Given Hall’s track record as a head coach — going 56-20 combined at West Georgia and West Alabama — and his strong ties in the state, it’s surprising the hire didn’t work out. The next coach will be Southern Miss’ sixth in the past dozen years.

University of Southern Mississippi (USM) head football coach Will Hall has been fired. Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain announced on Sunday that the university would be moving in a new direction with its football program.

Southern Mississippi football coach Will Hall was fired after a 1-6 start to his fourth season and assistant head coach Reed Stringer was named interim coach for the rest of the season.