Before Southern Miss athletic director Bill McGillis took over the department, travesty was brewing in Hattiesburg.

The football team was winless, violations from the NCAA about the basketball team were imminent and the university suffered other hiccups with changes in athletic leadership.

McGillis, now entering his fourth academic year, gave a state-of-athletics speech to alumni and supports during Southern Miss’ To the Top Tour Wednesday afternoon at KJ’s River Town Grille.

Before he delved into the success garnered by the department, he passed around a golden coin with the inscription “To the top, together.”

“That’s the only way forward for us. It’s a dogfight out there,” McGillis said. “To overcome the challenges and seize the opportunities that we have, the only way to do it is together.”

Also printed on the coin was McGillis’ three-point plan on moving the program in a better direction by winning in the classroom, community and playing field.

The classroom winning has come to fruition in the last decade with grade-point averages increasing steadily.

“We had 40 students with a 4.0 GPA last year. For the, either, ninth time in 11 years or 10th time in 12 years our male student athletes have won what’s called the (David M.) Halbrook award, which goes to the highest graduation rate among the public universities in Mississippi,” McGillis said.

Southern Miss is already winning in communities outside of its own. About 10 student athletes volunteered at Rainbow Farms in Vicksburg and other projects when the tour stopped in Brookhaven and Natchez.

As for winning on the playing field: Golden Eagles’ football returned to a postseason bowl game; baseball has returned and is hosting a college baseball regional game; and the volleyball team went 24-11 but lost to the University of Texas San Antonio in the Conference USA tournament.

“We want them to leave with a lifetime of great relationships and memories. I think by and large that is happening across the board,” McGillis said.

McGillis outlined a five-goal vision for the spring and has accomplished each of his goals. He wanted more people to get engaged in the Eagle Club and buying more season tickets. He wanted to move past the NCAA case in men’s basketball behind him, have a successful transition with coach Jay Hopson and for the baseball team to go to regionals.

“We’re trending up in Eagle Club membership. We’re trending up in season tickets. The basketball case is over, that outcome was a good outcome. Jay has done a magnificent job with the transition and the baseball team obviously is in regionals,” McGillis said. “This spring, collectively, has been the most success we’ve had at one time over a decade.”

Southern Miss’ facilities received or tentatively will receive upgrades. A new soccer field has been installed and a weight room open to all student athletes received a $400,000 facelift.

The football team is receiving a $1.2 million locker room upgrade and the department is raising $200 million for an academic center, but is $500,000 shy of their goal.

McGillis said the only challenge facing Southern Miss athletics is resources, not conference affiliation or fighting for recruits.

“It’s making sure we amass enough resources to compete at the Division I level and it’s a challenge.”