University of Southern Mississippi Football

Blake Anderson returns to Southern Miss for his second stint as offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach after working for Larry Fedora from 2008-11, before going on to enjoy 10 successful seasons as a Division I head coach with stops at Arkansas State (2014-20) and Utah State (2021-23). He registered a 74-54 (.578) overall head coaching record, including a 53-27 (.663) conference mark in 10 seasons as a head coach, which included nine bowl games and three conference titles. Anderson has 30 years of coaching experience and has been part of six conference championships. He has coached in 14 bowl games and won a national championship at the junior college level. In his first year as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023, Anderson led Utah State to six wins and its 11th bowl game in the past 13 seasons as it played in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Offensively, USU was one of the best teams in the nation with Anderson calling the plays as the Aggies led the Mountain West and ranked 25th in the nation in total offense at 433.1 yards per game and was second in the MW and 26th in the nation scoring 33.2 points per game. At season’s end, nine Aggies earned all-conference honors, including junior wide receiver Jalen Royals, who was named a College Football Network (CFN) Third-Team All-American, graduate senior linebacker MJ Tafisi Jr., who was named a Phil Steele Honorable Mention All-American and sophomore safety Ike Larsen, who was named a CFN Honorable Mention All-Am

FootballSkip AdTucker, AddisonAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

FootballSkip AdOlinger, BenAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

Dodd was hired at Southern Miss in January, 2026 after spending the 2025 season at special teams analyst at Pittsburgh. Dodd previously worked four seasons at Utah State, two of which were spent as a senior special teams analyst after spending his first two years as a special teams quality control coach. During the 2023 season, Dodd helped Utah State to six wins and its 11th bowl game in the past 13 seasons, including its third straight, as it appeared in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. In 2023, Utah State’s special teams blocked three kicks, ranking 10th nationally, and had two players earn all-Mountain West honors in kick returner Terrell Vaughn (second team) and punt returner Micah Davis (honorable mention). USU also had one player earn MW Special Teams Player of the Week honors as sophomore safety Ike Larsen blocked an extra point in the final minute of USU’s 34-33 road win at UConn. During the 2022 campaign, Dodd helped Utah State to six wins and an appearance in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. In 2022, Utah State’s special teams finished the year ranked 16th in the nation based on The Fremeau Efficiency Index (FEI), as the Aggies blocked four kicks, with three punts and one extra point, to rank 10th in the nation. USU also ranked second in the MW and 33rd in the nation in punt return defense, allowing 5.4 yards per return. USU was also third in the MW in both punt returns (8.9 ypr) and net punting (38.9 ypp). In 2021, Utah State had its best season in school history as

FootballSkip AdBowling, BrandonAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

FootballSkip AdMooney, CyAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

Southern Miss football coach Blake Anderson announced on Feb. 27 the hiring of Issac Reed as running backs coach. Reed comes to Southern Miss after three sea...

FootballSkip AdSummers, JacobAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

Steckel joined the Southern Miss staff as defensive line coach in December, 2025 after serving as the defensive line coach for South Alabama last season. Steckel spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons at Eastern Michigan coaching the program’s defensive line. Steckel helped guide the Eagles to six wins and a bowl appearance in 2023. Prior to joining the staff at Eastern Michigan, Steckel spent four years at Southeast Missouri State as the defensive line coach. He helped the Redhawks finish 9-3 overall and 5-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play during the 2022 campaign. The Redhawks advanced to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoffs for the third time in five years and posted their fourth nine-win season in program history. In 2020 and 2021, Steckel coached his first All-OVC performer in Bryson Donnell. A first-team selection, Donnell made five starts on the defensive line and was SEMO’s fourth-leading tackler with 41 stops. He added three tackles for loss, a sack and four quarterback hurries. Donnell also blocked a kick, forced a fumble and had one fumble recovery. Steckel earned his first full-time coaching opportunity in 2018 as the defensive line coach at Missouri State. That Missouri State team tallied 24 sacks in a single season and picked up wins against No. 9 Illinois State and No. 20 Northern Arizona. The 2018 season at Missouri State was Steckel’s second stint with the Bears as he was a defensive quality control coach with the program from 2015-17. Between st

Joe Bolden was promoted to defensive coordinator/linebackers coach under coach Blake Anderson in December, 2025. Bolden was hired as the school's Special Teams Coordinator/Nickels Coach at Southern Miss in January of 2025. In his first year with the program, Bolden oversaw a special teams squad which did not allow a blocked kick or punt the entire season, while his squad blocked a pair of kicks during the year. The Golden Eagles also finished third in the Sun Belt in both kickoff returns (22.50) and punt returns (11.47). Southern Miss did not miss an extra point, making all 46 attempts. The Golden Eagle defense also forced 29 turnovers, which included 23 interceptions on the year. Bolden arrived at Southern Miss after working two seasons at Tulsa, coaching the JACKS position and serving as special teams coordinator. He added the responsibility of co-defensive run game coordinator during his second season. Last fall, his kick return unit ranked No. 2 in average return yards at 28.44 per attempt. Bolden also coached first-team all-conference and second-team HERO Sports Group of Five All-American Ben Kopenski at the JACK position in 2023. Tulsa’s special teams units ranked No. 25 nationally for punt returns and No. 43 for kick returns. Bolden came to Tulsa following one season as the special teams coordinator and outside linebackers coach at Nevada. In his one year, the Wolfpack ranked No. 36 nationally for blocked kicks and No. 40 for kick return defense in 2022. Before his sti

Shaver begins his Southern Miss tenure in January 2026, after spending the 2025 season as part of the UConn football coaching staff in 2025, working as an as...

Kyle Cefalo joins the staff as assistant head coach as well as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. He was hired in December, 2025 for coach Blake Anderson Cefalo joins the Southern Miss personnel after spending the last season at California, serving as wide receivers coach/passing game coordinator. In his lone season at Cal, the Bears ranked No. 17 in the country in passing yards at 275.8 yards per game and Jacob De Jesus ranked second in the nation in both receiving yards (1,029) and catches per game (8.31). The Bears finished the season 7-6 and an appearance in the Hawai’i Bowl. Cefalo also has made stops at Arkansas State, Maryland and Utah State. During his time as an offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, Cefalo has been part of six teams that have been ranked in the top 25 nationally in both total offense and passing offense. Three of his teams have been ranked in the top 10 in the country in passing offense, including the No. 2-rated squad in passing offense when he was the wide receivers coach and special teams co-coordinator at Arkansas State in 2020. During his tenure as offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Utah State, Cefalo directed a unit this past season that produced 467.7 yards per game – which ranks seventh in the nation and second in the Mountain West Conference. He coached two Associated Press Second Team All-Americans and Biletnikoff Award semifinalists at Arkansas State – Omar Bayless in 2019 and Jonathan Adams Jr. in 2020. Ada

FootballSkip AdKerver, LukeAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

Michael Gibbs was elevated to tight ends coach by Coach Blake Anderson in December 2025, after spending the 2025 campaign with the Golden Eagles as assistant offensive line coach. Gibbs, who is in his second stint with the Golden Eagles, returned to Hattiesburg after spending a season at Coffeyville Community College as Offensive Line Coach/ Run Game Coordinator after spending the previous fall as the offensive coordinator at a high school in Escambia Academy in Alabama. Before that, he served as Senior Offensive Analyst at Utah State University from 2021-2022. In 2021, Utah State had its best season in school history as it tied the school record with 11 wins (11-3). Utah State’s offense set six school records during the 2021 campaign. In 2020, Gibbs was in a Quality Control role at UCF working with the offensive line. That season UCF ranked second in the nation in total offense (568.1 yards per game), third in passing offense (357.4 ypg), ninth in scoring offense (42.2 points per game) and 25th in rushing offense (210.7 ypg). Gibbs assisted an offensive line that received two 1st team all-conference selections in Matt Lee and Cole Schneider. The Golden Knights finished the 2020 season with an appearance in the Boca Raton Bowl. In 2019, Gibbs registered his first stint at Southern Miss in an offensive graduate assistant role. The Golden Eagles finished the year 7-6 with an appearance in the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl. Gibbs spent three years (2016-2018) as an offensive

FootballSkip AdBethea, MikeAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

FootballSkip AdBoykin, PresleyAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

Davis began his Southern Miss tenure in January, 2026 after serving wide receivers coach at Georgia State since March 2022. He was named to 247 Sports’ “30Under30” list for 2023 as a rising star in the coaching ranks. This past season, Davis mentored first-team All-Sun Belt pick Ted Hurst, who finished sixth in the league in receiving yards with 1,004 to go along with six touchdowns, averaging 14.1 yards per catch and 83.7 yards per contest. In his first season with the Panthers, he coached Jamari Thrash, who led the Sun Belt Conference with 1,122 receiving yards while earning all-conference and All-America honors. Robert Lewis also enjoyed a breakout season with six touchdown catches in just eight games. While at USF, Davis served as a quality control analyst, working with the wide receivers in 2020 and then with running backs and tight ends in 2021. Davis was a standout receiver at North Carolina, where he earned All-Atlantic Coast Conference honors and finished his career as the Tar Heels' all-time leader in receptions (205) and touchdown catches (25). He went on to professional football, spending time with the Detroit Lions in 2016 before playing one season in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Davis began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UNC, working with the wide receivers for two seasons (2018-19) before moving to USF. The native of Gaffney, S.C., earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science and sports science from North Caro

Stringer, an interim head coach for the Golden Eagles in 2024, returns after spending a year as General Manager at Louisiana. Stringer returns following a second stint in Lafayette - and his first as General Manager with the program - after spending the previous seven years at Southern Miss. Stringer spent his final four seasons as assistant head coach/general manager and seventh year overall with the Golden Eagle football program, where he assisted with the daily needs of the football program. Before coming to Southern Miss, Stringer spent the previous seven seasons (2011-17) as assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and tight ends coach at Louisiana. At UL, Stringer developed and mentored one of the most consistent and high achieving units on the Ragin Cajun squad with five different tight ends earning all-conference honors in seven years. Known for being a great evaluator and a relentless recruiter, Stringer’s recruiting efforts led the way in Louisiana posting four consecutive nine-win seasons for the first time in school history. The Ragin’ Cajun recruiting classes consistently finished at the top of the Sun Belt conference and among the group of 5 institutions. Stringer, the 2012 Sun Belt Conference Recruiter of the Year by Scout.com, was also recognized in 2009 as one of the SEC’s “Top 10 Recruiters” by Rivals.com for his contributions to Mississippi State’s nationally-ranked class which produced 12 players who signed NFL contracts and included Cincinnati Red’s c

Coughlin joins the Southern Miss staff after spending the last four seasons at Eastern Michigan as the program’s Assistant Head Coach and Offensive Line Coach/Co-Offensive Run Game Coordinator. Coughlin holds 24 years of coaching experience in the college ranks, having coached the offensive line at both the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) ranks Prior to his arrival in Ypsilanti, Coughlin spent two years with Arkansas State University as the offensive line coach and Run Game Coordinator. In two seasons with the Red Wolves, A-State posted highlight wins over Florida International in the 2019 Camellia Bowl as well as a 35-31 upset of Kansas State in 2020. Coughlin’s run-game and offensive line continued to soar in 2023, as long-time Eagles’ offensive tackle Brian Dooley signed a free agent contract for the Tennessee Titans after collecting the third All-MAC honor of his career, as he was named third team. The all-time leader in career games played (62) and started (60) at EMU, he was on the field for 4,0541 career snaps, the Bowling Green, Ohio, product allowed quarterback pressures on just four percent of his all-time offensive snaps. Dooley made national headlines with an incredibly selfless act that earned him the 2023 Disney Spirit Award. Since 1996 the Disney Spirit Award has been presented every year by Walt Disney World Resort to the most inspirational figures in college football. The award was created to honor people like Doole

Taveze Calhoun joined the Southern Miss football staff in January of 2025 and will oversee the cornerbacks for the Golden Eagles. Calhoun came to Southern Mi...

FootballSkip AdHarkins, TJAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison

FootballSkip AdMarlin, ZachAnderson, BlakeBethea, MikeBolden, JoeBowling, BrandonBoykin, PresleyCalhoun, TavezeCefalo, Kyle Coughlin, SeanDavis, QuinshadDodd, BobbyGibbs, MichaelHarkins, TJKerver, LukeMarlin, ZachMooney, CyOlinger, BenReed, IsaacShaver, KendrickSteckel, JeroneStringer, ReedSummers, JacobTucker, Addison