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Jay Hopson
Hopson at 2017 C-USA Media Days
Current position
Title
Cornerbacks coach
Team
South Alabama[1]
Conference
Sun Belt
Biographical details
Born
(1968-10-13) October 13, 1968 (age 55) Vicksburg, Mississippi, U.S.
Alma mater
Ole Miss Delta State
Playing career
1988–1991
Ole Miss
Position(s)
Safety
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1992
Tulane (GA)
1993
Delta State (DB)
1994
LSU (GA)
1995
Florida (GA)
1996–2000
Marshall (DB)
2001–2003
Southern Miss (DB)
2004
Ole Miss (DB/RC)
2005
Southern Miss (DC/DB)
2006–2007
Southern Miss (DC/MLB)
2008–2009
Michigan (LB)
2010–2011
Memphis (DC/S)
2012–2015
Alcorn State
2016–2020
Southern Miss
2021–2022
Mississippi State (DA/DHSR)
2023–present
South Alabama (CB)
Head coaching record
Overall
60–40
James Walter Hopson (born October 13, 1968) is an American football coach and former player. In 2016, Hopson made history as the only head coach in the history of the state of Mississippi to guide two different in-state universities to bowl games when he led the University of Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles to a victory in the New Orleans Bowl. During his head-coaching tenure with the University of Southern Mississippi (2016–2020), Hopson ushered the Golden Eagles to four straight bowl-eligible seasons, with his defenses and offenses ranking in the top-5 and top-25 in the NCAA, respectively. Additionally, in his four full seasons from 2016 to 2019, Hopson guided the University of Southern Mississippi to 20 conference wins, which made him the second-winningest coach in Conference-USA during that span.
Prior to his time at Southern Miss, Hopson shook the landscape of collegiate football on May 28, 2012, when he was named the head coach at Alcorn State University, becoming the first white head football coach in the history of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, an organization made up entirely of historically black colleges and universities. Previously, Hopson served as an assistant coach at Tulane, Delta State, LSU, Florida, Marshall, Southern Miss, Ole Miss, Michigan, and Memphis. In total, Hopson has won or appeared in 16 bowl games across his 31-year coaching career and holds a head-coaching record of 60–40 (.600).
Hopson played college football at the University of Mississippi. He earned four letters as a defensive back at Ole Miss from 1988 to 1991, playing free safety for one season before moving to strong safety for his final three years. He was a four-time Academic All-SEC honor roll selection and was named to the Verizon District VI Academic All-America team as a senior in 1991.[2]
^"Jay Hopson named cornerbacks coach for the Jags". University of South Alabama Athletics. 7 February 2023. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
James Walter Hopson (born October 13, 1968) is an American football coach and former player. In 2016, Hopson made history as the only head coach in the...
head coach JayHopson, a former USM assistant, was hired as the Golden Eagles head coach in January 2016. In his first year at the helm, Hopson led the Golden...
receivers coach at the University of Southern Mississippi under head coach JayHopson, replacing John Wozniak. Walden gained the title of co-offensive coordinator...
over its history. The program was most recently led by Fred McNair. ^a Hopson went 4–7 and 9–3 in the 2012 and 2013 seasons, respectively, but the school's...
Dennis Hopson (born April 22, 1965) is an American basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the Lourdes Gray Wolves men's...
I FCS football season. The Braves were led by fourth-year head coach JayHopson and played their home games at Casem-Spinks Stadium. They were a member...
Larry Fedora (2008–2011) Ellis Johnson (2012) Todd Monken (2013–2015) JayHopson (2016–2020) Scotty Walden # (2020) Tim Billings # (2020) Will Hall (2021–...
Retrieved 24 May 2023. Magee, Patrick. "Southern Miss football coach JayHopson hires a new offensive coordinator". Sun Herald. Retrieved 24 May 2023...
Larry Fedora (2008–2011) Ellis Johnson (2012) Todd Monken (2013–2015) JayHopson (2016–2020) Scotty Walden # (2020) Tim Billings # (2020) Will Hall (2021–...
January 24, 2016 Left for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as offensive coordinator JayHopson South Carolina Steve Spurrier October 12, 2015 Retired Shawn Elliott (interim)...
Larry Fedora (2008–2011) Ellis Johnson (2012) Todd Monken (2013–2015) JayHopson (2016–2020) Scotty Walden # (2020) Tim Billings # (2020) Will Hall (2021–...
Team Outgoing coach Date Reason Replacement Southern Miss JayHopson September 7, 2020 Resigned Scotty Walden (Interim) Scotty Walden (Interim) October...
Division of Conference USA (CUSA). They were led by fourth-year head coach JayHopson. Conference USA released their preseason media poll on July 16, 2019,...
T. Jones (2008) Earnest Collins Jr. (2009–2010) Melvin Spears (2011) JayHopson (2012–2015) Fred McNair (2016–2019) No team (2020) Fred McNair (2021–2023)...
Bobby Collins, Curley Hallman, Jeff Bower, Larry Fedora, Todd Monken, and JayHopson. Four of those coaches also won conference championships: Green captured...
Larry Fedora (2008–2011) Ellis Johnson (2012) Todd Monken (2013–2015) JayHopson (2016–2020) Scotty Walden # (2020) Tim Billings # (2020) Will Hall (2021–...
North Carolina Central, one at Grambling, and two at North Carolina A&T). JayHopson is the only white coach to have won a title (in 2014, at Alcorn State)...
hired by JayHopson to be Alcorn State University's Offensive Line coach before the 2014 season. He served in that role for Coach Hopson's replacement...
Offensive line coach Tony Gibson – Assistant head coach, secondary coach JayHopson – Linebackers coach Fred Jackson – Running backs coach Rod Smith – Quarterbacks...
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