Lytrel Pollard, now in his ninth year on the coaching staff, returns to coach the defensive backs for the second season, as well as continuing to serve as the special teams coordinator. After working with the linebackers for six years, Pollard moved to overseeing the defensive backs, while also holding the role of special teams coordinator since 2003.
Last season, Pollard, , a former standout Golden Eagle linebacker, helped construct a defense that was ranked No. 30 nationally in total defense and No. 21 in pass efficiency defense, while his defense backs recorded 14 of the team’s 17 interceptions, including three for touchdowns.
On special teams, kicker Darren McCaleb, a three-time all-conference and two-time All-American selection, finished his Golden Eagle career setting all the school’s kicking records. He the all-time leading scorer (365), and has the most made field goals (69) and extra points (138).
Pollard coached the 2005 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year and All-American Kevis Coley, who posted 150 tackles (81 solos, 69 assists), the sixth-best performance in school history. Coley’s total tackles ranked No. 8 nationally, while his solos stood No. 7 nationally. Even more than that, Pollard also helped Wayne Hardy make the move from fullback to linebacker, and as a result, Hardy finished fifth on the team in tackles.
Pollard also coached a strong special teams unit, as All-American and All-Conference USA performer McCaleb, who was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, set the school single-season record with 23 field goals, most points in a season (107), while tying the school’s game record with four field goals against East Carolina. In addition, All-American punter Luke Johnson was the No. 1 punter in Conference USA and was ranked No. 7 nationally in yards per punt (44.9). The school’s most prolific return man, John Eubanks had another strong year, and currently plays in the NFL with the Washington Redskins.
In 2004, Pollard coached outside linebacker Michael Boley, as he left his mark as one of the greatest linebackers to ever play at Southern Miss. He was a two-time All-American, including consensus honors in 2004, the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and a three-time All-Conference USA selection. Linebacker Antoine Cash had an outstanding senior season as the team’s third-leading tackler with 95 stops, four sacks, 15 tackles for loss and three fumble recoveries. Boley was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons and Cash signed a free agent contract, also with the Falcons.
Boley was tabbed a national semifinalist for the Butkus, Bednarik and Lott Awards, while winning the Conerly Trophy, given since 1996 to Mississippi’s best college football player. He earned Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week Honors four times, and national player of the week honors by the Football Writers Association of America and the Walter Camp Foundation following his 20-tackle, two forced fumbles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup performance in the team’s season opening win at Nebraska. He posted one of the best seasons by a Southern Miss defensive player, as he finished with 125 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, two pass breakups and five forced fumbles this season. His five forced fumbles gave him nine for his career, which is a school record.
In the same year, McCaleb was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award, given annually to the nation’s best collegiate kicker and earned All-American honors. He was perfect on all of his regular season field goals attempts, before missing his first few of the season in the bowl game.
Eubanks also enjoyed a strong 2004 season, as he led the nation in kickoff returns for part of the year, and finished (5) in the top five in the nation for the second year in a row. He was named the Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year, as well as earning All-American honors for the second year.
In 2003, he saw three of his specialists gain all-conference honors. Eubanks and Marvin Young ranked among the nation’s leaders in kick return (4) and punt return (10), respectively. The two players earned spots on the All-Conference USA First Team as return men, while McCaleb was honored on the league’s all-freshman team and was named to several Freshman All-American teams, including the Sporting News.
During the 2000 season, one of his players, Bandit End Terrell Paul, was named to the Conference USA all-freshman team, and during the 2001 season Wolf Linebacker Roy Magee was named second team All-C-USA.
A native of Bay Springs, Miss., Pollard played at Stringer High School and completed an outstanding Golden Eagle playing career in 1997 by helping lead the team to a 9-3 record, a C‑USA championship, and a Liberty Bowl title. He led the team in tackles with 114, a total that was good for fifth place in the conference. He was in double figures in tackles eight times in 11 games as a senior and had a season‑best 13 stops in the season opener at Florida.
He finished his Golden Eagle career with 274 tackles, nearly reaching the top 10 on the career tackles list at Southern Miss, and he was named permanent captain his senior season.
Pollard earned his undergraduate degree in coaching and sport administration in the spring of 1998, and his master's in the fall of 1999. He is the son of Charles and Margaret Pollard of Bay Springs, Miss. Pollard, and his wife, Kristina, have two sons, Tylor and Klabron.
