HATTIESBURG —  Southern Miss head football coach Jay Hopson is welcoming three new assistants to his staff, one of which a former Golden Eagle student-athlete, for the 2018 season.

The new and familiar faces include Brock Hays (tight ends), Eddie Hicks (Class of 2010, cornerbacks) and Les Koenning (running backs).

“I am very excited about the new additions to our Golden Eagle football staff,” Hopson said. “Coach Hicks helped lead the nation’s biggest turnaround last year. He is a former player here who truly understands the Southern Miss football tradition. Coach Koenning is an outstanding coach who has coached in the NFL and been a collegiate coach for more than 30 years. Coach Hays helped lead Nicholls State to the FCS playoffs. He is another excellent coach that we feel very blessed to have as part of our Golden Eagle family.”

Hays comes to Hattiesburg following a successful two-year stint at Nicholls, where he helped the Colonels to a 2017 FCS playoff appearance (the fourth in school history and first since 2005). 

Hays enjoyed much success in his first campaign as running backs coach, despite his group totaling only 10 career carries heading into the season. Led by a converted defensive back, C.J. Okpalobi, and two freshmen — Dontrell Taylor and Kyran Irvin, the Colonels averaged 162.9 yards rushing and crossed the goal line 23 times. The trio combined for five 100-yard games, highlighted by Taylor’s 169 yards in the finale against Southeastern Louisiana.

Hays joined Nicholls after coaching at Louisiana College. While at LC, he served as the defensive line coach, pro scouting liaison and academic liaison.

Hays went to LC from Edna Karr High School in his hometown of New Orleans, where he served as the defensive line coach, assistant defensive coordinator as well as assistant head coach for the Cougars from 2014-2015. Hays also acted in a similar role at Edna Karr from 2010-2013 before taking the defensive coordinator position at Miller McCoy Academy in New Orleans for the 2013-2014 school year. He is a 2009 graduate of Grambling.

Hicks is making his Hattiesburg homecoming, where he was an All-Conference USA performer from 2008-09 as a Golden Eagle and made the league’s all-freshman team in 2006. His 87-yard interception return against East Carolina in 2006 is the fourth-longest in program history. 

Hicks has served as the cornerbacks coach at Austin Peay the last two years, with the 2017 team accomplishing one of the great turnarounds in college football history. The Governors won eight games after having one victory the previous four years and did so with the No. 17 defense in FCS. While there, he coached alongside fellow former Southern Miss standout Todd Pinkston. 

Prior to APSU, Hicks spent the previous four years at Murray State, Cal, Cincinnati and Alcorn, the latter two in graduate assistant roles. Cincinnati that season had the ninth-best defense in FBS.

A veteran coordinator with more than 37 years of experience, Koenning comes to Hattiesburg after a two-year stint as UAB’s offensive coordinator and quarterback coach.

Prior to his arrival in Birmingham, Koenning served as wide receivers coach at the University of Texas in 2014. In his lone year with the Longhorns, Koenning guided John Harris to all-conference recognition as Harris hauled in 68 catches for 1,051 yards and seven touchdowns.   

Prior to joining the Texas staff, Koenning spent time as the offensive coordinator at Mississippi State (2009-13), South Alabama (2008), Texas A&M (2003-07) and Alabama (2001-02).

In five seasons at Mississippi State, Koenning elevated the offense to its highest levels in school history in addition to helping the Bulldogs play in four straight bowl games for the first time in school history.

During that time, Koenning orchestrated what was then the top four seasons in school history in total offensive yards, the top two in passing yards and scoring, the top four in passing TDs, and two of the top four in rushing TDs. Koenning also coached the top four quarterbacks on the career completion percentage chart in MSU history in Tyson Lee, Tyler Russell, Dak Prescott and Chris Relf.

Koenning came to Mississippi State from South Alabama, where he spent 2008 helping to establish the foundation for the newly developed Jaguars program that began play in 2009. Current UAB head coach Bill Clark was the defensive coordinator for USA while Koenning led offense.

A native of Houston, Koenning began his career with graduate assistantships at Texas and Alabama before being named wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator at Louisiana- Lafayette in 1985. He graduated from Texas in 1981 with a degree in health and physical education, and added a master’s degree in sports management two years later. He played at Memorial High School in Houston for his father, Les Koenning Sr., who was a longtime Texas high school and college coach.