | — | David Duggan | David Duggan | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||
| Offense | 2 | 22 | 92 | |
| Defense | 24 | 41 | 78 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||
| 1st-down pass% | 55.1 | 53.5 | 42.5 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 62.9 | 50.7 | 49.0 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 19.5 | 17.1 | 41.3 | |
Outperforms his recruiting talent, on both sides of the ball.
4 NFL Draft picks: Khyri Thornton (2014), Rakeem Nunez-Roches (2015), Michael Thomas (2016), Kalan Reed (2016)
4th-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Jeff Bower (1990–2007) · succeeded by Ellis Johnson (2012).
| Season | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||
| Record | 7-6 | 7-6 | 8-5 | 12-2 | |
| Postseason | W bowl | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | #39 | #52 | #48 | #86 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||
| Pass rate | 46.3 | 43.3 | 45.7 | 46.9 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||
| Offense | 85 | 73 | 76 | 82 | |
| Defense | 49 | 7 | 70 | 88 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||
| 1st-down pass% | 49.0 | 42.5 | 40.4 | 46.1 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 37.6 | 29.1 | 39.6 | 43.8 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 26.4 | 26.8 | 15.9 | 23.8 | |
3 NFL Draft picks: Shawn Nelson (2009), Gerald McRath (2009), Lamar Holmes (2012)
1st-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Curley Hallman (1988–1989) · succeeded by Larry Fedora (2008–2011).
| Season | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||||||||||||||||||
| Record | 0-1 | 4-7 | 7-4 | 2-8-1 | 6-5 | 6-5 | 8-3 | 9-3 | 7-5 | 9-3 | 8-4 | 6-5 | 7-6 | 9-4 | 7-5 | 7-5 | 9-5 | 7-6 | |
| Postseason | L bowl | — | — | — | — | — | — | W bowl | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | — | L bowl | L bowl | W bowl | W bowl | W bowl | L bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | #65 | #66 | #64 | #58 | |
| Style — pass rate | |||||||||||||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 42.8 | 50.0 | 39.8 | 40.2 | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||||||||||||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 67 | 48 | 69 | 72 | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 64 | 14 | 68 | 71 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 34.2 | 44.2 | 39.2 | 41.8 | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 28.6 | 35.1 | 33.0 | 39.8 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 23.1 | 17.1 | 21.4 | 20.7 | |
28 NFL Draft picks: Brett Favre (1991), Michael Jackson (1991), Simmie Carter (1991), Tony Smith (1992), Derrick Hoskins (1992), Tim Roberts (1992), Perry Carter (1994), Patrick Surtain (1998) + 20 more
2nd-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Bobby Collins (1975–1981) · succeeded by Curley Hallman (1988–1989).
3 NFL Draft picks: Reggie Collier (1983), Louis Lipps (1984), Richard Byrd (1985)
3rd-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed P.W. Underwood (1969–1974) · succeeded by Jim Carmody (1982–1987).
| Season | 1975 | 1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | ||||||||
| Record | 7-4 | 2-9 | 6-6 | 7-4 | 6-4-1 | 9-3 | 9-2-1 | |
| Postseason | — | — | — | — | — | W bowl | L bowl | |
| Recruiting rank | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Style — pass rate | ||||||||
| Pass rate | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | ||||||||
| Offense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Defense | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | ||||||||
| 1st-down pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| Red-zone pass% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | |
6 NFL Draft picks: Amos Fowler (1978), Eric Smith (1978), Ben Garry (1978), Hanford Dixon (1981), Marvin Harvey (1981), Sammy Winder (1982)
6th-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Followed Pie Vann (1963–1968) · succeeded by Bobby Collins (1975–1981).
3 NFL Draft picks: Ray Guy (1973), Fred Cook (1974), Doyle Orange (1974)
5th-best Southern Miss tenure of 9 by the numbers.
Succeeded by P.W. Underwood (1969–1974).
2 NFL Draft picks: Tom Roussel (1968), Bobby Webb (1968)