We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. HATTIESBURG, Miss. Rick has been recognized 13 times as Mississippi Sports Writer of the Year, and is recipient of multiple awards and honors for his reporting and writing. offices, dressing and meeting rooms. You cant edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. Roland Dale was a true visionary and will be missed by the entire Southern Miss family.". See what is being said about Jon Gilbert being named Director of Athletics for the University of Southern Mississippi. Southern Miss officially announces it will join Sun Belt in 2023 - WLOX In hindsight, maybe that was just his audition to one day return to Hattiesburg. its Department of Athletics. Both Louisiana-Lafayette and Coastal finished in the top 15 of the Associated Presss final 2020 Top 25 poll. Rebecca Wilusz, Ph.D. on LinkedIn: Thank you to NCS Southern Miss. for New construction also included a new tennis facility The truth, however: North Texas does not really give you the Dallas-Fort Worth TV market, any more than Florida Atlantic and Florida International give you the south Florida market. inception to over 140 members. "I remember this moment very vividly," McClain said. * Elite Student-Athlete Experience "Jeff Hammond has been an important part of our University's past as an outstanding student-athlete and our present as a staff member whose energy and passion for Southern Miss knows no end," Lucas said. Mitchell serves as the Deputy Director of Athletics with a directed focus on managing the daily operations of the Golden Eagle athletics department and providing leadership . (228) 832-2525 | newsrelease@wxxv25.com14531 Hwy 49 North Gulfport, MS 39503. Southern Miss is near the bottom in football coaching salaries and National Hockey League executives. It was underway when Dale first arrived, but under-funded. Southern Miss Golden Eagles - Wikipedia A memorial service will be held at noon ET, Thursday, Oct. 3 in the Sanctuary of First Presbyterian . Southern Miss, Waters says, brings a rich history of winning and a historically strong fan base to the Sun Belt. Hugh Freeze - Wikipedia athletic director for 13 years. This. Keep this news free and accessible to all by becoming a member and giving a recurring donation of any amount today. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain kept a notecard with him at all times during the coaching search this past fall. He had two sports reach the College World Series, including the baseball team that Required fields are marked *, function evvntDiscoveryInit() { I am proud to have served as sort of a mentor for Jon for the last many years and have always been impressed by his intentional efforts to grow in each and every area of responsibility he has been assigned. in both the 1999 and 2000 campaigns. That might sound like chump change to Southeastern Conference fans, but it is a huge deal to athletic programs that dont collect millions upon millions of dollars from their leagues TV and bowl revenue. He came back to Southern Miss from Troy where he served as athletic director for nearly four years. Reach Southern Miss writer David Eckert at deckert@gannett.com or on Twitter @davideckert98. Field at Roberts Stadium, a new press box and suites as well as an expansion at Pete "Southern Miss perfectly matched those parameters, and my colleagues look forward to welcoming President Bennett and his colleagues to the Sun Belt Conference." The University of Southern Mississippi, founded in 1910 and located in Hattiesburg, Miss., is a Tier-1 Research University that supports a student population of over 14,000. - Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain announced Monday the hiring of Natalie Poole as softball coach. I would like to wish Jon, his wife Katie, and their family well." "I want to congratulate Southern Miss on the hire of, Golden Eagle Basketball Hotline Continues Monday, Feb. 6 at Walk-On's, Southern Miss Athletics Honors Kinlock Bell, Golden Eagle Basketball Hotline Continues Monday, Jan. 23 at Walk-On's, Golden Eagle Basketball Hotline Returns Monday at Walk-On's, Golden Eagle Basketball Hotline Continues on Monday, Dec. 19, Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital. Southern Miss Director of Athletics Richard Giannini Announces Founded in 2016 as the states first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, Mississippi Todays roots in Capitol coverage have grown to encompass a myriad of beats beyond politics and policy, including education, public health, justice, environment, equity, and, yes, sports. * Where We Are Southern Miss Hires Sadler as New Men's Basketball Coach Giannini and his wife, Gayle, are parents of four daughtersAnsley Stone, Brittney Jeff Mitchell has served as the Deputy Director of Athletics at Southern Miss since August 2018 with a directed focus on managing the daily operations of the Golden Eagle athletics department. "Joe CastiglioneUniversity of OklahomaVice President and Director of Athletics"I want to congratulate Southern Miss on the hire of Jon Gilbert, one of the true rising stars in collegiate athletics administration. Said McClain, This move just makes sense geographically, for our fan base and, most of all for our student-athletes., Gill nodded as McClain spoke, and later added, The Sun Belt has gotten a lot better in recent years. Sean Merchant - Marketing Director/Junior Team Tennis State - LinkedIn The Sun Belt is an ESPN league with national exposure. His accomplishments and achievements are responsible for the success of the school's athletic program today. evvnt_require("evvnt/discovery_plugin").init({ Sun Belt Conference Commissioner Keith Gill, USM President Dr. Rodney Bennett and Southern Miss Athletics Director Jeremy McClain were present for the announcement. detail_page_enabled: true, The Sun Belt will be more of a bus league. Borbash, Carlyn Linker, and DeLancey, and grandparents of Tori, Parker, Sara, Kelsey, Help keep the momentum going by rejoining our member community today. With a 24-65 record at the time, Southern Miss Athletic Director Jeremy McLain went to bat for Ladner. Lee Applewhite, Director of Development. Other duties as assigned by the Senior Associate Athletic Director for External Operations. Giannini worked in that role for 13 years and baseball and softball and one in volleyball and men's basketball. Average annual salary was $24,835 and median salary was $8,656. Listen to Wright Waters, who has a history with both Southern Miss and with the Sun Belt. Also visiting on the show this week are head men's basketball coach Jay Ladner and Brad Smith the athletic . Sports Director Blake Levine will be live from the Pensacola Bay Ce Florida in 1966. Division games will be drive-able, Waters said. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Jeremy McClain named new Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain has been selected as the new AD after Jon Gilbert left the role in December. Contacts for state licensure or other state regulations can be found on the Board of Certification website. more time with Gayle, my wife of 42 years, my four daughters and son-in-laws and my Jeremy McClain is a Southern Miss guy who shares the values and ambitions of the University of Southern Mississippi., Your email address will not be published. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Schools are alphabetized by commonly used short name, regardless of their official name. Dr. Dennis Phillips, Faculty Athletic Representative. He helped oversee the project and was instrumental in securing the additional funds needed from the legislature that helped see the project through to completion. Cox also visits with He. Our foundation of success is rooted in the mindset of strength, stability, consistency, and toughness. I have been fortunate to work with Jon over the past four years and really appreciate everything he has done for the football program. Make no mistake, Southern Miss has made the correct and probably long overdue decision to exit Conference USA and enter the Sun Belt Conference. According to the filing, then-Southern Miss athletic director Jon . About Us; Staff; Camps; Scuba. staffdir staffdir html - Southern Miss Georgia Southern athletic director Jared Benko Jared Benko served as Mississippi State's deputy AD and chief financial officer until March 2020, when he left to become the athletic director at . The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. A 21-member search committee began work on Monday toward identifying the University of Southern Mississippi's next athletic director. Good coaches and good players are what make you better. The following is a list of NCAA Division I universities in the United States (listed alphabetically by their schools' athletic brand name) and their current athletic director.This list only includes schools playing Division I football or men's basketball. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. Mitchell was selected as one of twelve senior-level administrators from across the country to participate in the prestigious NCAA Pathway Program for the 2021-2022 cohort. Southern Miss has been through five athletic directors (counting interims) in eight years. The committee is charged with assisting University President Dr. Martha Saunders with the selection of the next athletic director, and is chaired by Spencer Adams, president of the University's Athletic . "He brings to The University of Southern Mississippi an extensive background in athletic administration at the highest levels. Today, University President Dr. Rodney Bennett announced McClain as USMs next director of athletics following his three-and-a-half year run at Troy thus concluding a four month search process following the departure of Jon Gilbert to East Carolina back in December. first-year bowl in NCAA history. Welcome to the Sun Belt," said Sun Belt commissioner Keith Gill to Southern Miss athletic director Jeremy McClain and president Dr. Rodney Bennett. He's just a model professional and we are going to miss him in Knoxville." Mitchell served as the sport administrator for the Bronco mens basketball and baseball programs. Natalie Poole Named Softball Coach - Southern Miss that time, I promised Larry I would stay four more years and help the football program Basketball? He was 84 years old. He also arranged and produced the first Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. The Sun Belt is intensely competitive in the spring sports of baseball and softball. Southern Miss hires Troy athletic director Jeremy McClain | Biloxi Sun Southern Miss coach Will Hall has Mississippi in his - The Athletic We prefer Author Name, Mississippi Today in the byline. Turk were building strong programs that competed at a high level as an independent. #ToTheTop25: Southern Miss Athletics Releases New Strategic Plan Why Southern Miss athletics is leaving Conference USA for Sun Belt Jackson State University (Jackson State or JSU) is a public historically black research university in Jackson, Mississippi.It is one of the largest HBCUs in the United States and the fourth largest university in Mississippi in terms of student enrollment. The strategic plan uses five factors as guiding elements for future growth: Southern Miss Athletic Director Jeremy McClain was enjoying his one week of vacation when news broke of Oklahoma and Texas leaving the Big 12 Conference and joining the Southeastern Conference. He was inducted into the University of Florida's College of Health and Human Performance student success. That is, sell more tickets. He has been mentored and guided by some of the best leaders in this business. I recently had the fortunate opportunity to visit and speak with him and his son. Gilbert is a graduate of Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C., where he was a three-year letterman on the football team. Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in sports marketing, advertising, sports management or other related fields and 1 year of experience in collegiate sports marketing or related field. During Mitchells tenure at Southern Miss, baseball has advanced to three NCAA regional appearances (19, 21, 22) and one super regional appearance (22) while mens basketball played in the CBI post-season tournament in 2019 and football participated in the Armed Forces Bowl following the 2019 season and won the 2022 LendingTree Bowl. MCEC founder Nancy New, a Southern Miss alum and former athletic foundation board member, has since pleaded guilty to fraud. Assisting the committee in their work is search consultant Bob Beaudine of Eastman We believe that it will be in the neighborhood of $3 million, McClain said. The Southern Miss Golden Eagles football team participates as a member of the Sun Belt Conference and plays its home games in M.M. HATTIESBURG Southern Miss announced a contract extension Wednesday for Athletic Director Jeremy McClain. Again, a game against, say, Louisiana-Lafayette or South Alabama is far more interesting for Southern Miss fans than, say, a game against UTEP or FIU. Champions program, a group who have each committed $100,000, and has grown since its text: "Promote your event", Jeremy McClain - Director of Athletics - Southern Miss Mitchell and his wife, April, are college sweethearts and have been married for 17 years. "Southern Miss is getting an athletics director who is both a quality person and an outstanding leader," Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said. According to the filing, then-Southern Miss athletic director Jon . number: 3, Jackson State University - Wikipedia He . Also visiting on the show this week are head men's . Gilbert has demonstrated an ability to develop and implement creative ideas; for example, he was instrumental in negotiations for the university to host a football game at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016. Tournament basketball games not aired by NBC. including three football titles, two regular season and two tournament crowns in both Following his Ole Miss career, Dale played in the Blue-Gray All-Star Game before playing defensive end during the 1950 season with the Washington Redskins. Before his departure from Santa Clara, Mitchell also assisted in the development of the Broncos new $38 million Athletics Excellence Center, which opened in the Fall of 2020. McClain, the athletic director, must find new revenue streams to even hope to provide a better financial package for the next head coach. 266-5578. * What We Believe Mitchell is a respected veteran administrator who . Experienced Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing And Promotions with a demonstrated history of working in college athletics. Some stability is badly needed. Any businessman would understand the logic: cut expenses, increase revenue and deal with partners in this case, universities that are more like-minded. - University of Southern Mississippi President Rodney D. Bennett has announced the hiring of Jon Gilbert as the University's Director of Athletics. Im talking about things such as facilities, coaches salaries and recruiting budgets. McClain's new four-year deal will keep him under contract until April 30, 2026. in February of 2005. Why Ole Miss should never play football in Hattiesburg against Southern Vollmuth, Assistant Coach / Coordinator of Camps, Lauren Pittman, Assistant Coach Recruiting Coordinator, Shannon Dawson, Offensive Coordinator / Quarterbacks, Tim Billings, Assistant Head Coach / Defensive Coordinator / Safeties, Chris Boone, Assistant Coach / Defensive Line, Brock Hays, Assistant Coach / Tight Ends, Eddie Hicks, Assistant Coach / Cornerbacks, Les Koenning, Assistant Coach / Running Backs, Erik Losey, Assistant Coach / Offensive Line, Derek Nicholson, Assistant Coach / Co-Defensive Coordinator / Linebackers, Scott Walden , Assistant Coach / Inside Wide Receivers & Tight Ends, Wes Turner , Director of Player Personnel, Nikki Mattison , Administrative Assistant, Dexter Hollingsworth , Offensive Graduate Assistant, Bryan Stork , Offensive Graduate Assistant, Akeem Davis, Defensive Graduate Assistant, Aaron Walker , Defensive Graduate Assistant, All Recruiting Correspondence , (601) 266-5393 | Fax: (601) 266-6597, Aaron Kindt, Assistant Coach / Cross Country Coach. McClain is a Mississippi native, and he returns to Hattiesburg after serving as the AD at Troy since 2015. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. HATTIESBURG, Miss. : Why Southern Miss baseball will and won't make a deep NCAA Tournament run in 2023. You can only publish select stories individually not as a collection. Director of Athletics. Ive seen it up close. McClain's new four-year deal will keep him under contract until April 30, 2026. It was from there he returned to Southern Miss in 1974 to become athletic director. Miss and we will continue those friendships for years to come.. in the weight events, at St. Leo and Furman; and graduated from the University of In Dallas, fans still tune in to watch Texas and Texas A&M. His knowledge and insight into the world of collegiate athletics has allowed him to Jon does a great job of getting everybody on the same page and making sure everybody is moving in the right direction. The former Southern Miss Golden Eagle athletics director and coach, Roland Dale passed away Sunday night in Jackson, MS. All three Sun Belt teams won. Dale, who was inducted into the Southern Miss M-Club Hall of Fame on April 12, 1996, was one of the architects of the Southern Miss athletic program as both an assistant coach and as athletic director. His work as a syndicated columnist and celebrated sports writer has appeared in numerous magazines, periodicals and newspapers. MDHS adds USM volleyball project to effort to recoup welfare funds (WHLT) - The Sports Zone 12 team will be live on Friday, March 3 for the Sun Belt Basketball Conference Championship Tournament. an ability to build additional links to all areas of campus and focus on Mitchell also earned an MBA from the Millsaps College Else School of Management in May of 2003 and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Mississippi School of Law in December of 2005. The Hall of Fame in March of 2004 and the Saint Leo University Athletics Hall of Fame When you see news happening, share it! Along with the M-Club Hall of Fame, Dale was inducted into the Ole Miss Athletics Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Southern Miss extends athletics director Jeremy McClain, Why Southern Miss baseball will and won't make a deep NCAA Tournament run in 2023. Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital, Athletics Communications- (601) 266-4503, Ticket Office - (601) 266-5418 or 1-800-844-TICK, Cody Bielstein, Assistant Director of Athletics Development, Kendall Towe, Assistant Director of Development Internal Operations, Misty McWhorter, Athletic Foundation Staff Accountant, Brandon Roberts, Head Coach / Cheerleading, Kyle Richards , Assistant Athletic Director for Compliance, Eric Beatty, Marketing Graduate Assistant, Carly Della Sala, Marketing Graduate Assistant, Whitley Ruffin, Digital Marketing Graduate Assistant, Josie Copley , Graduate Assistant (Softball, Track, Cross Country), Sterling Randle , Graduate Assistant (Women's Basketball, Women's Golf), Ashleigh Young , Graduate Assistant (Soccer, Men's and Women's Tennis), Rob Shillito , Assistant AD for Academic Support Services (Baseball, Women's Basketball), Raven Tatum , Academic Counselor (Football (Offense), Men's and Women's Tennis), Yuji Katsuta , Assistant Athletic Trainer (Men's Basketball), Jayme Nauman , Assistant Athletic Trainer (Women's Basketball), Heather Nosky , Assistant Athletic Trainer (Soccer), Evan Denoux , Graduate Assistant (Volleyball), Jonathan Pierce, Graduate Assistant (Softball), Jordan Adams, Graduate Assistant (Track and Field, Cross Country), Chase Bitowf, Assistant Director / Football Video Coordinator, Treis LeBlanc, Video Production / Graduate Assistant, SaJason Finley, Head Strength & Conditioning Coach, T.J. Greenstone, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Matt Mandich, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Alex Richard, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Brooke Veltkamp, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, B.A. championship, it is a perfect time for me to retire. McGillis, in his fourth year as Golden Eagle athletic director, points toward the beginning of the 2016 calendar year as the genesis for the widespread success Southern Miss is enjoying. Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital, Ticket Office - (601) 266-5418 or1-800-844-TICK, Executive Senior Associate AD for Student Athlete Services, Senior Associate AD for External Operations, Senior Associate AD for Olympic Sports / SWA, Senior Associate AD for Revenue Generation, Chief Financial Officer for Athletics and Athletic Foundation, Assistant Athletic Director for Development, Director of Donor Relations and Communications, Assistant Athletic Director / Business Operations, Assistant Athletic Director (Football, Baseball, Men's Golf), Director of Communications (Men's Basketball, Football Secondary, Volleyball, Men's Tennis, Women's Golf), Graduate Assistant (Women's Basketball, Beach Volleyball), Graduate Assistant (Soccer, Softball, Cross Country, Women's Tennis), Assistant AD for Creative Strategy (Primary: FB, MBB, MG, WG; Secondary: BSB), Graduate Assistant/Graphics (Primary: WSOC, WBB, BVB, SB, MTEN, WTEN; Secondary: FB, MBB), Graduate Assistant/Graphics (Primary: VB, BSB, MTF, WTF, WCC; Secondary: FB, WBB), Graduate Assistant/Video (Primary: FB, MBB, VB, BVB, SB, BSB Fan Experience, M/WTF, WCC, MG, WG), Graduate Assistant/Video (Primary: FB Fan Experience, WBB, VB, BVB, SB, BSB, M/WTF, WCC, MG, WG), Assistant Athletic Director for Equipment Operations, Facility Building Manager & Assistant Equipment Manager, Assistant Athletic Director for Ticket Operations and Sales, Senior Account Executive - Ticket Sales & Development, Associate Director of Sports Counseling and Performance, Associate AD for Academic Support Services (Football - Offense, Men's Basketball, Volleyball and Beach Volleyball), Academic Counselor (Soccer, Track and Field, Men's Tennis, Internships/Practicum/Student Workers), Academic Counselor (Football - Defense, Softball, Women's Golf), Learning Specialist/tTutorial Coordinator, Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Medicine, Assistant Athletic Trainer (Men's Basketball), Assistant Athletic Trainer (Women's Basketball), Graduate Assistant (Football, Women's Tennis), Graduate Assistant (Cross Country, Track and Field), Graduate Assistant (Football, Men's Tennis), Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Technology, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Basketball, Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Olympic Sports, Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Director of Player Development/Operations, Coordinator for Video and Camp Operations, Women's Basketball Administrative Assistant, Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line Coach, Assistant Coach / Wide Receivers/Pass-Game Coordinator, Assistant Coach / Inside Linebackers/Run-Game Coordinator, Assistant Coach / Special Teams Coordinator.