NATCHEZ &8212; For any business, getting your name out there is an important objective.

That has especially become true for the business of college athletics.

Thursday evening, Southern Miss sent head basketball coach Larry Eustachy and athletic director Richard Giannini to Natchez for a social event sponsored by the USM Alumni Association and the Eagle Club.

Dick Vogel, associate athletic director and executive director of the Eagle Club, said events like this were immensely important to the school and athletic department.

&8220;We want to establish ties with our people,&8221; he said. &8220;We want people to have a good time, and we bring coaches out to meet them. We won&8217;t be soliciting for memberships or anything tonight. If Larry can convince just a few people to come out to a game, they&8217;ll want to go to more and they&8217;ll want better seats and parking. It&8217;s all part of it.&8221;

Eustachy, who is in his third year as Golden Eagle head coach, said he was happy to get around the state and talk up his team.

&8220;It&8217;s good because I finally feel like I can sell this team and feel good about it,&8221; he said. &8220;We&8217;re young, but we&8217;re going to be tough to beat down the road. It&8217;s good to get out in cities like Natchez and meet our fans.&8221;

Giannini said events such as this were a big part of what he, as athletic director, does.

&8220;The key is getting people engaged in the school,&8221; he said. &8220;It doesn&8217;t matter if it&8217;s in the athletic program or academics. How can you expect people to come to Hattiesburg if you don&8217;t come to them every now and then? If we can come out here and get some people engaged in the program, that&8217;s great. We want their sons, daughters or grandchildren to come to the school, too.&8221;

Pig Out Inn catered the event, and there were 150 paid tickets.

Former quarterback Reggie Collier was also scheduled to appear, but was unable to attend due to obligations with this weekend&8217;s homecoming.