When Jeremy McClain took over as the school’s eighth Director of Athletics, he knew that he would have to roll up his sleeves and get to work in helping to build and create more opportunities not for only this department, but more importantly, for its student-athletes.

Since the announcement of his hiring on April 8, 2019, McClain has done just that.

In just the last year, McClain guided the Southern Miss athletics program into its inaugural season of the Sun Belt Conference and the Golden Eagles responded with four team championships coming in the sports of women’s cross country, women’s and men’s basketball and baseball. In addition, the school finished fourth in the Vic Bubas Cup, which is given annually to the Sun Belt’s annual all-sports champion based on a points system.

In the summer of the 2022, McClain also unveiled a three-year strategic plan, #ToTheTop25, outlining a bold vision for the future of Golden Eagle athletics which comprised of 25 strategic initiatives to be completed by the end of the 2025 calendar year. Just 14 months after the announcement of the plan, the department had met or surpassed 10 of the 25 goals.

His ability to fund raise has also shown through with a record-breaking year in 2022-23 in regard to total Eagle Club members (2,871) and total giving ($2.3 million). He also continues to help and advise on Golden Eagle student-athlete’s education and collaborating with them to maximize their NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) opportunities during their time with the University. 

McClain’s efforts to improve and enhance the Golden Eagle student-athlete’s experience can also be felt in the capital projects that he has seen to completion.

In the fall of 2020, the Bower Academic Center, located in Cook Library, opened its doors. The new academic center provides an improved and expanded home for the 400 Southern Miss student-athletes, while also bettering the work area for those that oversee the process of those individuals meeting their academic goals.

In addition, the Wellness Center, which houses the volleyball program, opened, as well as a renovation to the home courts of the beach volleyball program. Golden Eagle fans also have enjoyed the newly installed lighting system that will benefit both men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as help with the enjoyment of Golden Eagle fans in attendance at Reed Green Coliseum.

Other facility upgrades have included a new LED lighting and a new videoboard at baseball, the installation of a new synthetic turf at Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field, along with new recovery tubs in sports medicine and a new synthetic surface at M.M. Roberts Stadium.

More upgrades at both Reed Green Coliseum and Pete Taylor Park are expected over the next few years.

McClain’s continued quest to heighten the student-athlete experience at Southern Miss is not just limited to their performance in the classroom or on the field.
He hired the department’s first person to oversee sports counseling and performance and the entire coaching staff, as well as the administrative team, passed Mental Awareness Training, becoming the first athletics department at a secondary educational institution in the state to accomplish this feat in the summer of 2022.

During his first full year on the job, McClain had the task of hiring new coaches for several sports, including the school’s first beach volleyball coach. He also positioned the department better in terms of student-athlete development with the addition of a new position of Executive Senior Associate AD for Student-Athlete services.

His toughest duty on the job at Southern Miss, though, came during the early months of 2020, as he has provided sound leadership in helping the guide the department school through the COVID-19 pandemic.

McClain returned to the University after serving as the Director of Athletics at Troy University since August of 2015. He served as the Deputy Director of Athletics at Southern Miss for three years prior to his departure to Troy.

Under McClain, the Troy football program won 31 games, tied for the most wins over three seasons by Group of Five conference schools with Boise State and UCF. The Trojans won three-straight bowl games and a Sun Belt Conference title, while earning a national ranking and recording a historic victory at LSU in that time period. In addition, the football program enjoyed record attendance in his three seasons.

The men’s basketball team won the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Tournament and made its first appearance in March Madness since 2003, while the women’s basketball team captured 82 games over four seasons with a pair of Sun Belt Conference Tournament titles and two trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Troy finished in third place in the 2017-18 Bubas Cup standings, which is the Sun Belt Conference’s all sport trophy; the best finish in Troy’s 13-year history in the league.

As for facilities, the long-anticipated Troy Football North End Zone Facility broke ground in the fall of 2016 and opened in the summer of 2018. The $25 million facility is the state-of-the-art home to the football program with new coaches offices, locker room, weight room and team lounge. Additionally, the project added 400 luxury seats to Veterans Memorial Stadium and a new high-definition video board.

McClain dedicated his first year at Troy to improving the fan experience with the implementation of several new gameday initiatives, the unveiling of a new ticketing system and spearheading a redesign of the Athletics website, TroyTrojans.com.

During his earlier stint at Southern Miss, McClain oversaw the day-to-day operations of the Athletics Department, and was responsible for revenue generation, which included licensing, corporate development, fundraising and ticket sales.

As the primary fundraiser for the Golden Eagles, McClain led a staff that set giving records in 2013 for the annual fund and the overall Southern Miss Athletic Foundation. He was also responsible for securing funding and supervising several major facility projects.

Prior to his time at Southern Miss, McClain served as Director of Athletics at Delta State University for five-plus years, beginning in 2007. While at Delta State, McClain developed a plan to increase student-athlete services.

McClain also increased donations to the school’s athletic department, helping secure funding for the first phase of DSU’s Athletic Master Plan.
Delta State’s on-field successes also increased under McClain. During his tenure, the Statesmen and Lady Statesmen claimed seven Gulf South Conference championships, five NCAA Regional crowns and 21 NCAA postseason appearances. In 2010, the football team appeared in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game and in 2012 the baseball team earned a runner-up finish at the NCAA Division II College World Series.

McClain earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Delta State in 1999, where he was a Division II All-American in baseball. He also earned his M.B.A. from Delta State in 2002. After graduation, he played five years of professional baseball.

He was a four-year letterwinner at his alma mater in which he posted a 45-9 overall record, including a 15-0 season in 1999 as a senior. McClain helped lead the Statemen to the 1996 College World Series and he was inducted into the Delta State Hall of Fame.

He is married to the former Christie Cannon of Calhoun City, Miss., and the couple has three children, son Cannon, and daughters Kate and Piper.