Will Hall contract buyout 2024: How much does South Mississippi owe its head coach? Closer look at Golden Eagles Week 3 game
Will Hall has been at the helm of the University of South Mississippi's football program since 2021. In three seasons prior to the ongoing one, he only registered one winning season, when the program went 7-6, and also won the 2022 LendingTree Bowl.
However, the start of this season has been underwhelming. They were shut down by Kentucky in Week 1, got a 35-10 win over Southeastern Louisiana in Week 2, and recently suffered a 49-24 loss against the South Florida Bulls.
Considering another poor season on the cards, could he be fired before the season ends? But what cost could it come at?
In December 2020, Will Hall signed a four-year contract worth $800,000. As per the buyout clause of the contract, the Southern Miss will have to pay 100% of the remainder of the contract if they were to fire Hall without any reason. They can do so in installments instead of lump sum payments.
As opposed to this, if it's Hall who decides to leave the school this year instead, he'll have to pay $1 million and then drop by $500,000 each year until the contract runs out.
Will Hall disappointed after loss against South Florida at home
After going toe-to-toe in the first quarter against South Florida, the Southern Miss started to lose their grip from the game, eventually losing the game 49-24.
This left Will Hall disappointed, who thought they had a chance after how the team played in the first quarter:
“Disappointed,” Hall said after the game. “You can see the talent, you can see the flashing, you can see the improvement in a lot of areas. ... Just disappointed we had a chance to win a big game right here at home versus a really good football team, but that’s not good enough."
“We came here to be thought of as a top Group of Five program in America,” Hall said. “That team right there is thought of as one of those teams that have a chance to be that. We were toe to toe with them for a long time and they stretched it out and kicked our butt late.”
One of the major reasons for the loss was the difference in the run game between both teams. On one hand, the Bulls had 369 rushing yards, while the Golden Eagles only had 90 yards. Moreover, the Golden Eagles only completed one 3rd down out of 10 opportunities, forcing them to give the ball back via punting on 4th down.