Mike Farrell Sports

College Football Recruiting, Opinion, and Analysis

Patrick Surtain, Billy Napier, Blake Anderson and More: Possible Head Coach Candidates for Southern Miss

Meet potential head coach candidates for Southern Miss

Avatar photoMike Huesmann
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By: Mike Huesmann

The inevitable happened, and Southern Miss fired Will Hall yesterday. I have had him atop many coaching hot seat lists, and it was only a matter of time. Hall was 14-30 in four seasons in charge, including a putrid 1-6 so far this year. Southern Miss has struggled in recent years, but there are appealing aspects to this job. Jay Hopson had a decent amount of success here less than a decade ago. The recruiting is solid in that area, and attracting transfer portal players from the many P4 schools around should be possible. With that, here are five possible head coach candidates for Southern Miss.

Patrick Surtain

Florida State, Defensive Backs Coach

Longtime NFL player and Southern Miss alum Patrick Surtain might get his first shot at being a college head coach here. He is in year two at Florida State, where he coached an elite group in 2023. Before that, he spent a year coaching with the Miami Dolphins. Prior to 2022, he was a high school coach, which might definitely hurt him here. Three years of coaching top-flight football is not a lot. If USM wants an alum with NFL experience, he could be in the mix.

Billy Napier

Florida, Head Coach

Napier is not going quietly into the good night. His Gators are putting up a fight against a gauntlet of a schedule. If he gets fired—and it’s still likely—Southern Miss should scoop him up right away. He dominated in the Sun Belt before with the Ragin’ Cajuns. In four seasons in Lafayette, Billy went 40-12; that doesn’t happen by luck. Certainly, it’s a step down from Florida; any head job he gets will be. But for Southern Miss, this would be a good move.

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Blake Anderson

Utah State and Arkansas State, Former Head Coach

Blake Anderson spent many successful years here as offensive coordinator when Larry Fedora was head coach. He went on to Arkansas State and was a successful head coach before moving to Utah State in the aftermath of personal tragedy. Anderson was fired this past offseason for improperly handling Title IX issues. If that issue is resolved, he could be in the mix here. We are seeing a trend of G5 schools hiring experienced veterans in recent years.

Greg Gasparato

Tulane, Defensive Coordinator

Greg Gasparato is in his first year as defensive coordinator with Tulane after following Jon Sumrall from Troy. He was the interim last year in the bowl game for Troy before moving over to the Green Wave. He knows the conference and geographic area well, he’s coached solid defenses, and has a great reputation in the field. His time will come before too long for a head job; he could be one to watch here.

Brennan Marion

Offensive Coordinator, UNLV

Brennan Marion has shown us that he will move up the ladder in search of that better job, so he’d likely accept the job if offered. He’s been rumored to be a candidate for a few G5 openings. Since 2018, his stops have included William & Mary, Hawaii, Pittsburgh, Texas, and now UNLV. He is as innovative as they come, and his team’s ability to run the ball is almost a guarantee. The go-go offense in the Sun Belt would be something to see. He might be the jolt in the arm that Southern Miss needs. 

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