When Jay Hopson learned that he wouldn’t be retained as Southern Miss defensive coordinator, his coaching future appeared cloudy.

Not anymore.

The former Warren Central football standout and Southern Miss defensive coordinator, let go after Jeff Bower’s departure as Southern Miss head coach, will coach defense at the University of Michigan.

Hopson said this morning that he did not know exactly what his role will be with the Wolverines’ defensive staff.

“I’m headed to Michigan,” Hopson said. “I’m flying out today and am really looking forward to it.”

Hospon is listed on the University of Michigan athletics Web site as a defensive assistant. The Wolverines have yet to hire a defensive coordinator and have no assistants listed as recruiting coordinator. Hopson also had a TBD (to be determined) next to defensive assistant.

“I’ve got a lot of qualified guys already on the staff to be our defensive coordinator and I’ve got a guy or two to talk to this week,” new Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez told SportingNews.com before watching Michigan’s basketball team play Indiana at Crisler Arena. “My goal is to have the staff completely filled by this weekend before we go on the road recruiting, so that the players know who their position coaches will be.”

Hopson said he was attending a coaching convention when he received a call from the University of Houston enquiring about his services. Later that day, Michigan called. He interviewed for nearly six hours with Michigan.

“The whole thing has been kind of a whirlwind,” Hopson said.

Hopson was one of Southern Miss’ best recruiters and has contacts throughout the Southeast. The hiring also gives Michigan a pipeline into the Southeast, a region Rodriguez recruited heavily when he was at West Virginia.

Rodriguez, hired in Decemeber from the University of West Virginia, lured several assistant coaches to Ann Arbor from West Virginia, but Mountaineers’ defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel remained at West Virginia with coach Bill Stewart.

Hopson’s move to Michigan will be the highest profile job he has achieved in coaching.

Following a football career at Warren Central and Ole Miss, Hopson began coaching as a graduate assistant at Tulane in 1992. He made stops at Delta State, LSU, Florida and Marshall before being hired as the Southern Miss defensive backs coach in 2001.

His first stint in Hattiesburg lasted three seasons, then he moved to Ole Miss for one year before returning to Hattiesburg as the Golden Eagles defensive coordinator.

The move was no surprise to his former Warren Central coach Robert Morgan.

“He has a great knowledge of the game and his work ethic is impeccable,” said Morgan, who coached Hopson throughout his high school career and said Hopson had been roaming around the WC football field since he was a little kid. “I feel like this is a blessing for he and his family. He deserves this opportunity and I know he’ll make a great addition to Michigan’s staff.”

Southern Miss finished 2007 with a 7-6 record, losing to Cincinnati in the Papajohns.com Bowl. After that loss, Hopson said he had no idea where or when he would be coaching again.

He missed one game this season when he was hospitalized for a reoccurance of testicular cancer. Surgery was successful and there has not been another reoccurance.

After missing the Southern Methodist game, one in which the team awarded the game ball to their defensive coordinator, he was back in the booth calling plays.

Michigan, of the Big Ten, is one of the most storied college football programs in the country. The Wolverines defeated Florida 41-35 in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1 and ended the year ranked No. 18 in the Associated Press poll.

After the regular-season finale against Ohio State, head coach Lloyd Carr resigned opening the door for Rodriguez.

Morgan believes the door to a head coaching position somewhere will soon open for Hopson.

“One day, Jay will make a fine head coach for somebody,” he said.