HATTIESBURG (AP) — Ellis Johnson it taking over the Southern Miss football program and the veteran defensive coordinator has big goals for the Golden Eagles: Lead them to a BCS game.

The 59-year-old Johnson was introduced Tuesday during a press conference on campus. He has spent the past four years as defensive coordinator at South Carolina, and has substantial ties in Mississippi, previously working as defensive coordinator at Mississippi State and Southern Miss.

The Winnsboro, S.C., native takes over a program that has had 18 straight winning seasons and been to 10 straight bowl games, but has not made it to the Bowl Championship Series game.

Johnson replaces Larry Fedora, who is leaving Southern Miss after four seasons to take the North Carolina job. The Golden Eagles just completed their first 10-win season since 1988 and won a Conference USA title for the first time since 2003.

Fedora will coach Southern Miss against Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl on Dec. 24.

Johnson said he would not coach in South Carolina’s game against Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2. He said he would begin work for the Golden Eagles immediately.

The hire was well-received by former Southern Miss quarterback and NFL star Brett Favre.

“Ellis is a great coach with a winning resume who knows Golden Eagle football and its fan base,” Favre said in a statement released by the university. “I’m confident Coach Johnson will do a great job.”

Johnson’s hiring isn’t completely surprising considering he was a candidate for the job four years ago when Fedora was hired. But his defensive-minded strengths are a 180-degree departure from Fedora, who came to Southern Miss after successful stints as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State and Florida.

The timing was also strange.

While Johnson was introduced to cheering fans in Hattiesburg, the team found out the news thousands of miles away in Hawaii, where they are preparing for Saturday’s game against Nevada. Current offensive coordinator Blake Anderson — who is also in Hawaii — was also a candidate for the job.