JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – Sports Director Patrick Johnstone spoke with Andrew Abadie, Sports Editor for Pine Belt News about the coaching search for Southern Miss football. Abadie has been the Sports Editor since 2020, and also covered the Golden Eagles when he was a student at USM.

Here is a transcript of that conversation:

Patrick Johnstone: Earlier this week, AD Jeremy McClain said in his press conference that they’re highlighting two things: the NIL era and the transfer portal as they do this coaching search. Why is that a focal point?

Andrew Abadie: So, obviously the landscape has drastically changed compared to four years ago, when they hired Will Hall — obviously that was the COVID era too — so, two reasons alone of why this is different. But you know, the last go around Jeremy McClain’s two priorities were head coaching experience and had regional ties, and really, neither of those two matter as much, just because of NIL and transfer portal, you have to do way more as a head coach. And honestly, you’re more, it seems like, a general manager than an actual coach these days as a head coach; so, that’s mostly it. And you know, fans have kind of said that they — particularly the regional ties part — that they are open to an outsider, and the idea of being a stepping stone school is something that a good contingent of Southern Miss fans and boosters, probably, want to see of just, hey, if we they can win for four years with one guy at a high level, and you just keep repeating the process over and over again, people are okay with that.

PJ: I was looking at your short list for possible candidates. Do you think it’s going to be a splashy hire? You think it’s gonna be someone a little more unknown?

AA: In the past, I would say I kind of have an idea of where they go with this coaching hire, and this time, I can genuinely say I have no idea what direction they’re going to go. They’ve hired a search firm to aid in this process, but there’s a lot of different ways to go. A splash hire for them would probably cost more money than they’re willing to pay. I would think there’s maybe one coach that they’d go over a million dollars for, and that’s probably not going to happen regardless. I think they’re really going to look at FCS head coaches, particularly, as well as go the coordinator route. But more so, I think more lean heavily on coordinators at the group of five level rather than the power four level, as much.

PJ: Two guys as I saw on the list: the Nix brothers (former USM players Derrick and Tyrone Nix). Obviously Southern Miss legends, how much do you think that would work out if they were to come home and try to rebuild the program?

AA: I know Derrick was somebody that was considered the last go around, but I think those guys would be on the B-list if, for whatever reason, their first how many whatever candidates don’t work out for them. Derrick is struggling at Auburn right now as an OC — with Southern Miss alum Hugh Freeze – and at Tarleton State, Tyrone has, you know, he’s done a very good job, but he’s also been a bit of a journey man as well. And that kind of goes to, again, are they willing to go this regional ties route that really didn’t work out the last two times for them. So, I’m almost counting them out at this point. I know that was like my initial candidates list, but I have heard some names pop up that are not tied at all to Southern Miss, and that seems to be the direction that they might be going.

PJ: Do you think there’s any chance they promote from within?

AA: No. Honestly, I think we could see the coaching staff shake up after the James Madison game, if this gets ugly. [Interim head coach] Reed Stringer, he’s had opportunities to be head coach, he’s had opportunities to coach in the SEC, I think his number one goal is to stay the general manager for whoever the next head coach is, and I think that’s something he’s more than qualified to do. This is his, what, fourth head coach that he’s going to work for. But, you know, he survived the Jay Hopson era and made it over to the Will Hall era. This guy wants to be a Southern Miss lifer, from the way it appears. He’s somebody that the athletic department values, and as they should. So, I think that’s his main goal. But in terms of anybody from this coaching staff happening, that is a big no.

PJ: Do you think the fans and the administration are on the same page? Or, in other words, do you think, when they announce their head coaching hire, you think fans are gonna be excited and happy about the name that they say?

AA: Knowing this fan base, they’ll find a way to complain about it somehow, some shape or form, but I don’t know. I think what all the fans want them to see is to try and think outside the box; that seems to be the consensus with this. And I’m on board with that, they need to think outside the box, because the box is different now than what it was for 40 years, or, in this case, four years ago. So, that’s probably the route that they have to go in trying to, in some ways, step out of the comfort zone. If a guy — this is what Jeremy McClain said — if he’s got regional ties, that’s great, but it’s not a top priority this go around. So, I think, with this search, that’s something they’re embracing.

PJ: Is there a guy that you think would be a home run hire? Like, that’s the guy, if they say that name, great.

AA: I think there may be at least two names that would be awesome for them. One of them, I think, is unlikely. The other, I think, checks a lot of check marks. So, you know, Bill Clark, who turned UAB around and won — I think — National Coach of the Year would be a great one. He said he’s ready to come back and coach after having health problems. I don’t know if he’s on the short list, but you’d be crazy to not go knock on the door and ask. Truthfully, I think he’s waiting for Trent Dilfer to get fired at UAB, but if that doesn’t pan out, is Southern Miss an option for him, maybe, because it’s part of the same domain he’s from. Like I said, he’s had success, it’d be crazy to not at least ask if you’re Jeremy McClain. I think another name that has drawn serious interest is offensive coordinator Brennan Marion, who is a rising name in the coaching ranks. It just seems like this guy has done incredible things everywhere he’s been. He’s the OC at UNLV, and I think they’re one of the top offenses in the country with 43 points per game. His signature is the ‘go go’ offense, which is this — I was reading about it today — it’s concepts of the triple option that somehow open up one on one things for your receivers. It’s so simple and yet brilliant, from what I’ve been reading, and watching some of the film on. So, I think that’s a guy that checks a lot of check marks for this search. He has no direct ties to Southern Miss, but he’s worked around a lot of Mississippi guys that are familiar with Southern Miss, particularly Akeem Davis — who is a former Southern Miss great, former Southern Miss assistant — at UNLV.

PJ: What do you think a successful coaching search looks like?

AA: Man, if I knew that, I’d probably be the guy pulling the trigger with a way bigger paycheck. I think the main thing right now, or the successful formula that we have seen in the NIL era — and we’ve really seen it in the Sun Belt — is finding a lower tier coach, a head coach particularly, that can bring his entire staff and 10-15 of his best players. In a time where there’s no continuity, that brings you continuity. We’ve seen it at Indiana — Indiana took James Madison’s coach and took most of his staff and some of his best players. James Madison did it to Holy Cross, and you look at Texas State, also did the same thing with Incarnate Word. I mean, that that seems to be a winning formula right now. Is it sustainable? I don’t know. But, if you’re Jeremy McClain, that has to be something you look seriously into.

PJ: Alright, well, hopefully in the next couple weeks, as this coaching search picks up, we’ll get a little bit more information, and the crystal ball will give a little bit clearer of a prediction. Andrew, I appreciate you taking the time and hopefully we can talk again soon.

AA: Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me.

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