Report: Southern Miss coach, who tried to hire Art Briles, once tried to sign player accused of rape
Southern Miss coach Jay Hopson attempted to hire disgraced former Baylor coach Art Briles this week for his offensive coordinator position, something that brought immense criticism from the college football world.
It seems, however, that this type of behavior is nothing new for the 50-year-old coach.
A report on Thursday from The Athletic’s Nicole Auerbach detailed numerous past examples where Hopson, both successfully and unsuccessfully, brought in players and coaches with problematic pasts without alerting the university that employed him.
Attempting to sign a JUCO transfer accused of multiple rapes
According to The Athletic, Hopson attempted to sign junior college transfer Charles West in January. West was previously accused of raping two women at knifepoint in his home in separate incidents in 2015.
Per the report, both women declined to testify against West in a trial because they were “having a hart time testifying in front of her attacker.” The cases were downgraded to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. West pleaded guilty in both cases but received deferred adjudication probation after reaching plea deals.
Hopson, however, didn’t tell the university about West’s legal history. So West, who was a running back at Garden City (Kan.) Community College, signed and traveled to campus in early January expecting to enroll in classes for the spring semester.
It wasn’t until an athletic department staff member found a Dallas Morning News article detailing the sexual assault cases that others became aware of his legal history. Not long after, his application for admittance to the university was denied.
Attempting to hire Art Briles
This case is yet another example of questionable moves by Hopson in recent weeks, and throughout his career.
Earlier this week, Hopson interviewed Art Briles — the former Baylor coach who lost his job amid a massive sexual assault scandal that rocked the university — for the offensive coordinator position on his staff. Briles did not get the job, however Hopson defended him, saying he “deserves a second chance.”
Briles was fired from Baylor in 2016 amid the sexual assault scandal. One lawsuit, which was later settled, alleged that 52 rapes by Baylor football players occurred between 2011 and 2014 under his watch. The university is still under NCAA investigation, and Briles has said he “did not cover up sexual violence.”
Similar issues at Alcorn State
Hopson also had similar issues at Alcorn State, where he coached from 2012-2015.
Hopson recruited Jamil Cooks in 2013, according to the report, who is a former Air Force Academy member who was dismissed after a court martial panel convicted him of abusive sexual contact in 2013. He had to register as a sex offender, and also pleaded guilty to unlawfully entering women’s dorm rooms at Air Force. Cooks led Alcorn State in sacks and was second in tackles for loss in 2014.
In 2013, Hopson brought in wide receiver Jaborian “Tip” McKenzie, who accepted a plea deal and pled guilty to facilitation of aggravated rape while at Vanderbilt. McKenzie helped three teammates bring an unconscious female into a dorm room where she was raped in June 2013. McKenzie, who is now a registered sex offender, was not one of the three players who raped the woman but stood beside as the rape happened.
The four players were dismissed from the team after the accusation. McKenzie was charged in connection to the rape in August of that year. He posted bail a day after he was indicted and transferred to Alcorn State. He played in the team’s season-opening game against Mississippi State that season despite not being on the team’s roster.
He was dismissed from the program a week later, though he was able to come back to the team. McKenzie returned in 2016 and led the team in receptions. Last May, he was sentenced to 10 years probation in the 2013 case.
Hopson left Alcorn State for Southern Miss in 2016. He received a four-year extension last summer, which will keep him at the university through 2022.
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