| Year: | 1961 |
| Team: | Mississippi Southern Southerners |
| Sport: | football |
| Conference: | Independent |
| Record: | 8–2 |
| Head Coach: | Thad Vann |
| Hc Year: | 13th |
| Stadium: | Faulkner Field |
| Next: | 1962 |
The 1961 Mississippi Southern Southerners football team was an American football team that represented Mississippi Southern College (now known as the University of Southern Mississippi) as an independent during the 1961 college football season. In their thirteenth year under head coach Thad Vann, the team compiled a 8–2 record.