McClain was an All American pitcher at Delta State, and he got batters out like no one else. This was long after Ferriss had retired as a coach and became DSU’s No. 1 fan. Ferriss said to me, “You must see this Jeremy McClain pitch.” “He doesn’t overpower you. He moves the ball in and out, up, and down. He changes speeds. Very little of this, very little of that. He throws strikes. He pitches well. McClain has a lot Greg Maddux in his. McClain laughed when I repeated Ferriss’ description of him Friday morning. McClain said, “Well, you can’t have talent unless you figure something out.” McClain did a lot. Over four seasons at Delta State, he was 45-9, and 15-0 as a senior. There was a lot of this, that, and lots of winning. He is No. He is ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II for career wins. Golden Eagle fans will be able to cheer McClain’s USM athletics direction as well as his college baseball pitching. Southern Miss has had five athletic directors (counting interims), in the past eight years. We need stability. It seems that this is the one time they did it right. McClain is a native of Houlka and is well-versed in Mississippi. McClain is a native of Houlka and was the deputy athletic director for three seasons before becoming the Troy athletic director in 2015. He is also a skilled administrator who can do a lot with very little. His entire career as an athletic administrator has seen him do that, starting at Delta State and then USM, and ending up at Troy for nearly four years. McClain stated that “none of the places where I have worked have been rich in resources.” You have to be creative. You must find new revenue streams and maximize what you already have. It is essential to outwork others. McClain completed a $24million renovation of Troy’s football stadium. It included new locker rooms, training facilities, and a meeting room. Over the three previous seasons, Troy’s football team won 31 games. Troy’s head coach Neal Brown left Troy to take up a position in West Virginia. To succeed Brown, McClain appointed Chip Lindsay, former USM offensive coordinator. McClain was a veteran in the hiring of football coaches. He was the chair of the search committee that appointed Todd Monken to Southern Miss as its head coach. Monken won nine games in his first season as head coach of a team that had been winless the previous year. McClain stated, “I understand the challenges at Southern Miss, but I also know the winning traditions we have.” “I cannot wait to get started,” it should not be difficult for me to prioritize tasks. No. 1: Raise money. No. 2: Raise more money. No. 3: Raise more money still. McClain confirmed that he will use the lessons learned from Mike Kinnison and Boo Ferriss at Delta State. McClain stated that Coach Ferriss was one of the most skilled at dealing with people. He made every person he met feel special. He had this knack. You were inspired to be better people by him. While I don’t know how I could be as good as him, I believe we can all try to be more like him.” Kinnison McClain stated that Mike taught McClain work ethic and attention for detail. Mike Kinnison and his team are the best. “No detail is too small.” This will be a difficult task in cash-strapped Southern Miss. McClain has the experience and people skills to succeed._x000D