HATTIESBURG — The Will is gone at Southern Miss.

Southern Miss Director of Athletics Jeremy McClain announced Sunday that the university has parted ways with football head coach Will Hall.

The decision came after a 44-28 loss to Arkansas State on Saturday night that dropped the Golden Eagles’ record this season to 1-6. They have lost five games in a row, all by at least 10 points.

Hall had a record of 14-30 in 3 1/2 seasons. He led Southern Miss to a 7-6 record in the LendingTree Bowl in his first season in 2021, but has gone 4-15 since then. Only two of those four wins were against FBS opponents.

“We are grateful to Will and his family for their dedication to Southern Miss over the past four years,” McClain said. “Will poured his heart and soul into this program and into shaping these young men. Unfortunately, the results on the field didn’t align with our shared goals and expectations.”

In a statement announcing Hall’s dismissal, Southern Miss said assistant head coach/general manager Reed Stringer will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Stringer has been in the assistant head coach/general manager for four years, and with the USM football program for seven years overall. Before coming to Southern Miss he was an assistant at Louisiana-Lafayette.

Stringer’s first game in charge will be Saturday, Oct. 26, on the road at James Madison.

“Our immediate focus is twofold: first, supporting our student-athletes throughout the remainder of the season, and second, conducting a comprehensive national search to identify the next leader for Southern Miss football,” McClain said in the statement. “This is a proud program with an outstanding history and a premier job in college football. We will find the next leader to usher us into a new era of championship success.”