With college football barely into its ninth week, the coaching carousel is already in motion. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles parted ways with head coach Will Hall on Sunday, ending his four-season tenure. During his time, Hall posted a 14-30 record, with only one bowl appearance and victory. This season, the Golden Eagles struggled with a 1-6 start, losing their six games by an average of 22 points.
Following Hall’s departure, On3’s Pete Nakos listed potential replacements, one being a former All-American from Southern Miss who also became an NFL All-Pro in 2003. Nakos noted the candidate’s strong ties to Southern Miss and his successful recruiting role at Florida State.
Nakos shared, “Florida State defensive backs coach Patrick Surtain is a 1998 Southern Miss alum…The two-time All-Pro spent 11 years in the NFL between the Dolphins and Chiefs.” Following his NFL career, he joined American Heritage High School as a defensive backs coach, eventually leading the team as head coach and developing multiple NFL draft picks.
He continued, “Surtain joined the Florida State staff in 2023, contributing to recruiting efforts by landing key defensive back commits.” Nakos raised the question of whether the 48-year-old might return to his alma mater for a head coaching role.
Southern Miss faces challenges in this search, as they operate on one of the smallest budgets in college football—Hall was ranked No. 103 in the nation for head coach salaries, according to USA TODAY. Other possible candidates mentioned included Alabama’s Kane Wommack, former UAB coach Bill Clark, and Louisiana Monroe head coach Bryant Vincent.
The former Southern Miss player in question is Patrick Surtain Sr., an NFL veteran and key figure in Southern Miss football history.
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