Anybody, anywhere, anytime has been the mantra of the Golden Eagles that reside in Hattiesburg, MS. Better known as the "Hub City" due to its location in the state, Hattiesburg and the University of Southern Mississippi recently engulfed the major news outlets after an F-4 tornado ripped through the city and campus.
It was devastating. Like so many times in the past and like
other cities in our state, they strapped up their boots and went to work. In
turn, Ole Miss and Mississippi State sent relief efforts their way.
I expected nothing else.
To borrow a phrase from Mississippi State, "This is Our
State."
It truly is.
As Southern Miss continues to recover from the storm,
Director of Athletics Major General Jeffery (Jeff) Hammond continues to do what
he does best_put the Golden Eagles in the best possible position to be
successful on the field and in the classroom.
Many might recognize the name. For good reason, mind you.
Major General Hammond is a former quarterback at USM and while in the military,
served as the commanding general of the 4th Infantry
Division and of the Multi-National Division in
Assistance in Kabul, Afghanistan per his Wikipedia page.
Bottom line: If you see him, shake his hand. He is one of the many reasons we enjoy our freedom to date. He is a walking reason we honor the United States by placing our hand over our heart.
He's an American hero.
To be honest, the University of Southern Mississippi is not
well represented in North Mississippi. With two Southeastern Conference rivals
less than two hours apart, the Golden Eagles rarely are noticed in the nightly
news segments.
Enter Todd Monken.
Per a high school coach in north Mississippi, Monken has
reached out in an effort to inquire about a few players to join him in
Hattiesburg. Monken has stated he would like a presence in the northern part of
the state.
Want a presence in north Mississippi? Sign kids from the
area. Monken gets it.
Joel McNeece, publisher of the Calhoun County Journal, is quite
possibly the biggest USM fan north of Grenada. The CCJ, a weekly newspaper with
its office housed in Bruce, is essentially located between Ole Miss and
Mississippi State.
Bruce is a far cry from "Golden Eagle Country."
McNeece, like most other Golden Eagle fans, are a less than boastful bunch.
Make no mistake, they take pride in their school but are never one to point
fingers and mock others, something two other bases in the state could take a
few notes from.
This past football season was one the fans would like to
forget. With the hiring of former offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State Todd
Monken, those thoughts will subside quickly if history repeats itself. USM recently
went down the same road in hiring an OC at OSU in Larry Fedora, which worked
out quite well.
USM hoops? Reed Green Coliseum is alive again, as the Eagles
are putting together a nice run in Conference USA. With the success of coach
Donnie Tyndall on the hardwood and coach Scott Berry on the diamond, Hammond is
quickly putting together a nice staff.
Southern Miss is reliving the days of Clarence Weatherspoon,
with its recent success on the court and coach Berry is looking to start a new
streak of his own. Berry, in his fourth year as head coach, saw USM miss the post-season
for the first time in 10-seasons last year.
Berry returns all three starting pitchers and seven position players
from last season, putting them in great position to begin a new streak. The
season looks bright and poised for a C-USA run and a trip to the NCAA Regional's.
Like anything in life, the future is uncertain. What we do
know, as cleanup efforts continue, General Hammond knows what adversity is. We
have seen as much, with a military history that all can appreciate.
One thing is for sure, Southern Miss is in good hands going
forward.
Brad Logan is a regular contributor
to Mississippi Sports Magazine. He is a native of Bruce, MS and currently
resides in Mississippi. You can reach him by following him on Twitter:
@BradLoganCOTE and his blog: www.CornerOfTheEndzone.blogspot.com
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