Johnson is introduced at a Southern Mississippi press conference in December, 2011.
DAVID BRANDT
AP Sports Writer
HATTIESBURG, MS (AP/WIS) - Southern Mississippi has fired football coach Ellis Johnson after one
winless season.
Athletic director Jeff Hammond said in a statement Tuesday that Johnson
"will not return in the future as our head football coach."
The 60-year-old Johnson is due a $2.1 million buyout over the next three
seasons.
The veteran coach has been a successful defensive coordinator at several
schools, including South Carolina, Mississippi State, Alabama and Clemson
before coming to Hattiesburg, Miss.
During Johnson's first season with the Gamecocks, he was one of five finalists for Defensive Coordinator of the Year by FootballScoop.com. In 2010, the defense finished No. 15 nationally against the run. In
2009, the defense finished No. 15 national in total defense.
That experience didn't translate into success with the Golden Eagles.
Southern Miss finished with a 0-12 record one season after a school-record
12-2 finish that included a win in the Hawaii Bowl. The Golden Eagles were the
only team in the Football Bowl Subdivision not to win a game this year.
"At Southern Miss, we know a winner when we
see one," said President Dr. Martha Dunagin Saunders as she introduced
Johnson to a crowd of Golden Eagle faithful in December, 2011.
"I want to take Southern Miss to a BCS bowl game and win it," said Johnson during his introductory press conference.
Johnson replaced Larry Fedora who took the head coaching job at the University of North Carolina. UNC finished 8-4.
Thursday, April 25 2013 7:03 AM EDT2013-04-25 11:03:18 GMT
(RNN) - Big guys are likely to be the stars of the show Thursday night when the NFL Draft again airs in primetime on ESPN, live from Radio City Music Hall. Barring unforeseen weirdness - which can never
The NFL Draft with all its drama and uncertainty airs live in prime time Thursday night. Luke Joeckel, Manti Te'o, SEC stars and borderline quarterbacks are among this year's mysteries.
Thursday, April 18 2013 8:52 PM EDT2013-04-19 00:52:03 GMT
(RNN) - Spring practice in the SEC climaxes Saturday when five more teams hold their annual spring scrimmages. Interesting fact: So far the biggest attendance at a spring game this season was at Kentucky
New coaches at Tennessee, Auburn and Arkansas will give us the first glimpse of their teams in Saturday's SEC spring games. Two-time defending national champion Alabama and Mississippi State also give fans a break from the long college football offseason.
Thursday, April 11 2013 7:00 AM EDT2013-04-11 11:00:16 GMT
Many Southeastern Conference football fans will finally get a look at their favorite teams this Saturday, April 13, and several of the annual spring games will be broadcast on TV and on the Web.Texas A&M
Southeastern Conference fans are beginning to stir as South Carolina, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Vanderbilt and Kentucky all hold their annual spring football games on Saturday, April 13.
Monday, January 7 2013 6:00 AM EST2013-01-07 11:00:08 GMT
Miami (RNN) - Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said the team that makes the most mistakes may well win tonight. Not a misprint.He explained that odd statement Sunday at the final news conference before the
Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly said the team that makes the most mistakes may win tonight. He meant the team that takes the most chances, forces the action and sets the pace. Teams that do that make mistakes. But they cause the other guys to make mistakes, too.
Sunday, January 6 2013 11:52 AM EST2013-01-06 16:52:47 GMT
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly shook hands Sunday morning in front of the Coaches' Trophy, the prize their two teams want to take home Monday night.
Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly shook hands Sunday morning in front of the Coaches' Trophy, the prize their two teams want to take home Monday night.
Friday, December 7 2012 8:37 AM EST2012-12-07 13:37:38 GMT
(RNN) - Butch Jones has been hired as the next head football coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, according to ESPN. Jones has resigned from his position as Cincinnati's head coach, effective immediately,
Butch Jones has been hired as the next head football coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, according to ESPN.
Thursday, November 29 2012 12:54 PM EST2012-11-29 17:54:22 GMT
Offensively, Alabama and Georgia both feature efficient if not flashy quarterbacks, steady if not high-profile receivers and a pair of running backs anyone would love to have. The breakdown: Quarterback: Georgia
Alabama and Georgia both feature efficient if not flashy quarterbacks, steady if not high-profile receivers and a pair of running backs anyone would love to have. Georgia's defense has more stars; Alabama's defense has performed better as a unit.
Monday, November 26 2012 6:15 PM EST2012-11-26 23:15:13 GMT
It is never too early to project where those teams will play, who they will play and, for good measure, the result.
The chaos of the scramble to play in the BCS Championship Game has come down to one possibility - the winner of Bama-Georgia plays Notre Dame. But how the rest of the bowl pairings might shake out is another interesting puzzle. Here are our projections.
Wednesday, November 21 2012 7:09 PM EST2012-11-22 00:09:55 GMT
It's rivalry week and some of these are really good, some have somber implications as we prepare to bid au revoir to future former coaches and others are meh.
The Egg Bowl offers much drama this year; South Carolina shoots for four straight against Clemson; Florida-Florida State has national title implications.
Thursday, November 15 2012 4:55 PM EST2012-11-15 21:55:31 GMT
(RNN) - This is mostly a week of throwaway games as SEC teams prep for next week, which features turkey, dressing and a lot of rivalry games.But a bad November Saturday in SEC Country watching ball is
Can Johnny Football gain 1 billion yards? Can Alabama score 1 billion points? And can Vanderbilt beat Tennessee for only the second time in 1 billion years? Tune in this week and find out.
