By By Jeff Byrd / sports editor
June 4, 2003
Mississippi State assistant football coach Curley Hallman was on hand at MSU-Meridian campus to address Bulldog fans at the Lauderdale County Chapter of the Mississippi State Alumni Association.
Hallman, who served as the head coach at both Southern Mississippi and LSU, is in his second season as the secondary coach on Jackie Sherrill's staff in Starkville. Hallman previously worked under Sherrill from 1982-87, while at Texas A&M.
Hallman said he feels better this time around than he did a year ago.
Hallman is working under a new defensive boss. Following a troubling 3-9 season, Sherrill canned long-time defensive coordinator Joe Lee Dunn.
This winter, he hired former Louisville head coach Ron Cooper to run the Bulldog defense.
Cooper scraped the three-front defense for a more traditional four-front. The change will affect how Hallman's secondary will play.
Three weeks ago, Sherrill told The Meridian Star that the Bulldogs secondary was a concern heading into the preseason drills next August. Specifically, the Bulldog head coach said the team needed to settle on another cornerback.
Hallman said he is confident he has the personnel to deliver a solid secondary next season.
A key will be the play of Odell Bradley, who missed a good part of last season with a torn hamstring.
At the other corner, Hallman said its a battle between Slovakia Griffith and Demetric Wright.
The safety positions return two starters in rising sophomores Darren Williams of Clarksdale and Kevin Dockery of Hernando.
Williams came on toward the tail of end of last season and could develop into one of the SEC's best.