July 24, 2007

HATTIESBURG, Miss. - A quartet of head coaches, as well as five members of the football team, along with the Golden Eagle cheerleaders and Seymour will make an appearance at the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Beach Bash, which will be held, Thursday (July 26), at the Imperial Palace Casino (850 Bayview) in Biloxi.

The event starts at 5 p.m., with a social and silent auction, followed by a dinner and program at 6 p.m.

Football coach Jeff Bower, along with men's basketball coach Larry Eustachy, women's basketball coach Joye Lee-McNelis and baseball coach Corky Palmer will be in attendance for the event.

The five players scheduled to appear at the event include senior defensive linemen Sean Merrill (D'Iberville) and Martavius Prince (Ft. Pierce, Fla.), senior defensive end Robert Henderson (Ponchatoula, La.), senior defensive back Brandon Sumrall (Beaumont) and junior offensive lineman Ryan McKee (Spanish Fort, Ala.).

The five Golden Eagle players were a part of a team that captured its 13-straight winning season, a fifth-straight bowl appearance and ninth in the last 10 seasons and look to improve on its 9-5 football record and C-USA East Division Championship from a season ago. The season kicks off Sept. 1 against Tennessee-Martin. Game time is set for 6 p.m., at "The Rock."

Admission is $15 per person in at the door or via online at SouthernMissAlumni.com (click on Gulf Coast Beach Bash under Upcoming Events down the right column). Children ages 6-12 are $8 and those children under 6 will be admitted free to the event.

For additional information, contact Dawn Smith in the USM Alumni Association at 601-266-4218 or via email at dawn.smith@usm.edu.