With eight days left until the target date of naming a new head coach before the early signing date on December 4, athletic director Jeremy McClain and his team are getting busy.
As is the case in any coaching search, dozens of names have been thrown against the wall as potential candidates – but only a few have actually stuck. Five new names have entered the conversation late as a final leaderboard cements.
Todd Hartley | Georgia – Assistant Head Coach, Tight Ends
As far as candidates who lack head coaching and coordinator experience, Hartley checks a lot of boxes.
The 37-year-old was named one of the seven top recruiters in college football for 2023 by 247Sports for his shiny track record of pulling in top prospects for the Bulldogs. He’s also built a reputation for development with a player from his tight end room being drafted in each of the last six NFL Drafts, including Brock Bowers (1st round, 2024) and Darnell Washington (3rd round, 2023).
Hartley also carries recruiting and coaching experience at the Group of Five level, coaching tight ends and serving as the recruiting coordinator for Marshall from 2011-14. Former Southern Miss head coach Todd Monken coached alongside Hartley for three years at Georgia, and sources told SuperTalk Mississippi News that Monken has endorsed his former partner for the job.
Charles Huff | Marshall – Head Coach
Huff is a late entry into the conversation and a surprising one considering his position as a successful head coach at a conference opponent.
The Maryland native was Joe Moorhead’s first staff hire at Mississippi State after the two coached together at Penn State. After a single year in Starkville and two seasons as the assistant head coach at Alabama under Nick Saban, Huff has gone 30-20 at Marshall and has the Thundering Herd in position to compete for a Sun Belt title in 2024.
According to USA Today, Huff makes $755,500 per year in Huntington, less than former head coach Will Hall’s salary and significantly less than what Southern Miss could be capable of paying its next leader. Huff is also in the final year of his contract, and a potential rift between him and the Marshall administration could open the door for a proven head coach to be Jeremy McClain’s pick.
Buster Faulkner | Georgia Tech – Offensive Coordinator
For the Southern Miss faithful that desire an offensive-minded coach with a connection to the program, Faulkner fits the bill perfectly.
The 43-year-old is in his second season as the play caller in Atlanta, engineering one of the top 2023 offenses in the ACC and, this season, has again led the Yellowjackets as a top 50 offense in Division I FBS football. Before he was hired by Brent Key at Georgia Tech, Faulkner spent three years as a quality control assistant at Georgia along with 11 total years as an offensive coordinator in college football.
The year before his stint in Athens, the Georgia native spent a single season as the offensive coordinator under Jay Hopson at Southern Miss in 2019. Faulkner’s Southern Miss connection and quality offensive resumé make him an intriguing option.
Casey Woods | SMU – Offensive Coordinator
SMU’s emergence as a College Football Playoff contender under Rhett Lashlee has garnered him and his staff plenty of attention.
Though Woods may not call the plays for the Mustang attack in-game, it’s hard to ignore his hand in what has become one of college football’s top offenses – currently ranked No. 5 nationally in points per game. The Starkville native is familiar with Mississippi and has recruited the deep south in previous stops at Auburn and UAB, giving him some highly favorable credentials.
Woods is similar to Hartley by way of missing the head coaching and play-calling experience on his CV. The former Tennessee wide receiver can be considered a dark horse candidate.
Derrick Nix | Auburn – Offensive Coordinator/Running Backs
Southern Miss faithful know him best as “Baby Bull” – one of the best running backs to ever don the black and gold. But more than 20 years later, he’s best known around America as an up-and-comer in the coaching realm.
Besides his status as a Golden Eagle Hall of Famer, Nix has steadily padded his reputation as a stalwart recruiter and offensive mind. The Alabama native’s coaching career began when his playing days were cut short due to kidney disease, spending five years in Hattiesburg as a graduate assistant, tight ends coach, and running backs coach. He moved on for a 15-year stint at Ole Miss under multiple coaching staffs and most recently was tabbed by Hugh Freeze to be the offensive coordinator at Auburn.
In Nix’s first year on the Plains, the Tigers have had an up-and-down campaign but are the No. 31 total offense in the nation. The Southern Miss legend should also be considered a dark horse but is certainly part of the conversation.
As the early signing date approaches, along with the transfer portal reopening on December 9, substantial developments can be expected in the coming days as Southern Miss zeroes in on its next head football coach.
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