Jay Hopson has withdrawn his name from the running for the job as Alcorn State University’s next football coach.

The Vicksburg native was one of four candidates interviewed Monday for the position to replace Melvin Spears, who was fired in February after one season.

Had he been selected, Hopson, a former Warren Central and Ole Miss football player, would have been the first white coach in the history of the school’s football program, which dates to 1921 and plays in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Hopson would not give a reason for withdrawing his name from consideration.

“We talked about money issues and mainly budgetary issues,” he said. “I don’t want to say there was an offer because all the candidates were treated equally. I just felt it was in my best interest to no longer be considered.”

Hopson said he called Alcorn State president Dr. M. Christopher Brown Thursday evening with his decision.

“I told him it was in my best interests to withdraw from the coaching situation,” Hopson said.

Brown, attending a conference in California today, was unavailable for comment. Alcorn spokeswoman Clara Ross Stamps said the president will issue a statement on the coaching search after his return this afternoon.

Hopson’s decision leaves as candidates Todd McDaniel, the current director of football operations and an assistant under Spears at Alcorn; Northern Colorado offensive coordinator Michael Armour; and former Kentucky State coach Fredrick Farrier.

The school announced Thursday that the naming of the new coach — originally scheduled for Saturday’s spring game at Spinks-Casem Stadium — will be delayed until the week of commencement, which is May 7-12.

Stamps said the announcement was moved “because of the great number of events associated with the spring game and an inability to accommodate media requests.”

Hopson’s last coaching stint was as the defensive coordinator at the University of Memphis. He was fired from that position after the Tigers got off to a slow start in the 2011 season. At the end of the season, the remaining staff, including head coach Terry Porter, were fired. Memphis won two games and lost 10 last season.

Hopson spent six years on Jeff Bower’s staff at the University of Southern Mississippi and in the final two years that Bower coached at USM, he was the Golden Eagles’ defensive coordinator. Hopson joined Rich Rodriguez’s staff at Michigan as a defensive assistant for two seasons before going to Memphis.

Hopson, who graduated from Warren Central, said the proximity to Vicksburg from Alcorn’s campus in Lorman drew his interest.

“Yeah, Alcorn State is close to home. But more than that, I highly respected their faculty, and the administration,” Hopson said. “It was truly a pleasure to be considered.”

As for his future plans, Hopson said he has some options.

“We’ll see,” he said. “I have eight to 10 irons to fill.”

Alcorn State is the state’s largest historically black university and is located 45 miles south of Vicksburg in Lorman.