Head Coach Jeff Bower

Conference USA COACH OF THE DECADE Jeff Bower HEAD COACH 15TH SEASON (96-67-1)

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t could be argued that Southern Miss Head Coach Jeff Bower has possibly been the most influential figure in the success of the Golden Eagle football program. And when it comes down to it, few would argue that statement. Indeed, Bower has meant much to Southern Miss football throughout his tenure as a player, assistant coach and head coach. One can correlate Bower’s meaning to the Golden Eagles as that of Bear Bryant to Alabama, Joe Paterno to Penn State and Bobby Bowden to Florida State. And with each season that passes, the Jeff Bower coaching era at Southern Miss becomes even more impressive. Guided by his competitive fire, his loyalty and dedication and his tremendous character, 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 college football – a group that boasts 11-straight winning seasons and seven bowl appearances in the last eight years. Now beginning his 15th season as head coach and in his second quarter century with the Southern Miss program, Bower has been associated with the Golden Eagles’ program for almost one-third of its entire 89year-long football history. First as a record-setting quarterback, then as a successful assistant coach, and for the past 15 seasons as head coach, Bower has played a role second to none in the school’s athletic history, and it has been appropriate that Bower was at the helm of the program at his alma mater when it was a founding member of Conference

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USA, and now during a time when it is enjoying football heroics that would foreshadow where his sucunprecedented success. cess would be the greatest. A prep All-American at Last season, Bower guided the Golden Eagles to a 7Roswell High, Bower guided his team to a pair of state 5 overall record in a year that started as one of the best championships in football and also was a starter on two in school history. Southern Miss picked up its first-ever state championship teams in baseball and in basketball. win over Nebraska in the season-opener and then rolled Following his senior season, Bower was named the off three more wins to start the season 4-0 for the first Class AAA Georgia Back of the Year, and he also played time in Bower’s career. In addition, the Golden Eagles in the Georgia High School All-Star Game. picked up key wins throughout the season, ensuring Bower originally signed with the University of itself of the 11th-straight winning season in school hisGeorgia out of high school, but soon after made the tory. The winning-season streak is the longest under a decision to transfer after his first year with the program. Southern Miss football coach since Thad “Pie” Vann led Pondering several options as to which team he would teams to a school-record 17-straight winning seasons. suit up for next, Bower felt that the best opportunity With an invitation to the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl – was at Southern Miss, playing for Head Coach P.W. which Southern Miss won 31-10 over North Texas – Underwood. It was that opportunity which prompted the Southern Miss also landed the third-straight bowl berth Georgia native to head west and become a main cog for and the seventh in the past eight years. successful Golden Eagle teams of the early 1970s. The 2004 team, which also was ranked in the Top 25 After sitting out a redshirt season in 1972, Bower during the season, produced eight players that garnered took over as the Eagles’ starting quarterback in 1973 All-Conference USA honors, with two of them – Michael and guided the team to a successful 6-4-1 mark. In his Boley and John Eubanks – being chosen as the first season, he threw for 1,495 yards, while completing Conference USA Defensive and Special Teams Player of 116-of-199 passes. Nine of his aerials found their way the Year, respectively. In addition, three players – Boley, to the end zone for touchdowns. Eubanks and Darren McCaleb – were named to nine difHis .583 passing percentage during the 1973 season ferent All-America teams, and five players will pursue stood as a single-season record at Southern Miss for 23 careers in the NFL. years – falling by the side in 1996 at the hands of Lee Bower continues to be one of the marquee coaches Roberts. In addition, Bower finished that season ranked and Southern Miss remains one of the top-tier programs 26th nationally in passing, and he was an Associated in Conference USA. In fact, Bower’s and Southern Miss’ Press All-South Honorable-Mention selection. success in C-USA has set standards other coaches in the Perhaps his best performance as an Eagle came durleague seek to emulate. In the recently announced ing the 1973 season, when he threw for 291 yards and Conference USA Team of the Decade, the Golden Eagles two touchdowns and ran for 85 yards and two more landed eight on the respective offensive and defensive scores in a 41-14 victory over Texas-Arlington. squads, and Bower took home the highest honor by During his junior season in 1974, Bower completed being named the C-USA Coach of the Decade. 87-of-162 pass attempts for 1,189 yards and threw nine Under Bower, the Golden Eagles have posted an impressive 96-67-1 record, making him the secThe Bower Family: Jeff, Stephanie and Debbie ond-winningest coach in school history. In the C-USA era, his teams have posted a 47-14 league record, ranking among the top 10 list for conference victories over the same period. He is the dean of conference coaches, with his teams winning four Conference USA championships (1996, 1997, 1999, 2003). Following the team’s perfect league season in 2003, Bower was selected as the Conference USA Coach of the Year for an unprecedented third time, adding to his awards in 1997 and 1999. His 163 games coached also make him only the second USM coach ever to coach more than 100 games, Vann (200 games) being the other. Bower also has compiled that enviable record, while playing only 65 of those 164 games at home. His teams have posted a 52-13 record in those 65 games, including a 36-8 mark the last nine seasons.

Everybody’s All-American Growing up in Roswell, Ga., Bower made a name for himself as an all-around athlete, excelling at whatever sport he was playing at the time. He was a part of state championship teams in football, baseball and basketball, but it was his

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Head Coach Jeff Bower JEFF BOWER Year-By-Year

Jeff Bower, John Cox, Brett Favre touchdowns. The Golden Eagles finished that season with a remarkable 6-5 record, despite having to play all 11 games on the road during the renovation of M.M. Roberts Stadium. As a senior in 1975, Bower was named team captain and responded by leading the Eagles to an 8-3 record. He completed 75-of-145 pass attempts for 905 yards. For his efforts that season, he was named the team’s Most Valuable Player. Bower’s career totals as a player included completing 278-of-506 passes for 3,589 yards and 20 touchdowns. He still ranks third on the Golden Eagle career list for completion percentage among players with a minimum 200 pass attempts with a .549 mark. He trails only two of his recent quarterbacks, Jeff Kelly (.582) and Lee Roberts (.569). His 1973 total offense mark of 1,706 yards, until recently, ranked in the top 10 at Southern Miss, and his 1,495 passing yards in 1973 only recently dropped out of the top 10. Only Brett Favre (1987-90), Reggie Collier (1979-82), Lee Roberts (1995-98), Jeff Kelly (1999-2000) and current Eagle quarterback Dustin Almond (2002-Present) rank ahead of Bower’s 4,062 yards of career total offense. Ironically, Bower coached all five players during their playing days at Southern Miss. In addition, Bower still stands eighth in career passing yardage (3,589), completions (278), and attempts (506), and he is sixth in career touchdown passes with 20.

From Field General to Sideline Success While playing sports had always been a passion for Bower, coaching in sports wasn’t always on his mind. It wasn’t until right before graduation that Bower knew that he could have a future in the coaching profession, and that he could get his master’s of business administration degree while doing it. After Bower completed his bachelor’s degree in 1975, he decided to stay in Hattiesburg in order to pursue a master’s degree. That was when Coach Bobby Collins asked Bower to remain

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with the Golden Eagle program as a graduate assistant. During his first season as a graduate assistant, Southern Miss struggled to a 3-8 record. During his second year, however, the team made great strides by defeating national-power Auburn, as well as state-foes Ole Miss and Mississippi State. In 1978, Collins offered Bower the chance to join his staff full-time as receivers coach, and Bower jumped at the opportunity. It would be then that the former quarterback would begin to make a name for himself on the sidelines instead of on the field. From 1978 through 1981, Bower remained a part of Collins’ Southern Miss staff, working with both the receivers and, later, with the quarterbacks. In 1980, the Eagles finished with a victory in the Independence Bowl, and in 1981 went to the Tangerine Bowl. When Collins left in 1982 to become head coach at Southern Methodist University, Bower went with him to become the Mustangs’ quarterback coach. During the period between 1982 and 1986, SMU won both the Cotton Bowl (1982) and the Aloha Bowl (1984) and played in the Sun Bowl (1983). In 1987, Bower moved on to coach the quarterbacks at Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons finished that season with a 7-4 record, their best mark in 44 years. The next season, Bower returned to his alma mater as assistant head coach/offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, a job he held for two seasons. During his first season back, in 1988, the Eagles set numerous passing records and finished the season with a 10-2 record and an Independence Bowl victory. During that season, the Eagles put up the highest per game passing average in school history at 235.3 yards per game. The team was ranked 28th in the nation in that category that year. Bower moved to Oklahoma State in 1989 to serve as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Although the team managed only a 4-7 record, Bower’s offensive attack produced the nation’s leading rusher in Gerald Hudson.

YEAR SCHOOL POSITION RECORD 1968 Roswell High Player State Champs in Football 1969 Roswell High Player State Champs in Baseball 1970-71 Roswell High Player State Champs in Football, Baseball and Basketball Georgia Class AAA Back of the year/Georgia All-Star 1971 Georgia Player 11-1 1972 Southern Miss Player/Redshirt 3-7-1 1973 Southern Miss Player 6-4-1 AP All-South (HM) 1974 Southern Miss Player 6-5 1975 Southern Miss Player 8-3 Team Captain/MVP 1976 Southern Miss Graduate Assistant 3-8 1977 Southern Miss Graduate Assistant 6-6 1978 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 7-4 1979 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 6-4-1 1980 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 9-3 Independence Bowl Champions 1981 Southern Miss QBs and WRs 9-2-1 Tangerine Bowl 1982 SMU Quarterbacks 11-0-1 Cotton Bowl Champions 1983 SMU Quarterbacks 10-2 Sun Bowl 1984 SMU Quarterbacks 10-2 Aloha Bowl Champions 1985 SMU Quarterbacks 6-5 1986 SMU Quarterbacks 6-5 1987 Wake Forest Quarterbacks 7-4 1988 Southern Miss Asst. HC/OC/QB 10-2 Independence Bowl Champions 1989 Southern Miss Asst. HC/OC/QB 5-6 1990 Oklahoma State OC/QB 4-7 Southern Miss Head Coach 0-1 All-American Bowl 1991 Southern Miss Head Coach 4-7 1992 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-4 1993 Southern Miss Head Coach 2-8-1 1994 Southern Miss Head Coach 6-5 1995 Southern Miss Head Coach 6-5 1996 Southern Miss Head Coach 8-3 Conference USA Champions 1997 Southern Miss Head Coach 9-3 Conference USA Champions Conference USA Coach of the Year AXA Liberty Bowl Champs 1998 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-5 Humanitarian Bowl 1999 Southern Miss Head Coach 9-3 Conference USA Champs Conference USA Coach of the Year AXA Liberty Bowl Champs 2000 Southern Miss Head Coach 8-4 GMAC Bowl Champions 2001 Southern Miss Head Coach 6-5 2002 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-6 Houston Bowl 2003 Southern Miss Head Coach 9-4 Conference USA Champions Conference USA Coach of the Year AXA Liberty Bowl 2004 Southern Miss Head Coach 7-5 Wyndham New Orleans Bowl Champions Conference USA Coach of the Decade

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Head Coach Jeff Bower The Bower Era At Last “Jeff Bower probably has done as good as anyone in the country when it comes to coaching college football. What he has done to build the program at Southern Miss to where it is right now is one of the most phenomenal jobs in college coaching. He is a very good friend of mine and one of the best coaches in college football.” —DENNIS ERICKSON Former College & NFL Head Coach “I think Jeff Bower has established real credibility at Southern Miss, and you don’t do that overnight. Year-in and year-out, they play great football and they win. To me, that’s a real tribute to Jeff Bower. Any time you’re getting ready to play a Jeff Bowerprepared team, you had better strap on your chin strap tight, because there is a get-after-it session getting ready to start.” —FRANK BEAMER Head Football Coach Virginia Tech “His loyalty impresses me the most. I know Jeff has had a couple of opportunities to leave and go other places, but that is his home. His commitment to Southern Mississippi is something that obviously I admire – having my background and my feelings of what college coaches should do. Also, he is just a heck of a coach. He is smart and is as sharp as can be, and his football teams play well for him. He is just a great guy. I always look forward to seeing him, but I do not look forward to playing against his teams. They do such a good job on defense and special teams. You have to be very, very precise against them. You can’t be careless with them, because they will beat you up. They do so many things, and they move around real well. You look at them and you think they will make mistakes, but they don’t. They run so well, and they are really tough.” —JOE PATERNO Head Football Coach Penn State University “I have known Jeff for a number of years and we have developed a good friendship. Our careers have paralleled one another. We both started as assistants and coordinators and both became head coaches about the same time. I have been impressed with what Jeff has accomplished at Southern Miss. He is an excellent coach who understands what it takes to run a successful program.” —TOMMY TUBERVILLE Head Football Coach Auburn University “Jeff Bower has had as much impact on his program as any coach in the last decade. He is the reason why USM is practically a lock to always be around the top 25 and a smart pick to upset one of the ‘big boys’ every year. The Golden Eagles are why Conference USA football is legit. They are aggressive, hungry and always well coached. Whenever you watch them, it always seems to be a hard-hitting, intense game, and you expect the other team’s QB is going to be lucky to last four quarters.” —BRUCE FELDMAN ESPN The Magazine

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Then on Dec. 2, 1990, Bower returned to the place where it all started as he became the 17th head football coach in Golden Eagle history and assumed the reins of the Southern Miss program for the final game of that season – the 1990 All-American Bowl. His recognition as an outstanding offensive coach continued to grow after he took over the Golden Eagles for the final game of that season. Under Bower’s guidance, quarterback Brett Favre completed 28-of-39 passes for 341 yards and two touchdowns during the 1990 All-American Bowl against North Carolina State.

On Dec. 2, 1990, Jeff Bower officially was announced as the 17th head coach in Southern Miss history Bower’s debut season may not have ranked among the best records in his career as the Golden Eagles finished that year with a 4-7 overall mark. Among those four wins, however, was a victory over Delta State in Bower’s first-ever regular-season opener, and two more home victories over Colorado State and Tulane. The biggest win of the year though, came in a dramatic, 109 victory over nationally-ranked Auburn on the road. In 1992, Bower took a team with only four starters returning and molded it into one of the more competitive teams ever fielded by the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss finished that season with a 7-4 record, losing only to eventual national champion Alabama, Auburn, Florida, and Northern Illinois by a combined total of 32 points. After suffering through a rare losing season in 1993, the Golden Eagles bounced back with consecutive 6-5 campaigns in 1994 and 1995. The 1994 squad clinched a winning season with a thrilling season-ending victory at LSU, and the 1995 squad posted consecutive road wins to close the year and insured a second-straight winning season. Bower enjoyed another great year in 1996, when he guided the Eagles to an 8-3 record and a share of the inaugural Conference USA Championship. The Eagles

reeled off seven-consecutive victories during the year, and that streak helped vault Southern Miss into the nation’s top 25 polls for the first time since the 1989 season. During the 1997 season, Bower led the Golden Eagles to a 9-3 record and sole possession of the Conference USA crown. Southern Miss spent two weeks in the national polls during the year and finished the regular season ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 23 in the ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches Poll. After scoring the most lopsided victory of any bowl game that season – a 41-7 rout of Pittsburgh in the Liberty Bowl – Southern Miss finished with a final national ranking of 19th in both major polls, marking the first time in school history a Golden Eagles’ squad finished the year in the top 25. The 1998 Golden Eagles rebounded from a 1-3 start to the season by winning six of their final seven games, earning a second-consecutive bowl trip. For the second time in as many seasons, Southern Miss was one of just a handful of schools to produce a 2,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and a 1,000-yard receiver, and was one of just two schools to repeat the accomplishment from the previous season. The Eagles jumped into the AP’s Top 25 in early October of 1999, stayed there a total of seven weeks during the season, and finished the season as the highest postseason ranked team in Southern Miss history, 14th in the AP, and 13th in the ESPN/USA TODAY Coaches’ Poll. Over the 1999 season, Southern Miss regained its dominant presence and finished with a 9-3 mark, a C-USA championship, and a Liberty Bowl victory that earned Bower a second C-USA Coach of the Year Award. In 2000, Southern Miss reached its highest ranking under Bower’s leadership and was ranked for a schoolrecord 23-straight weeks dating back to the ‘99 season. The highest ranking of the 2000 season was during the week of October 30, when the Golden Eagles were ranked 13th in the AP poll, and 11th in the USA Today/ESPN poll. Southern Miss produced another 2,000-yard passer in quarterback Jeff Kelly, and six Golden Eagles were named to the All-Conference USA teams. Kelly, defensive end Cedric Scott, linebacker Rod Davis, safety Leo Barnes and wide receiver Kenny Johnson were all named to various All-America teams. Scott also was named the C-USA Co-Defensive Player of the Year, marking the fourth-straight year that a Southern Miss defensive player was tabbed as the best in the conference. A young 2001 squad worked hard and made its own mark, finishing 6-5, capturing an eighth-straight winning season. The Golden Eagles lost seven defensive starters from the 2000 team and 12 letterwinners, including seven players who were either drafted or signed NFL free agent contracts. That defensive group was one of the best in school and conference history. People were wondering whether the 2001 defense would be able to replace the losses or would it lose the outstanding reputation that it had established over the last several years. And as it has done in years before,

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Head Coach Jeff Bower Southern Miss defeated Pittsburgh, 41-7, to capture its first Liberty Bowl Championship

“Jeff Bower was as competitive a player as I’ve ever coached, and he’s carried that same determination into the coaching profession. He continues to add to the great tradition of Southern Miss football.” —MACK BROWN Head Football Coach University of Texas “Year-in and year-out, Bower has one of the nation’s most well-prepared teams. Offense, defense, special teams, the Golden Eagles have it all. And Bower’s ability to maximize talent might be his best trait. Southern Miss has proven it can play with the big boys, which means it is one of the nation’s big boys.” —TOM DIENHART The Sporting News “If it weren’t for Jeff Bower, people wouldn’t know if it were Southern Miss or Northern Miss. There’s a reason why Jeff Bower’s name is on every athletic director’s short list of job candidates. The guy knows how to win and does it the right way.” —GENE WOJCIECHOWSKI ESPN The Magazine / ESPN College Football Analyst

the defense rose to the challenge, proved its ability by ranking among the national leaders in most defensive statistical categories, finishing 11th in total defense, eighth in scoring defense, 12th in pass efficiency defense, 13th in rushing defense and 21st in turnover margin. A talented group of five First-Team All-Conference USA selections were major factors in the ’02 success, including linebackers Michael Boley and Davis, running back Derrick Nix, defensive back Etric Pruitt and offensive lineman Torrin Tucker. Davis was named to several All-America teams, was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and was Southern Miss’ first winner of the Conerly Trophy, given to the best player in the state of Mississippi, and the first defensive player ever to win the award. Pruitt also was named to several AllAmerica teams and was a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award. Defensive end Terrell Paul and offensive lineman Jason Jimenez were named to the league second team and redshirt freshman defensive back John Eubanks was named to the all-freshman team. The 2002 Golden Eagles had another productive season as the offense amassed more than 4,000 yards of total offense, one that included the school’s and Conference USA’s first three-year, 1,000-yard rusher in Derrick Nix. The team averaged 21.7 points per game, outscoring opponents 282-238. Southern Miss again had another solid defensive season, finishing 34th in total defense, 15th in scoring defense and fourth in pass efficiency defense. The Golden Eagles also had the 10th-ranked pass defense. In 2003, Bower led the Golden Eagles to an unprecedented fourth Conference USA championship, when Southern Miss finished the season with a 9-4 record, winning the final six games of the regular season in the process. The Golden Eagles tallied an 8-0 league record, posting their unprecedented third undefeated conference mark. The successes of 2003 did not end there.

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For his efforts, Bower was selected as the Conference USA Coach of the Year for an unprecedented third time, adding to his previous coach of the year honors from 1999 and 1997. His 2003 Southern Miss squad featured a league-best 15 All-Conference USA selections, including Defensive Player of the Year and three-time All-American Rod Davis. Among the 15 selections, eight players were named to the all-league first team. Three first-year players also were honored as members of the all-freshman team. Three members of that group earned All-American status, Boley, Davis and Pruitt, who played key roles in helping the ’03 team enjoy one of the more successful season in Golden Eagle history. The Golden Eagles also returned to the postseason for the sixth time in seven seasons when they secured a berth in the 2003 Liberty Bowl. The 2003 defense finished the regular season ranked 5th nationally in pass defense, 14th in scoring defense, 13th in pass efficiency defense and 23rd in total defense, and gave up just 20 touchdowns during the 12game schedule. Offensively, the team didn’t post great national rankings, but did whatever necessary to win games. Individually, John Eubanks finished 4th in kickoff returns and Marvin Young 10th in punt returns. That offense again amassed more than 4,200 yards, including 1,877 passing yards by Dustin Almond, 703 receiving yards by Young and 671 rushing yards by Anthony Harris. The Golden Eagle offense outscored the combined opposition, 293-216.

‘Do The Little Things Right And Big Things Will Happen’ Throughout his career, Bower has coached a number of standout athletes, some of them among the greatest ever to wear the Black and Gold. But more important than that, Bower and his staff have continually sought to not only turn out outstanding football players, but also turn out outstanding people and role models.

“Whenever a major college job opens up, one of the first names mentioned is Jeff Bower. That, in itself, is a testament to the outstanding job he has done at Southern Mississippi. In his 13 years at Southern Miss, the coaching fraternity at the highest-profile schools have learned this. Do not pencil in a non-conference ‘W’ when the Golden Eagles come to town.” —RICHARD ROSENBLATT The Associated Press New York “Every year I keep thinking that one of the big boys of college football is going to wise up and realize that for the past 14 years, few have done it better than Jeff Bower at Southern Mississippi. I keep thinking that some day one of the super powers is going to beg him to leave Hattiesburg and save their program because when it comes to coaching, this guy can stand toe to toe with any of them. But then I realize that the relationship between Jeff Bower and Southern Mississippi is more than just that between a coach and his school. To him, Hattiesburg is not a location on a map but a place in the heart, and it will take a lot to ever pry him away. Golden Eagle fans ought to be pretty grateful for that.” —TONY BARNHART Atlanta Journal Constitution/ ESPN College Football Analyst “A fiery competitor, very smart football coach, very fair coach … His loyalty to Southern Miss is tremendous, it is been good for him and even better for the school … Jeff Bower could be coaching anywhere in the country … Not that this isn’t a great stop but its good that he decided he is going to win and win at his alma mater and that is fantastic.” —CRAIG JAMES ESPN Analyst

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Head Coach Jeff Bower “I think Jeff is an outstanding coach, who has had 11-straight winning seasons at Southern Miss. The test of his character has been that other schools have tried to get him to leave and yet he still stays loyal to the school and the city of Hattiesburg. That speaks well of him but also of this community. When you look at the good coaches in the country, he is in the top 10, without a question.” —LEE CORSO ESPN College Game Day Analyst “Of all of Jeff Bower’s accomplishments in his years at Southern Miss, what stands out to me is his decision to stay in one place and build a program. Modern-day coaches have become transients. Bower has withstood the lure of larger schools and built a team known for physical defense and its willingness to embrace the challenges posed by a schedule that would make most knees knock.” —IVAN MAISEL ESPN.com Senior Writer “People continue to ignore Jeff Bower and Southern Mississippi and perhaps there could be no greater compliment. In these bowl-crazed days of not being allowed to lose, non-conference opponents are dodging the Golden Eagles. Those with enough courage must face the consequences. Bower and company have shown there’s much more to Mississippi college football than Oxford and Starkville.” —JOHN ROHDE Daily Oklahoman “People who really know college football recognize Jeff Bower as one of the top coaches in the country. He seems to love his alma mater, he wins championships, he takes his team to bowls and he doesn’t chase jobs at other schools. He doesn’t seem to care about ‘star’ status and that, in itself, is a rarity. Jeff Bower is an athletic director’s dream – a coach who wins big at a university that has, relative to schools in the SEC, a modest athletic budget.” —BILL HAISTEN Tulsa World “I wish I had had him for more than one game. He has a great mind for offense, which, of course, I consider my area of expertise. I think he relates to players really well. In college, more so than pro football or high school, you have to spend a lot of time with those guys. You almost have to baby sit them, to a certain degree. He does that as well as anybody, as well as coach and lead.” —BRETT FAVRE (1987-90) Quarterback Green Bay Packers “One thing I will always appreciate about Coach Bower is that he constantly reminded us to ‘do the little things right’. He taught us to be personally accountable for our actions both on and off the field.” —TODD PINKSTON (1995-99) Wide Receiver Philadelphia Eagles

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Bower has prided himself and his teams in working hard at doing the little things right. A lesson that goes back to his days under Collins, Bower preaches that if you do the little things right, then the big will happen. That motto isn’t just a saying to motivate the players to work hard on the field, but it’s a catalyst to being a success in all facets of life. While Bower has worked with his share of outstanding citizens with high moral character and a solid work ethic, he also helped guide a number of standout athletes. During his coaching career, Bower has coached numerous All-America and all-conference selections. Other than Favre and Collier, Bower has had a hand in the careers of former Southern Miss offensive players Glen Howe, Mike Landrum, Marvin Harvey, Louis Lipps, Sammy Winder, Fred Brock, Terry Hardy, Michael Jackson, Harold Shaw and Tony Smith, all of whom went on to play professional football. In addition, four of his 1999 players were drafted, including receiving standouts Sherrod Gideon and Todd Pinkston, defensive end Adalius Thomas and linebacker T. J. Slaughter; in 2000, another four were drafted and four others signed free agent contracts and in two were drafted and one signed a free agent contract from the 2001 team. Jeremy Bridges was drafted from the 2002 team and from the 2001 group, Chad Williams and Jeff Kelly were selected in the draft and Roy Magee signed a free agent contract. The 2000 group included defensive end Cedric Scott, defensive back Raymond Walls and defensive linemen John Nix and Daleroy Stewart. In both 1997 and 1999 the Golden Eagles sent seven players into various camps around the National Football League, and had four players drafted in each of those years. The 1999 team also sported two All-Americans in defensive lineman Adalius Thomas and receiver Sherrod Gideon. Thomas, an AFCA First-Team All-American in 1998, was named by College Football News as the best defensive lineman in the nation for the 1999 season and earned All-America honors on a number of postseason teams. Gideon left Southern Miss owning virtually every school receiving record, and he and Pinkston formed the most prolific receiving duo in Southern Miss history. That success continued through two seasons ago, where five players – linebackers Rod Davis and Michael

Boley, defensive back Etric Pruitt and specialists John Eubanks and Marvin Young – each garnered All-America accolades. Three players from that group, including Davis, Pruitt and Greg Brooks, also were selected in the NFL Draft and three more, Terrell Browden, Ronald Jones and Corey Yates, went on to sign NFL free-agent contracts. Last year the trend of successful standouts continued. Linebacker Michael Boley became the second-ever defensive player to be awarded the Conerly Trophy – awarded annually to the best player in the state of Mississippi. The only other defensive player to win the award is another Bower product – Rod Davis. In addition, while at SMU, Bower’s quarterbacks received first-team all-conference honors for three-consecutive seasons. At Wake Forest, Bower coached Mike Elkins, who was the second quarterback taken in the 1989 NFL draft. Jeff Kelly was another in a long line of successful quarterbacks to play under Bower. His on-field accomplishments earned him a prominent place in the Southern Miss record book, and his classroom successes were even more impressive. He graduated with a degree in business in only three years and finished his MBA when he ended his playing career in Dec. 2001. He was honored as a National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame scholar athlete as well as being named the Woody Hayes Division I Male Scholar

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Head Coach Jeff Bower Athlete by the University and Northwest Sertoma Club of Columbus, Ohio. In 2000, he was named a secondteam CoSIDA Academic All-American, behind the Academic All-American of the Year, Purdue’s Drew Brees. Kelly, along with Brett Favre and Lee Roberts, ranks at or near the top of every Southern Miss career passing lists. Roberts immediately preceded Kelly, and despite playing just half the season in 1996, was named Second-Team All-Conference USA, an honor he repeated in 1997. In 1997, he also solidified his position as one of the great passers in school history by becoming the second player in school history to pass for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a feat he repeated in 1998, breaking the school record with 2,680 yards passing. In addition to Roberts, Gideon also put together three of the more prolific seasons of any pass catcher in school history. It should come as no surprise that Bower served as Gideon’s position coach. The sophomore became the fastest player in school history to reach 1,000 career receiving yards, taking just 17 games to reach that plateau, and his 1,186 yards

JEFF BOWER Against All Opponents TEAM Alabama* Army Auburn California Cincinnati Colorado State Delta State East Carolina* Florida Florida State Georgia Houston* Idaho Illinois Indiana Louisiana-Lafayette Louisiana-Monroe LSU Louisiana Tech Louisville Jackson State Memphis* Nebraska Nevada North Carolina State* Northern Illinois North Texas Northwestern (La.) State Oklahoma State Penn State Pittsburgh Samford Tennessee Texas A&M TCU Tulane* Tulsa* UAB* USF Utah Utah State Virginia Tech TOTALS *2005 Opponents

W 2 3 1 0 6 2 1 10 0 0 1 6 0 2 0 7 1 1 1 5 1 10 1 2 0 1 1 1 2 0 1 1 0 0 2 11 2 5 3 0 2 1 96

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L 11 0 2 2 4 0 0 4 3 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 1 5 0 4 2 0 1 1 0 0 1 2 2 0 3 3 3 3 1 0 1 1 0 1 67

T 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

PCT. .153 1.000 .333 .000 .600 1.000 1.000 .714 .000 .000 .500 .857 .000 1.000 .000 .875 1.000 1.000 .500 .500 1.000 .714 .333 1.000 .000 .500 1.000 1.000 .667 .000 .333 1.000 .000 .000 .400 .786 .625 1.000 .750 .000 1.000 .500 .588

receiving as a junior was the highest individual season total in school history. Roberts and Gideon capped their 1997 season by hooking up for three touchdowns in the win over Pittsburgh in the Liberty Bowl. Gideon was named the game’s most outstanding offensive player, as well as Liberty Bowl MVP.

The Bower Legacy Continues To Shine In 1988, Bower received his highest Golden Eagle honor when the M-Club voted him into the Southern Miss Sports Hall of Fame. In 2001, he was honored with the prestigious “Hub Award” for his outstanding contributions to the community, commitment to excellence and dedication to public service in Hattiesburg. Bower’s list of awards continued to grow in 2003, when the All-American Football Foundation, at its Banquet of Champions XXXVIII, named Bower the Johnny Vaught All-American Head Coach and Bower’s wife, Debbie, the “First Lady” of football. In Dec. 2004, Bower received the Captains of Hattiesburg Award, an honor given by the Mississippi Chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for an individual’s outstanding achievement in their profession and contributions to promote economic and charitable development across the state of Mississippi. Born May 28, 1953, the 52-year-old Bower, who received his MBA in management from Southern Miss in 1978, is married to a former Miss Southern Mississippi (1975) and Miss Mississippi USA (1972). The former Debbie Pawlik, who was a Southern Miss cheerleader and a member of the Kappa Delta sorority while in Hattiesburg, graduated with a nursing degree in 1975. She remains active in the Southern Miss Eagle Club and a variety of other university promotional efforts and continues to enjoy a nationally-recognized career as an Executive Senior Sales Director for Mary Kay Cosmetics. The Bower family, which includes 19-year-old daughter Stephanie, a sophomore and cheerleader at Southern Miss, survived a tragedy early in the 1997 season when they lost 17-year-old daughter Kristen in an automobile accident. The Southern Miss team, and the entire Hattiesburg community, rallied around the Bowers in an unprecedented show of love and support following the accident. Throughout the last quarter century, Jeff Bower has taken Southern Miss to unparalleled heights. Whether it’s been through conference championships, record-setting seasons, numerous postseason appearances or sending numerous players on to the National Football League, Bower truly has led the Golden Eagles to a place of national prominence and respect. It’s been through hard work and loyalty that he has been able to accomplish so much for the university that gave him his start. And it will be through that hard work and loyalty, as well as Bower’s guidance that the Southern Miss football program will continue to make strides in the realm of college football.

LEADERSHIP + STABILITY = SUCCESS Southern Miss football has enjoyed much success on and off the field due largely to the leadership of Golden Eagle Head Football Coach Jeff Bower. His 14 years as the head coach and 26 years overall with the program as either a player, an assistant coach or head coach has given the program stability currently enjoyed only by a few other schools. Because of his loyalty to Southern Miss, his leadership and stability and his commitment to developing the total studentathlete, the program has risen to unparalleled heights. Since the formation of Conference USA in 1996, Southern Miss’ winning percentage, bowl appearances, academic success and professional player development have been at a rate that only a handful of schools can claim. • Southern Miss has won four Conference USA championships in the nine-year history of the league • Southern Miss is the only school in Conference USA to post three undefeated league records, including an 8-0 record in 2003 • Head Football Coach Jeff Bower was selected the Conference USA Coach of the Decade and earned conference coach of the year honors three times • Southern Miss has had six Conference USA Defensive Players of the Year selections • Southern Miss is one of eight schools in the nation to have at least 11-straight winning seasons • Southern Miss players have earned 39 AllAmerica honors, including at least one All-American being named each of the past eight years • Southern Miss has had six freshman AllAmericans in the past nine years • Southern Miss’ graduation rates have continually improved during Bower’s tenure and the program was nationally recognized by the AFCA each of the past three years • Southern Miss has had 24 players drafted by the NFL and currently has 21 former players on NFL rosters led by the NFL’s only three-time MVP Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers • Southern Miss has had at least one player play in the seven of the past nine NFL Super Bowls • Southern Miss’ current NFL Players have accumulated three NFL Most Valuable Player honors and 11 Pro Bowl Invitations • Southern Miss is ranked in the top 10 nationally for conference winning percentage of schools which have been I-A during that time • Bower has the second-longest tenure of a head coach at his respective alma mater and the seventh-longest tenure by a head coach at the same institution 25

Coaching Staff

Randy Butler ASSISTANT HEAD COACH/ TIGHT ENDS

onship, and a third trip to the Liberty Bowl and sixth bowl appearance. The defense posted some impressive numbers that season, including a No. 14 ranking in scoring defense, No. 13 in pass efficiency defense and No. 23 in total defense. Four of the defensive linemen earned all-league honors for their efforts. Paul anchored the group with a First-Team All-Conference USA selection, while Jones and Scott picked up all-conference third-team honors. Redshirt-freshman Greg Casnave was one of three Southern Miss players to be named to the allfreshman team. Jones signed an NFL free agent contract and played last season with the Indianapolis Colts. Butler also coached a stellar defensive line in 2002, led by Paul, an all-conference defensive end as a junior. The defensive line jelled toward the end of the season and played its best football down the stretch, twice earning defensive Player of the Week honors from the Southern Miss coaching staff. Following the 2000 season, three defensive linemen coached by Butler were selected for postseason honors, three were drafted in the NFL Draft and one more signed a free agent contract. Cedric Scott was selected in the fourth round by the New York Giants, Daleroy Stewart in the sixth by the Dallas Cowboys and John Nix in the seventh, also by the Cowboys. DeQuincy Scott signed a free agent contract with the San Diego Chargers. Three were named to various All-Conference USA teams – Cedric Scott, DeQuincy Scott and Nix. Cedric

After serving a successful nine-year stint as the defensive line coach and now entering his 15th year overall at Southern Miss on Jeff Bower’s staff and 27th year overall as a coach, Randy Butler moves to the offensive side of the ball to coach the tight ends this season. He also will serve as the program’s recruiting coordinator. Butler, who has the longest tenure of any coach on Bower’s staff, coached the tight end position during the 1993 and 1994 seasons. In 1994, Butler coach former Golden Eagle standout Terry Hardy, who was later drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the fifth round and played several years in the NFL. Butler has been an integral part of helping build the tradition of Southern Miss football of which it currently The Butler Family: Anna Leigh, Randy, enjoys. Butler’s development Angela and Chelsea of defensive lines over his tenure at Southern Miss helped further the long-time defensive tradition that is synonymous with Golden Eagle football. Butler spent the 2004 season retooling the defensive line after losing standout defensive ends Terrell Paul and Ronald Jones. The Golden Eagles finished 7-5 for the season and made their seventh bowl appearance in the last eight years, defeating North Texas, 31-10 in the Wyndham New Orleans Bowl. That defense finished No. 2 in Conference USA in scoring defense and No. 3 in total defense. He coached an outstanding line that helped the 2003 Golden Eagles win their fourth Conference USA champi26

Scott was named C-USA Co-Defensive Player of the Year and an All-American by The Associated Press and Football News. The former Southern Miss standout was named Assistant Head Coach after the 2000 season. He moved over to coach defensive ends prior to the 1995 season. Prior to moving back to the defensive side of the ball, Butler spent two seasons coaching the tight ends. Butler also coached Jeff Posey, a two-year standout who signed a free agent contract with San Francisco in 1996 and is currently a starter for the Buffalo Bills. In 1997, he coached Robert Brown, a four-year letterwinner and All-Conference USA firstteam honoree. Brown has played professionally in the Canadian Football League for several years and has been an all-pro selection. Butler was an all-star performer at Southern Miss at offensive tackle, earned three letters, and partici-

The BUTLER File Date of Birth: Oct. 26, 1956 Hometown: Hartford, Ala. Education: Southern Miss, ’79 (bachelor’s), ’81 (master’s) Year at Southern Miss: 15th Year in Coaching: 27th

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Assistant Head Coach, Tight Ends Southern Miss, 2001-04: Assistant Head Coach, Defensive Line Southern Miss, 1996-00: Defensive Line Southern Miss, 1995: Defensive Ends Southern Miss, 1993-94: Tight Ends Navarro Junior College, 1992: Offensive Coordinator, Offensive Line Tulane, 1990-91: Defensive Ends Tulane, 1988-89: Offensive Tackles and Tight Ends Miss. Delta Junior College, 1987: Defensive Coordinator, Defensive Line, Linebackers Southern Methodist, 1983-86: Defensive Ends and Outside Linebackers Southern Methodist, 1982: Part time assistant, defense University of the South, 1981: Offensive and Defensive Line Southern Miss, 1979-80: Graduate Assistant

Bowl Experience 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl 2002: Houston Bowl 2000: GMAC Bowl 1999: AXA Liberty Bowl 1998: Humanitarian Bowl 1997: AXA Liberty Bowl 1984: Aloha Bowl 1983: Sun Bowl 1982: Cotton Bowl 1980: Independence Bowl

2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l

Coaching Staff pated in both the East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl following his collegiate career. After a brief stint in the NFL with the Baltimore Colts, Butler returned to his alma mater as a graduate assistant coach. He was a part of the Southern Miss staff that coached the Golden Eagles to a 16-14 victory over McNeese State in the 1980 Independence Bowl. In 1981, he accepted a position as the offensive and defensive line coach at the University of the South. After one season there, Butler went to Southern Methodist University, where he spent the next five seasons as SMU’s defensive ends and outside linebacker’s coach under Bobby Collins. While at SMU, Butler was a part of the 1983 Cotton Bowl and Southwest Conference Championship squad. In addition, the Mustangs won the 1984 league title and participated in the Aloha Bowl and in the 1983 Sun Bowl. In 1987, he went to Mississippi Delta Junior College as defensive coordinator. A year later, Butler traveled to Tulane as the Green Wave offensive tackles and tight ends coach. He spent 1992 as the offensive coordinator at Navarro Junior College. His squad was 8-2 and won the Texas Junior College Conference Championship. Butler graduated from Southern Miss in 1979 with his bachelor’s degree and with his master’s degree in 1981. He was inducted into the Southern Miss Athletics Hall of Fame prior to the 1999 spring game. He is married to the former Angela Smith, also a Southern Miss graduate. The couple has two children, Anna Leigh and Chelsea.

Jay Hopson DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ DEFENSIVE BACKS

Jay Hopson returned to Southern Miss in January for his second stint as a member of Jeff Bower’s staff as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Hopson previously spent three years at Southern Miss as the defensive backs coach from 2001-03, before leaving to spend one season as the defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator at his alma mater, Ole Miss. In 2003, his group of defensive backs helped the SouthernMiss.com

Golden Eagles win their fourth Conference USA championship and make a third trip to the Liberty Bowl. They were tied for the national lead in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (9) and earned a No. 5 national ranking in pass defense, No. 13 ranking in pass efficiency defense, and helped maintain and even improve on the successes the defense had enjoyed the previous two seasons. Safety Etric Pruitt had another banner season, earning All-American honors for the second-straight year. He finished third on the tackle list with 132 stops. He also had three interceptions, three fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, 10 pass breakups and four tackles for loss, and was named C-USA defensive player of the week following the UAB game. Three of Hopson’s defensive backs gained all-conference honors, including first-teamers Pruitt and Greg Brooks. Senior safety Alex Ray was selected to the league’s third team. Pruitt also was named a semifinalist for the prestigious Jim Thorpe Award, given to the best defensive back in the nation. Brooks and Pruitt both were drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and Atlanta Falcons, respectively. While the 2001 season was a success against the pass, the 2002 defense was even better. It led the nation in fewest passing touchdowns allowed (6) and finished as the No. 4 team in pass efficiency defense and was No. 10 in pass defense. One of Hopson’s players, Pruitt, was honored for his performance when he was named an All-Conference USA first team selection, as well as being named to several All-America teams. Pruitt was third on the team in tackles and led Southern Miss with six interceptions. That total was good enough to rank him No. 21 in the nation. Another of Hopson’s defenders, Brooks, finished with 14 pass breakups and set the school’s career mark with 35. Two of the players Hopson coached in 2001, Brooks and Chad Williams, both were selected first-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 interceptions. 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. The Thundering Herd won four-straight Mid-American Conference championships and made fourstraight appearances in the Motor City Bowl, winning three of those. Marshall also won a national championship in its last year of NCAA I-AA competition in 1996.

The HOPSON File Date of Birth: Oct. 13, 1968 Hometown: Vicksburg, Miss. Education: Mississippi, ’92 (bachelor’s), Delta State, ’94 (master’s) Year at Southern Miss: 4th Year In Coaching: 14th

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Ole Miss, 2004: Defensive Backs Southern Miss, 2001-03: Defensive Backs Marshall, 1996-2000: Defensive Backs Florida, 1995: Graduate Assistant/Offensive Scout Team/Special Teams LSU, 1994: Graduate Assistant/Defensive Backs/Offensive Scout Team Delta State, 1993: Defensive Backs Tulane, 1992: Graduate Assistant/Offensive Scout Team/Special Teams/Video Breakdown

Bowl/Playoff Experience 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl 2002: Houston Bowl 2000: Motor City Bowl 1999: Motor City Bowl 1998: Motor City Bowl 1997: Motor City Bowl 1996: NCAA I-AA Playoffs 1995: Fiesta Bowl

The Hopson Family: Jay, Virginia Hyde, Hannah Renee and Michelle

27

Coaching Staff Marshall led the Mid-American Conference in interceptions for two of his seasons there, ranking No. 1 in the nation in 1999. The defense also ranked in the top 15 nationally in pass efficiency defense from 1997-99. He coached 10 all-conference selections, two players named to Sports Illustrated’s All-Bowl Team, three All-Americans and two Jim Thorpe Award candidates, honoring the nation’s top defensive back. Hopson’s coaching career started as a graduate assistant at Tulane and has included stops at LSU, Florida and Marshall before coming to Southern Miss. While at Florida, the Gators won the Southeastern Conference championship and played for the national championship. While at LSU, the Tigers led the Southeastern Conference in total defense. Hopson was a four-year letterwinner as a defensive back at Ole Miss from 1988-91, playing free safety for one season before moving to strong safety for his final three years. He was a four-time Academic All-SEC honor roll selection and was named to the CoSIDA District VI Academic All-America team as a senior in 1991. He also was a member of the student athletic advisory committee and was the recipient of the John Howard Vaught Award in 1991. Hopson was a speaker at the American Football Coaches Association Convention in January 2000. Hopson enjoyed a successful playing career at Warren Central High School in Vicksburg, Miss., where he earned all-county, alldistrict and all-state honors. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ole Miss in 1992 and his master’s degree in health, physical education and recreation from Delta State in 1994. Hopson is married to the former Michelle Russell of Vicksburg, Miss. The couple has two daughters, Virginia Hyde and Hannah Renee.

Jay Johnson OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/ QUARTERBACKS

Jay Johnson is in his first year as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach and third year on the staff at Southern Miss. He spent his first year as 28

The JOHNSON File Date of Birth: Sept. 18, 1969 Hometown: Lakeville, Minn. Education: Northern Iowa, ’92 (bachelor’s), Missouri, ’94 (master’s) Year at Southern Miss: Third Years in Coaching: 12th

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Southern Miss, 2004: Running Backs Southern Miss, 2003: Tight End Kansas, 2001: Running Backs Kansas, 1999-2000: Quarterbacks Kansas, 1997-98: Graduate Assistant/Quarterbacks Truman State, 1995-96: Offensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator Augsburg College, 1994: Offensive Coordinator/Recruiting Coordinator Missouri-Columbia, 1994: Graduate Assistant/Wide Receivers (spring) Columbia-Hickman HS, 1993: Quarterbacks/Receivers/Defensive Backs

Bowl Experience 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl

Truman State’s offense to an average of more than 30 points and 400 yards a game during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. He served as a graduate assistant at Kansas from 1997-99 and became its quarterbacks coach in 1999, serving in that role until 2001, when he moved to coach running backs and coached in that role before arriving at Southern Miss. Johnson, a three-time All-Gateway Conference quarterback and four-time conference player of the week in his playing days at Northern Iowa, led his teams to a 31-8 record, and won three conference championships, while appearing in three national playoffs. He finished his career with almost 500 completions and threw for more than 8,000 yards and 58 touchdowns. He was elected team captain in both the 1991 and 1992 seasons. He quarterbacked the ’92 team to a 122 record, a conference championship and the No. 3 ranking in the final NCAA Div. 1-AA poll. Johnson also holds a variety of academic honors to go with his on-field prowess. He earned President’s Academic Excellence honors in the Gateway Conference and held a perfect 4.0 grade point average while completing his master’s degree at Missouri. That earned him a Superior Graduate Achievement Award from the Department of Health and Exercise Science, and he was a Dean’s List scholar at Northern Iowa where he compiled a 3.47 GPA. He also taught several courses while at Truman State and Missouri. He is married to the former Lori Ross, and the couple has one son, Cole.

the tight ends coach and then coached the running backs last year. In 2004, Johnson guided a solid stable of running backs, which averaged 144.9 yards per game, 22.8 more yards per game and six more rushing touchdowns than in 2003. Veterans Anthony The Johnson Family: Harris and Sherron Moore carried the majority Jay, Lori and of the load for the season, and newcomer Cole Larry Thomas proved that he is a capable runner and will give the team a proven runner for the future. Johnson helped guide senior tight end Terrell Browden to a successful season in 2003, earning All-Conference USA secondteam honors and then signed a free agent contract with the Cleveland Browns. Johnson has extensive coaching experience and knowledge of several positions, including quarterback, receivers, defensive backs, running backs, and tight ends. Johnson has honed his coaching skills at a variety of levels and schools. He started his coaching career at Columbia-Hickman High School in 1993, serving as the quarterbacks, receivers and defensive backs coach. In 1994, he moved to Missouri as a graduate assistant coach, later moving to Augsburg College, serving as the school’s offensive coordinator and recruitment coordinator from 1994-95, before moving to that same position at Truman State from 1995-97. He directed

2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l

Coaching Staff

Lytrel Pollard SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR/ LINEBACKERS

Lytrel Pollard is another former standout Golden Eagle linebacker that has shown his ability to be successful as a collegiate football coach. Now in his seventh season as a member of the Southern Miss coaching staff, he continues as the special teams’ coordinator and now becomes the linebackers coach. For the past five years, he coached the outside linebackers. Pollard continues to share his knowledge, advancing the tradition of the Southern Miss defense. Pollard has experienced coaching success, as outside linebacker Michael Boley left his mark as one of the greatest linebackers to ever play at Southern Miss. He was a two-time All-American, including consensus honors in 2004 and a three-time All-Conference USA selection. Linebacker Antoine Cash had an outstanding senior season as the team’s third-leading tackler with 95 stops, four sacks, 15 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. Boley

The POLLARD File Date of Birth: April 3, 1976 Hometown: Bay Springs, Miss. Education: Southern Miss, (bachelor’s, ‘98); (master’s, ‘99) Year at Southern Miss: Seventh Year in Coaching: Seventh

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Special Teams Coordinator/Linebackers Southern Miss, 2003-04: Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebackers Southern Miss, 2001-2002: Outside Linebackers Southern Miss, 2000: Wolf Linebackers/ Defensive Ends Southern Miss, 1999: Graduate Assistant

Bowl Experience 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl 2002: Houston Bowl 2000: GMAC Bowl 1999: AXA Liberty Bowl

SouthernMiss.com

was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and The Pollard Family: Lytrel, Kristina, Tylor and Klabron Cash signed a free agent contract, also with the Falcons. Boley was tabbed a national semifinalist for the Butkus, Bednarik and Lott Awards, while winning the Conerly Trophy, given since 1996 to Mississippi’s best college football player. He earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Honors four times last season, and national player of the week honors by the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Foundation following his 20-tackle, two forced fumble, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup performance in the team’s season opening win at Nebraska. He posted one of the best seasons by a Southern Miss defensive player, as he finished with 125 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, two pass breakups and five forced fumbles last season. His five forced fumbles gave him nine for his career, which is a school record. Last year, in Pollard’s second year as the special teams’ coordinator, kicker Darren McCaleb times in 11 games as a senior and had a season-best 13 stops in the season opener at Florida. was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given He finished his Golden Eagle career with 274 tackannually to the nation’s best collegiate kicker and les, nearly reaching the top 10 on the career tackles earned All-American honors. He was perfect on all of list at Southern Miss, and he was named permanent his regular season field goals attempts, before misscaptain his senior season. ing his first few of the season in the bowl game. Pollard earned his undergraduate degree in coachKickoff returner John Eubanks also enjoyed a ing and sport administration in the spring of 1998, strong season, as he led the nation in kickoff returns and his master’s in the fall of 1999. He is the son of for part of the year, and finished (5) in the top five in Charles and Margaret Pollard of Bay Springs, Miss. the nation for the second year in a row. He was Pollard, and his wife, Kristina, have two sons, Tylor named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of and Klabron. the Year, as well as earning All-American honors for the second year. In 2003, Pollard saw three of his specialists gain all-conference honors. Eubanks and Marvin Young ranked among the nation’s leaders in kick return (4) and punt return (10), respectively. The two players earned spots on the All-Conference USA First Team as return men, while freshman kicker Darren McCaleb was honored on the league’s all-freshman team and was named to several Freshman All-America teams, including The Sporting News. During the 2000 season, one of his players, bandit end Terrell Paul, was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman Team, and during the 2001 season wolf linebacker Roy Magee was named Second Team AllC-USA. Ron McCrone A native of Bay Springs, Miss., Pollard played at DEFENSIVE ENDS Stringer High School and completed an outstanding Golden Eagle playing career in 1997 by helping lead Coaching veteran Ron McCrone is coaching the the team to a 9-3 record, a C-USA championship, and defensive ends this season after coaching the defena Liberty Bowl title. He led the team in tackles with sive backs in the first year of his second tour of duty 114, a total that was good for fifth place in the conat Southern Miss. He first coached the Golden Eagle ference. He was in double figures in tackles eight 29

Coaching Staff defensive ends in 1974 for standout player and former Head Coach P.W. Underwood. As the defensive backs coach last year, McCrone guided a solid group of defensive backs that, despite injuries, continued to improve over the course of the season. Preseason All-American John Eubanks was named a First-Team All-Conference USA defensive back, and Trevis Coley was named a second-team performer. Coley led the team in interceptions with four, was the second-leading tackler on the team with 104 stops and had six pass breakups. Eubanks led the team with nine pass breakups and was second on the team in interceptions with three. Despite an elbow injury, Caleb Hendrix improved over the course of the season, finishing with 47 tack-

The McCRONE File Date of Birth: Jan. 17, 1946 Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla. Education: Florida, ’68 (bachelor’s) Year at Southern Miss: Second Year in Coaching: 37th

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Ends Southern Miss, 2004: Defensive Backs Southwest Missouri State, 2003: CoDefensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Jacksonville Tomcats, 2000-01 (AFL2): Head Coach Tallahassee Thunder, 2000 (AFL2): Defensive Coordinator Orange Park, 2000-02: Head Coach Alabama State, 1998-99: Defensive Coordinator Temple, 1997: Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Temple, 1995-96: Defensive Backs UCF, 1992-95: Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs UTEP, 1989-92: Defensive Backs Orange Park High School, 1988-89: Head Coach Citrus High School, 1987-88: Head Coach Tampa Bay Bandits, 1984-86: Linebackers/Special Teams Duke, 1982-84: Defensive Backs Ole Miss, 1981-92: Linebackers Vanderbilt, 1979-81: Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Auburn, 1978-79: Assistant Defensive Backs Tennessee-Martin, 1975-78: Defensive Coordinator/Defensive Backs Southern Miss, 1974: Defensive Ends Tampa, 1972-73: Defensive Backs Florida, 1971-72: Defensive Ends Gordon Military College, 1970: Head Coach/Defensive Coordinator Paxon High School, 1969: Defensive Backs

Bowl/Playoff Experience 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl 1995: NCAA I-AA Playoffs 1985: USFL Playoffs

30

les and four pass breakups. Darrell Bennett The McCrone Family: was the team’s fourth-leading tackler with 70 Ron, Blair stops and had six pass breakups, two interand Mary ceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. McCrone has 36 years of coaching experience at the high school, collegiate and professional levels. He came to Southern Miss after spending a year as the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Southwest Missouri State. While he was at Southwest Missouri State, his defensive secondary was ranked No. 1 in the Gateway Conference in pass defense, No. 1 in pass efficiency defense and No. 3 in the nation in pass efficiency defense. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Orange Park (Fla.) High School for three years, where he coached current Golden Eagle quarterback Dustin Almond. McCrone began his coaching career in 1969 as the defensive backs coach at Paxon High School in Jacksonville, Fla., before taking his first head coaching job in 1970 at Gordon (Ga.) Military College. From there, he served as the Coach and Defensive Coordinator in 1997. The Owls defensive ends coach at Florida in 1971-72, the secfinished No. 11 in the nation in sacks in 1997 and ondary coach at Tampa in 1973 and at Southern Miss was third in the Big East Conference in total defense. in 1974. McCrone was the Defensive Coordinator at For the next three years (1975-78), he was the Alabama State in 1998, where his Alabama State defensive coordinator and secondary coach at secondary was first in the SWAC in passing defense Tennessee-Martin. In 1976, the Skyhawks led the Gulf and third in total defense. He then spent two years in South Conference in total defense and set the NCAA the Arena Football League 2, the 2000 season as the record with four interceptions returned for touchdefensive coordinator of the Tallahassee Thunder and downs and 269 yards in returns. the Head Coach of the Jacksonville Tomcats in 2001. He spent four years at three different Southeastern McCrone, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., is a graduConference schools from 1978-82. He spent a year as ate of the University of Florida (1968) with a the assistant defensive secondary coach at Auburn bachelor’s degree in recreational physical education (1978), two years as the defensive coordinator and and health and was a member of the 1967 Orange secondary coach at Vanderbilt (1979-80) and one year as the linebackers coach at Ole Miss (1981). While at The MESSINGHAM File Vanderbilt in 1980, the Commodores set an NCAA record with five interceptions against Memphis. Date of Birth: Oct. 23, 1966 He coached the defensive secondary at Duke for Hometown: Waterloo, Iowa two years (1982-83) before spending two years as the Education: Northern Iowa (bachelor’s, 1990), linebackers and special teams coach with the Tampa (master’s, 1992) Bay Bandits of the United States Football League. The Year at Southern Miss: First Bandits advanced to the USFL playoffs in 1985. Year in Coaching: 15th McCrone spent two years as a head high school Coaching Career coach, one year at Citrus High School in Inverness, Southern Miss, 2005: Wide Receivers Fla., in 1987 and one year at Orange Park High School Upper Iowa, 2003-04: Head Coach (1988). He spent a three-year stint at UTEP as the secSouthwest Missouri State, 1999-02: Wide ondary coach from 1989-91. The 1991 squad was first Receivers in the Western Athletic Conference in pass defense Truman State, 1995-98: Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Kickoff Returners and and second in total defense. Punters He then moved to UCF from 1992-94 as the defenIowa Lakes CC: 1993-94: Offensive sive coordinator and secondary coach. In 1993, the Coordinator/Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Golden Knights set a school record with 58 sacks and Tight Ends led all the teams in the state of Florida in intercepSt. Ambrose: 1991-92: Offensive tions with 22. From 1995-97, McCrone worked at Coordinator/Quarterbacks-Tight Ends Temple University, serving as the defensive secondary St. Ambrose: 1990: Graduate Assistant coach the first two years and as the Assistant Head 2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l

Coaching Staff Bowl team. He and his wife, Mary, have three children, Jeff, Kelly and Blair, and one grandchild, Cody Carroll.

Courtney Messingham WIDE RECEIVERS

Courtney Messingham is in his first year as the wide receivers coach at Southern Miss and 15th year overall. He is reunited once again with offensive coordinator Jay Johnson, as both coached together at Truman State from 1995-96 and both played together at the University of Northern Iowa. He came to Southern Miss after serving as the head coach at Upper Iowa University. Before becoming head coach at Upper Iowa, he was on the offensive staff at Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., serving as offensive coordinator for three years from 2000-02 and wide receivers/tight ends and special teams coach for The Messingham Family: Courtney, Carol and Taylor

SouthernMiss.com

the 1999 season. Prior to his stint at SMS, he was an assistant coach at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., serving as the offensive coordinator his last two years, while coaching the quarterback, running back, receiver, kickoff return and punt positions for four years (1995-99). Messingham spent a two-year stint at Iowa Lakes Community College (1993-94) in Esterville, Iowa, serving as the offensive coordinator for two years. He was named the head coach in January 1995, before moving to Truman State for the 1995 season. As the offensive coordinator at Iowa Lakes, he coached the quarterbacks, wide receivers and tight ends. Prior to that, he coached three years at St. Ambrose University (1990-92) in Davenport, Iowa, as a graduate assistant for one year (1990) before becoming the offensive coordinator the next two years, coaching the quarterbacks and tight ends. Highlighting his coaching career, one of Messingham’s wide receivers at Upper Iowa had 11 touchdown receptions, third most in the school’s history and four receiving touchdowns in one game, second most in school history. His tailback had the longest touchdown run in the school history (95) and his starting quarterback threw a school-record seven touchdowns in one game, a school-record 36 completions in a game and accumulated game passing yard totals of 392, 407 and 427 yards. At Southwest Missouri State, his 2001 offense produced a conference-best 432 yards per game, fourth in the school’s history. His starting receiver set school marks for receptions and yards. His quarterback in 2000 started a game hitting 20-of-20 passes, setting an NCAA record. His receiver set a single-season record for receptions and career record for receiving touchdowns. He coached four Division II All-Americans at Truman State, including the 1996 Player of the Year. His running back finished with 2,140 yards as a senior and ended his career as the third-leading rusher in NCAA history with 6,166 yards and 73 rushing touchdowns. He coached four all-conference players at Iowa Lakes Community College and the all-time receptions leader at St. Ambrose. Messingham, who hails from Waterloo, Iowa, was a first-team all-state quarterback and an all-state shortstop at Waterloo West High School. He was named the Football Athlete of the Year in Waterloo for the 198485 school year. He was a four-year letterwinner at The University of Northern Iowa, while earning his bachelor of technology degree, majoring in mechanical design with a coaching endorsement in 1990. He earned his master’s degree in business administration, along with 12 hours of graduate studies in physical education from Northern Iowa in 1992. Messingham and his wife, Carol, a 1990

graduate of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, have a daughter, Taylor.

Derrick Nix RUNNING BACKS

Derrick Nix, one of the best-known players to ever wear a Southern Miss uniform, is coaching the running backs this year after serving as the tight ends coach last season. He started his coaching career in 2003 as the defensive graduate assistant, before moving over to the offensive side of the ball in 2004. Last season, Nix’s tight ends, used primarily as blockers in the offensive scheme, were successful. Otho Graves caught six passes, three of them for touchdowns on the season, and Patrick Corbett had four catches on the year, a career-high. Nix was a record-setting running back throughout his Southern Miss playing days. He was so successful that he was named to the Golden Eagle Team of the Century that was announced in 2000 and recently became one of only five players in the history of the football program to become a member of the Southern Miss Legends Club. His name is prominent in the Southern Miss record book, including becoming the first Golden Eagle player ever to rush for 1,000 yards in each of his freshman and sophomore seasons and the only Southern Miss and Conference USA player ever to rush for 1,000 yards or more in three seasons, finishing just 12 yards

The NIX File Date of Birth: Feb, 22, 1980 Hometown: Attalla, Ala. Education: Southern Miss, ’02 (bachelor’s) Year at Southern Miss: Third Year in Coaching: Third

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Running Backs Southern Miss, 2004: Tight ends Southern Miss, 2003: Defensive Graduate Assistant

Bowl Experience 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl

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Coaching Staff short of becoming the all-time leading rusher at Southern Miss and 53 yards short of the C-USA record, despite an injury-shortened career that required him to have a kidney transplant in June 2003. A sprained ankle, along with the kidney problem, forced Nix, a three-time All-Conference USA selection, to sit out a year and a half, before returning to fashion a successful senior season. Nix, a 2002 Southern Miss graduate with a bachelor’s degree in sport administration, is working toward a master’s degree in the same field. His older brother, Tyrone, a member of the Southern Miss coaching staff from 1995-2004, was a four-year standout linebacker for Southern Miss and is now the co-defensive coordinator at South Carolina. He is the son of Preston and Mary Nix of Attalla, Ala.

Mitch Rodrigue OFFENSIVE LINE

Mitch Rodrigue is in his third season as the offensive line coach for the Southern Miss football program and his seventh season overall of his second tour of duty with the Golden Eagles’ football program. During his tenure, he has proven to be a valuable member of the staff, not only on the field, but also as a recruiter. He coached the running backs in 1999 and the tight ends from 2000-02, before taking over as the offensive line coach in 2003. He assisted with the offensive line during his initial stint at Southern Miss, serving as the program’s graduate assistant in 1989 and 1990 under former head coach Curley Hallman. In 2004, the offensive line continued its strong play, as it gave up only seven sacks for the season. The Golden Eagles finished with seven wins and earned its seventh bowl invitation in the past eight seasons. Senior Jeremy Parquet was selected to the All-Conference USA second team, and Chris Clark was named to the all-freshman squad. Parquet was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the NFL Draft in April. Rodrigue made his first year as the offensive line coach at Southern Miss a memorable one as the Golden Eagles won their fourth Conference USA title, 32

was invited to the Liberty Bowl for the third time and earned a bowl bid. The program lost three starting offensive lineman to the National Football League from the 2002 squad, and Rodrigue was charged with retooling the line. The offensive line made significant progress as the season went along and earned notice and praise from Head Coach Jeff Bower for its outstanding play throughout the second half of the season. The line also earned respect from the rest of Conference USA, with three players garnering allleague honors. Parquet was named to the first team, while center Jim Hicks took home second-team honors. Chris White was the team’s selection on the third team and Travis Cooley was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team. A native of Thibodaux, La., and a veteran of several seasons as both offensive line coach and offensive coordinator at Nicholls State, Rodrigue helped the Colonels lead the Southland Conference in passing. In addition to his time as the Colonels’ offensive coordinator, he also served at various times as recruiting coordinator and, after the resignation of Rick Rhoades in 1995, interim head coach. As offensive line coach, Rodrigue’s linemen blocked for the school’s first 1,000-yard rusher in 1996. Prior to his coaching stint at Nicholls State, Rodrigue worked for two seasons as an assistant coach at Pearl River Community College. At PRCC, he served as offensive line coach, as well as strength and conditioning coach. Rodrigue played at Nicholls State and helped the Colonels reach the second round of the Division I-AA playoffs in 1986 as well as win the 1984 Gulf Star Conference title. He played one season at CopiahLincoln Community College prior to his career at Nicholls State. He was an all-district performer at Thibodaux High School.

The RODRIGUE File Date of Birth: Jan. 2, 1965 Hometown: Thibodaux, La. Education: Nicholls State, ‘88 (bachelor’s) Year at Southern Miss: Ninth Year in Coaching: 19th

Coaching Experience Southern Miss, 2003-05: Offensive Line Southern Miss, 2000-02: Tight Ends Southern Miss, 1999: Running Backs Nicholls State, 1998: Offensive Line/Offensive Coordinator Nicholls State, 1994-97: Offensive Line/Recruiting Coordinator Nicholls State, 1995: Interim Head Coach Nicholls State, 1993: Offensive Line/Tight Ends Pearl River CC, 1991-92: Offensive Line/Strength and Conditioning Coach East St. John High School, 1991: Offensive Line/Strength and Conditioning Southern Miss, 1989-90: Graduate Assistant/Offensive Line Nicholls State, 1987-88: Student Assistant/Offensive Line

Bowl Experience 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl 2003: AXA Liberty Bowl 2002: Houston Bowl 2000: GMAC Bowl 1999: AXA Liberty Bowl 1996: NCAA I-AA Playoffs 1990: All-American Bowl

Rodrigue and his wife, Deidi, have three children, Maci, Madden, and Mallori.

The Rodrigue Family: Madden, Mallori, Mitch, Deidi and Maci

2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l

Coaching Staff

Fred Tate DEFENSIVE TACKLES

Fred Tate, former defensive line standout for Southern Miss in 1995-96, is in his first year as the defensive tackles coach at Southern Miss and ninth year in coaching overall. He comes to Southern Miss after serving as an assistant coach at East Carolina for the past two years under former Southern Miss defensive coordinator John Thompson. Tate was the outside linebackers coach and assisted with various phases of special teams at East Carolina, coached the defensive line the previous five seasons and started his coaching career in 1997, coaching the tight ends and wide receivers. He coached the defensive line at Middle Tennessee State (2002), defensive line and punting team at Southwest Texas State (2001), defensive line, punting and kicking teams at East Mississippi Community College (2000), defensive line and special teams at Jacksonville State (1998-99) and tight ends and wide receivers at East Central Community College (1997). While at Southwest Texas State, he coached AllAmerican Clenton Ballard, who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars and most recently with the San Diego Chargers. He coached Mark Word at Jacksonville State, who played in the NFL for the

The TATE File Date of Birth: Oct. 31, 1968 Hometown: Hattiesburg, Miss. Education: Southern Miss, ’97 (bachelor’s) Year at Southern Miss: First Year in Coaching: Ninth

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Tackles East Carolina, 2003-04: Outside Linebackers Middle Tennessee State, 2002: Defensive Line Southwest Texas State, 2001: Defensive Line East Mississippi CC, 2000: Defensive Line Jacksonville State, 1998-99: Defensive Line/Special Teams East Central CC, 1997: Tight Ends/Wide Receivers

SouthernMiss.com

Kansas City Chiefs and most recently with the Cleveland Browns. Tate was a two-year letterwinner at Southern Miss from 1995-96, playing defensive end and tackle. He played for the Golden Eagles as they played their first year in Conference USA as a founding member and helped lead them to the conference championship in 1996. He began his collegiate playing career at East Central Community College, earning JC Gridwire All-America honors. He was selected as the team’s offensive most valuable player of the National Junior College AllStar Game. Prior to enrolling at East Central, Tate served in the United States Army in the Airborne Division. He served for five years, earned an Army Commendation Medal and Soldier of the Quarter three times. Tate earned his bachelor’s degree in human performance from Southern Miss in 1997. He and his wife, Andrea, have a son, Christian and the family also includes Darrion and Donovan Tate.

The Tate Family: Fred, Andrea and Christian

In addition to his football duties, Miller serves as the Director of the Southern Miss Coaching Clinic, the Jeff Bower Football Camps and as Director of the Annual Jeff Bower Golf Tournament. While in the Army, Miller worked in the criminal investigation division. He received two Army Commendations, a National Defense Award for Desert Storm and a Cold War Era Award for Desert Storm. After serving for four years in the United States The Miller Family: John and Jill

John Miller ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR/ FOOTBALL OPERATIONS

A native of Clinton, Miss., John Miller is in his fifth year as the Assistant Athletic Director for Football Operations and sixth year working with the football program at Southern Miss. He received the promotion in 2001 after serving as Director of Football Operations for two 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 weekends, practice and event scheduling and team travel. He also is Southern Miss’ liaison with NFL Scouts and oversees the player timing days. 33

Coaching Staff Army, Miller worked as an assistant coach at Clinton High School under David Bradberry. Miller is the son of Walter and Mary Miller of Clinton. Miller, and his wife Jill, live in Hattiesburg with their sons, Jonathon and Josh.

was selected to play in the Mississippi North-South All-Star Game. Causey earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from North Alabama in 2004. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in sport administration from Southern Miss and will graduate in December. He is the son of Pat and Kathy Causey of Petal, Miss.

The TRIMM File Date of Birth: Feb. 26, 1977 Hometown: Hamilton, Ala. Education: Southern Miss (bachelor’s, ‘00), (master’s, ’02) Year at Southern Miss: Third Year in Coaching: Fifth

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Defensive Graduate Assistant Itawamba CC, 2004: Defensive Coordinator Hinds CC, 2003: Defensive Backs/Special Teams Coordinator Southern Miss, 2001-02: Defensive Graduate Assistant

Bowl/Playoff Experience 2004: NJCAA State Playoffs 2003: NJCAA State Playoffs 2002: Houston Bowl

Drew Causey GRADUATE ASSISTANT COACH/OFFENSE

Drew Causey is in his first year as the offensive graduate assistant with the Golden Eagles and second year with the program. He served as a student assistant coach last season, assisting with the offensive line. His on-field coaching responsibilities include assisting with the offensive line and overseeing the defensive scout team. He also assists the coaching staff with Southern Miss’ player game evaluations and the scouting of opponents. Causey played two years at Pearl River Community College before transferring for his final two seasons at North Alabama. While at Pearl River, he was named the team’s most valuable offensive lineman as a sophomore. He also was named to the all-state team. As a senior, he helped lead North Alabama to the Gulf South Conference Championship. He was a four-year letterwinner at Petal High School in Petal, Miss. He was named the team’s most valuable offensive lineman as a junior and senior. He also was named to the all-state team as a senior and

The CAUSEY File Date of Birth: Oct. 17, 1981 Hometown: Petal, Miss. Education: North Alabama, 2001 (bachelor’s) Year at Southern Miss: Second Year in Coaching: Second

Coaching Career Southern Miss, 2005: Offensive Graduate Assistant Southern Miss, 2004: Offensive Student Assistant

Bowl Experience 2004: Wyndham New Orleans Bowl

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Ferrell Trimm GRADUATE ASSISTANT COACH/DEFENSE

season. The Golden Eagles won the Conference USA championship and the Liberty Bowl championship that season. He spent his first three years in college as a twotime all-conference and all-region selection in baseball at the University of Alabama-Huntsville. Trimm earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Miss in secondary education in 2000 and his master’s degree in sport administration in 2002. He currently is pursuing a doctorate in human performance and recreation at Southern Miss. He, and his wife, Tessa, are the parents of one daughter, Jordan.

A former Golden Eagle football player, Ferrell Trimm returns to Southern Miss as the defensive graduate assistant coach. He served as an offensive student assistant coach during the 2000 season and as the defensive graduate assistant coach in 2001 and 2002. He spent last year as the defensive coordinator at Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Miss. His defensive unit finished second in the state in fewest passing touchdowns The Trimm Family: Ferrell, Jordan and Tessa allowed and third in pass defense. Last year, Itawamba advanced to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Trimm coached current Golden Eagle linebacker Jerome Lyons at Itawamba. Trimm spent one year as the special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach at Hinds Community College in 2003. The defense led the state in fewest touchdowns allowed and was No. 2 in pass defense. The special teams ranked first in the state in kickoff returns and punting average. Trimm helped lead Hinds to a 9-2 record and a No. 12 national ranking. Trimm coached current Golden Eagle defensive end Ken Griffith while at Hinds. Trimm added depth at quarterback as a member of the Southern Miss football team during the 1999

2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l

Coaching Staff

Patrick Stewart HEAD EQUIPMENT MANAGER

Patrick Stewart is in his 10th year as a member of the Southern Miss staff and ninth as the head equipment manager. 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 volleyball, men’s and women’s golf and men’s and women’s tennis. Stewart 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 has served as an intern with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens of the NFL. He is a member of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association and received his certification The Stewart Family: Patrick and Ty

in June 1996. He also is in his sixth year as Vice President of District 4 of the Athletic Equipment Managers Association (A.E.M.A.), and served four years as chairman of Conference USA Equipment Managers. The Athletic Equipment Managers Association held its annual convention in New Orleans during the summer of 2002, and Stewart was one of its featured speakers. The Southern Miss Equipment Department was honored as the best equipment operation in Conference USA for 1999-00 and 2001-02, as voted on by the other equipment managers in the conference. In 2003, at the A.E.M.A National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, Stewart was honored with the Jeff Boss District 4 Equipment Manager of the Year Award. He was recently nominated for the Glenn Sharpe Award, given annually to the top equipment manager in the nation. Stewart is married to the former Ty’Shuna Dyess of Bassfield, Miss. Ty is in her 12th year working with the Athletic Media Relations Department at Southern Miss.

member of the Athletic Equipment Manager’s Association and received his certification in June 1998. The Southern Miss Equipment Department was honored as the best equipment operation in Conference USA for 1999-00 and 2001-02, as voted on by the other equipment managers in the conference. Windham married the former Brandy Mixon of Sumrall, Miss., in June 2004.

Chris Hooley SPORTS VIDEO COORDINATOR

Chris Hooley is in her sixth year with the Golden Eagle athletic department after becoming the athletic department’s first-ever, full-time video coordinator prior to the start of the 2000 football season. Hooley is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Golden Eagle athletic department’s video efforts. She handles the day-to-day video operations for practice and games, including film breakdown and exchange.

Marty Windham ASSISTANT EQUIPMENT MANAGER

The Windham Family: Marty and Brandy

Marty Windham is in his eighth year as assistant equipment manager at Southern Miss. He assists with the football equipment operation, as well as overseeing the needs for the sports of baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track, women’s cross country, softball and soccer. The Bay Springs, Miss., native is no stranger to the Southern Miss family, having served as a graduate assistant in the equipment office and as an undergraduate assistant for three seasons prior to that. Windham got an early start on his vocation when he served as manager for the Bay Springs High School football team, while also competing in baseball for three seasons. He continued to serve as a football manager at Jones County Community College before arriving at Southern Miss. The Southern Miss alum earned his bachelor’s degree in coaching in 1997, before adding a master’s of science in sport administration in 1998. He is a SouthernMiss.com

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Coaching Staff In 2003, she was honored as the Conference USA Video Coordinator of the Year as voted on by the other conference coordinators. The award was presented by the Collegiate Sports Video Association. She graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1996 with a bachelor’s degree in telecommunications. She then worked with the Kentucky Sports Video Department from August 1996 through April 1998. At Kentucky, she worked primarily with football and men’s and women’s basketball. Hooley became Assistant Video Coordinator at the University of Houston in 1998. While there, she worked with every team in the athletic department, but primarily with football and men’s and women’s basketball. She is a native of Sistersville, W.Va., and is the daughter of Dave and Linda Hooley, who reside in Sistersville.

ous aspects in the video department, handled various media requests for the coaching staff, assisted with the organization of recruiting and camps and clinics, handled administrative duties for the head coach and managed all areas relating to and dealing with the special teams unit. He spent one year at LSU (2000-01) as the graduate assistant for recruiting and football operations. His responsibilities included updating recruiting boards, tracking recruiting news and information, updating and maintaining the recruiting film library, assisting with football camps and clinics, recruiting weekends and with the development of the head coaches’ Web site. Sanders worked three years at Auburn, one year as 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 newspaper and through the internet and coordinating football camps and clinics and the walkon program. He also spent two summers as a training camp intern, one with the Baltimore Ravens (1998) and one with the Washington Redskins (1999), assisting with football operations, the equipment room and special teams. Sanders, a native of Fort Payne, Ala., earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from Auburn in 1998. He is the son of Roy and Phyllis Sanders.

library, the organization of camps and clinics and gives administrative support to the coaching staff. He also handles multiple office functions and game-day duties for the Assistant Director of Athletics for Football Operations and assists him with in-house operations. Jones served as a student assistant for football operations for three years. He assisted with the dayto-day operation of the Golden Eagle football office, camps and clinics, game-day operations, on-campus recruiting weekends, team travel and bowl preparation. Jones, a native of Petal, Miss., earned his bachelor’s degree from Southern Miss in sport administration in 2002 and his master’s degree in sport administration in 2004. He is the son of David and Gail Jones.

Rev. Tommy Conway Ronnie Sanders

TEAM CHAPLAIN

PROGRAM COORDINATOR/RECRUITING

Ronnie Sanders is in his first year as the program coordinator for recruiting for Southern Miss football. In his position, he is responsible for all administrative aspects of the recruiting process, including creating and maintaining data bases, coordinating the flow of recruiting correspondence, maintaining recruiting files for NCAA documentation, coordinating all documentation for official and unofficial visits, producing recruiting materials used by the coaching staff on their visits, overseeing the complimentary ticket process for high school coaches, securing academic records for prospects and directing the football camps and clinics. Sanders came to Southern Miss this past spring after spending the past three years at Florida, serving one year (2004-05) as the offensive game analysis coordinator and assistant to the head football coach and two years (2002-04) as a graduate intern working with recruiting, special teams and handling administrative duties for the head coach. His responsibilities included creating video cutups, defense and self scouting reports and producing graphic packages for reports and presentations. He also assisted with vari36

Jason Jones RECRUITING AND OPERATIONS ASSISTANT

Jason Jones is in his first year as the recruiting and operations assistant and fourth year working with the football program at Southern Miss. He assists with all aspects of the day-to-day operation of the football office, as well as handling various responsibilities with recruiting. He assists with the day-to-day administrative operation associated with the recruiting process, including written correspondence, unofficial and official oncampus visits, maintenance of the video recruiting

Rev. Tommy Conway is in his third year as team chaplain for the football Golden Eagles. He is the head pastor at St. Thomas Church and campus minister for Catholic students at The University of Southern Mississippi. A native of Galway County, Ireland, and a graduate of St. Patrick College in Carlow, Ireland, Rev. Conway was ordained in the Biloxi Diocese, and served as the pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Columbia, Miss., for six years prior to coming to St. Thomas. Active in a variety of area civic activities including the Red Cross where he serves on the board of directors, Rev. Conway is an ardent supporter of Southern Miss athletics and can be found at many Golden Eagle athletic events throughout the athletic year.

Southern Miss has won the Conference USA championship four times – 1996, 1997, 1999 and 2003, the only school in the conference to own four titles in the nine-year history of the league. 2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l

Support Staff SUPPORT STAFF

Lennon Thompson

Owen Bowen

Nick Ainsworth

Mary Ann McManus

Penny Larsen

Secretary to Head Football Coach and Coaching Staff

Staff Assistant

Assistant to the Assistant Director of Athletics/ Football Operations

Assistant to the Assistant Director of Athletics/ Football Operations

Graduate Assistant/ Equipment Manager

Chris Zuccaro

Tim Atkinson

Billy Harrington

Greg Herring

Charlie Rogers

Graduate Assistant/Video

Assistant Director of Athletics/ Facilities and Game Management

Assistant Director for Facilities and Game Management

Director of Marketing and Promotions

Director of Corporate Sales

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THE OFFICIAL CLOTHING PROVIDER FOR SOUTHERN MISS FOOTBALL

COACH JEFF BOWER SouthernMiss.com

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The Southern Miss Walk-On Program their own way. They are games into the season. Daigle and Johnson have working out every single been starters at their respective positions for the past day.” two years. Johnson was selected to the American It’s that blue-collar atti- Football Coaches Association’s (AFCA) Good Works tude that makes the Team for his dedication and commitment to communiwalk-on program at ty service. Southern Miss a successJust completing their careers last season were forful one. Players know, that mer walk-ons DaRon Lawrence (WR), LeVon Pears regardless of whether (DE), Chad Ruffin (DL) and Marvin Young (WR). Young they were signed to a finished his career among the top five on the school’s scholarship or not, they all-time receiving charts for catches, yards and receivhave as much right as any ing touchdowns. Pears and Ruffin both finished their to be a part of the Golden careers as starters on the defensive line and Eagle family. Lawrence was a starter for the past two years. One of the most “I think it started a long time ago, but walk-on stufamous walk-ons in dent-athletes know that they are going to be given an Southern Miss history opportunity,” Bower said. “We treat them just like we was none other than do scholarship athletes. But over the years, the proSammy Winder, a former gram has continually improved because walk-ons running back with the know that they are going to get a chance to play and Golden Eagles in 1978-81. contribute. It means more to them because they don’t Not heavily recruited out have to be here. They are paying their own way.” he Southern Miss football program prides itself of high school, Winder chose to walk-on at Southern Walk-ons who earn a scholarship at Southern on the fundamental values of hard work, loyalty Miss and eventually played his way into the school Miss are awarded the Kristen Bower Endowed and dedication. It’s a pride which emphasizes that record books. A Team of the Century running back and Scholarship, which is named after Head Coach Jeff when you put in the time and effort on the practice Legends Club member, Winder was drafted in 1983 by Bower’s daughter, Kristen, who was tragically killed field and in the weight room, then the good things the Denver Broncos and went on to a successful NFL in a car accident in September 1997. The scholarship will happen on game days. Pro Bowl career that included three Super Bowl is given annually to a former walk-on who displays While a select number of Golden Eagles get the appearances. hard work and determination to be a contributor on glory when the final whistle blows, there are many While Winder may have set the bar, there have the team. Current members of the Golden Eagle more student-athletes who get to share in the sucbeen a number of walk-ons who worked their way squad who are Kristen Bower Endowed Scholarship cess. For in addition to the maximum 85 scholarship into contributing roles as either starters or key recipients are Matthew Chatelain (DE), Stephen players allowed by the reserves. Players like Chris Daigle (LS) and Luke Johnson (P). NCAA, there are many Pierce, who competed “A lot of times your walk-ons are the more players – known as a place kicker and a hardest-working players. They always have as walk-ons – who punter during the 1994 a great attitude. You really appreciate the play just as vital a role and 1995 seasons and sacrifices those kids make. They are in the success of the kicked the game-wingoing to school and paying their own way, overall program. ning field goal against while at the same time, they are practicing Over the past few LSU in 1995. Melvin and attending meetings that a scholarship decades, there have Ratcliff, a defensive player would.” been a good number of back from 1992-95, – Head Coach walk-ons who have played his way into Jeff Bower had as much to do the lineup and the with the Southern record books, currently Miss’ accomplishments as the traditional recruits ranking in the top five in pass breakups and have had. fumble recoveries. Former walk-ons Karr That tradition of a successful walk-on program has Shannon (1995-97) and Michael Villalonga continued through current Head Coach Jeff Bower’s (1997-99) both contributed heavily as special tenure. Over the years, numerous players have given teams standouts, as did kicker Brant Hanna their blood, sweat and tears to help the Golden (1998-01) and punter Mark Haulman (1999-02) Eagles achieve their goals. In fact, there have been 41 in recent seasons. of those former walk-ons who were rewarded for Through the successes of Winder and curtheir hard work and dedication by being awarded a rent walk-ons-turned-scholarship players coveted scholarship. Matthew Chatelain (DE), Stephen Daigle (LS) “A lot of times your walk-ons are the hardestand Luke Johnson (P), the walk-on program has working players,” Bower said. “They always have a been a source of pride for the University. great attitude. You really appreciate the sacrifices Chatelain walked on the team last fall and those kids make. They are going to school and paying earned the starting job at defensive end four Marvin Young

Sammy Winder

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2 0 0 5 S o u t h e r n M i s s Fo o t b a l l