Jay Hopson Hired as Starkville High School Athletics Director

Vicksburg native Jay Hopson has been hired as the new Starkville High School Athletics Director. Hopson spent the last few years at the University of South Alabama where he was the cornerbacks coach.

The news of Hopson’s hiring was announced on Tuesday. During his coaching career, Hopson had two stints as Head Coach at Alcorn State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. During his four years at Alcorn, he led the Braves to two SWAC Championships.

About Hopson:

He joined the South Alabama coaching staff in 2023 as the cornerbacks coach after a two-year stint as the Director of High School Relations at Mississippi State.

Prior to his time at Mississippi State, Hopson was the head coach at Southern Miss (2016-20) and Alcorn State (2012-15). During his time at Southern Miss, Hopson finished 28-23 with four winning seasons, resigning his position after the 2020 season opener. During his first season with the Golden Eagles, Hopson led the team to their first win over an SEC opponent since 2000 when they defeated Kentucky and later earned a bid to the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl.

In his second season, he led the team to eight wins and a bowl bid before a six-win season in his third year at the helm. In his final full season, Hopson led Southern Miss back to the postseason for the third time in four years. He coached 11 first team Conference USA selections and coached four former players who were drafted into the NFL.

Prior to the Southern Miss, Hopson served as the head coach at Alcorn State. During his tenure there, Hopson led the Braves to a 32-17 record and consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference championships the last two seasons. Alcorn State also recorded at least nine victories in each of the last three seasons, including a 10-3 mark in 2014 and following this season, Hopson led the Braves to the inaugural Celebration Bowl, a postseason football bowl featuring two standout programs from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU).

His team also captured the SBN Black College Championship in 2014.

Prior to his arrival at Lorman, Hopson worked as linebackers coach for two seasons at Michigan (2008-09) and worked as defensive coordinator at Memphis during the 2010 and 2011 campaigns.

His first two stints at Southern Miss as an assistant coach came from 2001-03 (defensive backs) and then again from 2005-07 (linebackers, defensive coordinator). Hopson’s defensive units led Conference USA in scoring defense each of his three seasons as defensive coordinator. In 2006, the Golden Eagles led C-USA in third down defense and red zone defense while his 2005 unit led the league in turnovers forced per game as well as led the nation in fumbles gained. 

During his first stint with the Golden Eagles, the defensive unit led the nation in fewest passing touchdowns allowed and finished fourth nationally in pass efficiency defense in 2002. Southern Miss led C-USA and finished fifth nationally in pass defense during the 2003 season and each year during that stretch, Southern Miss ranked in the Top 15 nationally in scoring defense. 

Hopson spent 2004 at his alma mater, the University of Mississippi, as defensive backs coach and was the program’s recruiting coordinator. The Rebels’ pass defense improved from 109th nationally in 2003 to 49th during the 2004 campaign. 

His coaching experience also includes positions at Marshall (1996-2000) and Delta State (1993) as defensive backs coach. He was a member of the Herds’ 1996 NCAA I-AA National Championship staff and coached the team to four straight Mid-American Conference championships. Hopson also held defensive graduate assistant positions at Florida (1995), LSU (1994) and Tulane (1992). He helped the Gators to the Southeastern Conference championship and played for the national championship in the Fiesta Bowl.

He earned four-year letters and received the 1991 John Howard Vaught Award as a player at Ole Miss. A CoSIDA Academic All-American, Hopson graduated from Ole Miss with a bachelor’s degree in business administration (1992) and received a master’s of health in physical education and recreation from Delta State (1994). 

Hopson and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters, Hyde and Hannah.