West Georgia head coach Will Hall a proven winner

Earlier this season, Sports Illustrated Monday Morning Quarterback writer Peter King wrote about the head coaching vacancy of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. King wrote about how interim coach Dan Campbell was going to get a chance to prove himself.

The story went on to talk about possible candidates for the Dolphins’ job if Campbell isn’t the guy. One name that was mentioned was West Georgia head coach Will Hall.

Sure, Hall isn’t likely to make the jump from Division II head coach with five years experience to head coach of an NFL organization, but regardless, the fact that Hall was mentioned in the piece proves one thing — he’s quickly becoming a household name in the coaching community, and you can thank his winning resume for it.

In his five seasons as a head coach — three at West Alabama and two at West Georgia — Hall, who sports a sweater-vest every game, has posted a record of 49-15 (76.5%) and has won at least a share of three Gulf South Conference championships.

He has appeared in the playoffs four times, posting a record of 6-3 and has led West Georgia to now two straight national semifinal appearances.

After several coaching stints early in his career, including at GSC schools Arkansas-Monticello and Henderson State, Hall spent the 2008-10 seasons as the offensive coordinator at West Alabama. He was named the head coach at UWA following the 2010 season, when then coach Bobby Wallace retired.

The winner of the 2003 Harlon Hill Trophy as a quarterback at North Alabama, Hall was able to recruit top-tier players to West Alabama, which isn’t an easy task to accomplish.

Located in Livingston, Ala., UWA’s facilities are some of the worst among GSC schools, not to mention Livingston is a town of just 3,500 people and spans just seven square miles.

So Hall being able to win two GSC championships at UWA with top-tier players proves he could recruit, which, ask any coach, is the name of the game when coaching college football.

One of those top players he recruited was Malcolm Butler.

Yes, that Malcolm Butler.

The one who made the game-clinching interception as a rookie for the New England Patriots in last year’s Super Bowl. The Malcolm Butler who is now the Patriots’ top cornerback in charge of covering opposing team’s top receivers every NFL Sunday.

It was Hall’s proven ability to recruit, proof he can win, and experience within the Gulf South Conference that made him West Georgia’s pick to replace Daryl Dickey following the 2013 season.

Since arriving, Hall has changed the culture around West Georgia’s program. In his first season, Hall led the Wolves to a 12-3 mark, which included the school’s first-ever Division II playoff victory. He followed that victory over Tuskegee with a pair of road victories over GSC schools Delta State and Valdosta State before falling short to eventual national champion Colorado State-Pueblo in the semifinals.

Now this season, Hall led the Wolves to a 10-1 mark in the regular season, a share of the GSC championship, a pair of postseason victories and has the Wolves back just one win away from an appearance in the Division II national championship game.

It won’t be easy, though.

Northwest Missouri State, the Wolves' opponent this weekend in the semifinals, is ranked No. 1 in the country and is looking to appear in the national championship game for a ninth time (the school has won the title four times).

Regardless, however, of how the Wolves do this weekend, the 35-year-old Hall will certainly be in line for a job at the next level, although he isn’t likely to interview for a job — if he chooses to — until after the Wolves are done playing this season.

His main focus is on West Georgia. And then, who knows.

He might turn down any offers to move up a level right now, given West Georgia, which boasts state-of-the-art facilities, has shown interest in moving up the Division I level itself.

When Hall was hired, he mentioned how the culture at West Georgia was changing, telling me at the time he thought West Georgia was “one of the best places in the country” and that a move to the Division I level — likely the FCS level for football — could be in the university’s future.

The only question, though, is can and will that move take place before Hall is offered a Division I job somewhere else?

Only time will tell.

One this is for certain, though, Hall has proven he can coach. And win.