South Alabama has hired Jay Hopson as its cornerbacks coach, a source told AL.com on Sunday.
Hopson spent the last two seasons as Mississippi State’s director of high school relations. Before that, he was the head coach at Southern Miss from 2016-2020 and at Alcorn State from 2012-2015.
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Hopson, 54, replaces Dwike Wilson, who left the company to take a job at Southern Miss. Ironically, both are from Vicksburg, Miss., and are Ole Miss graduates.
Hopson played safety at Ole Miss from 1988-1991 and served as a defensive backs coach at Delta State, Marshall and his alma mater, in addition to two stints on Jeff Bower’s Southern Miss Staff. He was the defensive coordinator for the Golden Eagles from 2005 to 2007 and then went to Michigan and Memphis for two years each, where he was the defensive coordinator.
Hopson was hired as the head coach at Alcorn State in 2012, becoming one of the few white football coaches at a historically black school. He went 32-17 with two SWAC championships with the Braves before taking over at Southern Miss in 2016.
Hopson had a 28-23 record, four winning seasons and three bowl spots with the Golden Eagles, but resigned after the 2020 season opener. That game was a 32-21 loss to Steve Campbell’s South Alabama team in Hattiesburg.
Hopson has longstanding relationships with the Jaguars’ current head coach, Kane Wommack, whose father, Dave, was the linebacker coach under Hopson at Southern Miss in 2007. Kane Wommack also played on this team as a walk-on tight end and keeper.
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