Reports: Southern Miss Expected to Hire Oklahoma State OC Monken

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WCBI/CBSSports.com) —Southern Mississippi will name Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken as its next head football coach, according to multiple reports.

(Oklahoma State University Athletics)
Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Todd Monken is expected to be named the new head coach at Southern Miss.

Both the Hattiesburg American and the Oklahoman are reporting that the Golden Eagles have reached an agreement with Monken, and an official announcement is expected on Tuesday.

The Oklahoman is reporting that Monken is not expected to coach Oklahoma State against Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on Jan. 1. Monken is expected to immediately begin to assemble a staff to bring Southern Miss back from a disappointing 0-12 finish in 2012.

In each of the last two seasons under Monken, the Oklahoma State offense has ranked in the top five nationally in total offense and scoring. Monken was also the wide receivers coach for the Cowboys in 2002-04, taking the same position at LSU and with the Jacksonville Jaguars before returning to Oklahoma State as offensive coordinator in 2011.

This is the second time Southern Miss has found a head coach in Stillwater, hiring then-offensive coordinator Larry Fedora in 2007. Fedora was able to continue the winning ways in Hattiesburg, extending the Golden Eagles’ streak to 18 consecutive winning seasons and adding a Conference USA title in 2011. Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson was promoted to head coach after Fedora’s exit, but the 0-12 showing — the program’s first winless season since 1925 — resulted in his dismissal on Nov. 27. Johnson has since been name the defensive coordinator at Auburn.