Two days after his Ole Miss Rebels squad dropped their twelfth consecutive SEC game with a 30-13 loss to the Kentucky Wildcats, the school announced that head coach Houston Nutt would resign at the end of the season. “I’m grateful to Coach Nutt for his commitment to our university and his commitment to our football program,” Ole Miss Chancellor Dr. Dan Jones said. “I know we’re all disappointed in the lack of success over the last two years.” Nutt, who did not attend the first half of Monday’s press conference and had told reporters that he hadn’t heard from the administration about his job status, came to the Rebels after the 2007 season and brought with him a commendable track record from his time at Arkansas, where he compiled a 75-48 record with 2 appearances in the SEC Championship game. The tenure looked promising initially, as Nutt lead the team to two straight 9-4 records that both ended with Cotton Bowl victories. However, Ole Miss struggled to stay relevant in the last two years, going 6-15 with losses to the likes of Jacksonville State, Vanderbilt (twice), and Kentucky. Also on the way out of Oxford is athletic director Pete Boone, who announced that he would step down by the end of 2012.
It’s hard to really put a finger on what brought about the end of the Houston Nutt era at Mississippi. The excellent recruiting classes put together by former head coach Ed Orgeron finally enjoyed success under the watch of Nutt, and it was assumed by most that the team would be even stronger once the new head coach got his own recruits integrated into the team. However, this failed to happen, as the team failed to keep up with the Alabamas and LSUs of the conference and were soon shifted to the cellar, seen by their decrease in SEC success in the last four seasons (5-3 in ’08, 4-4 in ’09, 1-7 in ’10, and currently 0-6 this season). Possibly the worst moment in Nutt’s run as head coach came October 22, as Trent Richardson single-handedly signed Nutt’s walking papers, rushing for 183 yards and 4 touchdowns in Alabama’s 52-7 victory over the Rebels. At this point, it was clearer than ever before that this team could not compete in the SEC West under the watch of Houston Nutt, leading to his ousting as the head man just a little over a month later.
Now that Nutt is not going to be the head coach come 2012, it’s important that the Ole Miss athletic department go out and hire a head coach that can allow the program to compete in the tough Southeastern Conference. Here are five coaches that I believe they should strongly consider:
Larry Fedora, Southern Miss HC – What, you were expecting Urban Meyer? Fedora becoming a head coach at a major college is a matter of when, not if, as his #25 Golden Eagles are currently 8-1 and look poised to be on a collision course with #11 Houston in the C-USA Championship game in December. Fedora, who spent three seasons coaching in the SEC as an offensive coordinator under Ron Zook at Florida, has an impressive 30-18 record at Southern Miss, and while the hire wouldn’t send shockwaves across the nation, deciding on bringing in the 49-year-old coach might provide just the spark this Ole Miss squad desperately needs.
Kirby Smart, Alabama DC - Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s coaching tree rivals that of Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, as at least six of his assistants over his years as a head coach have gotten the nod to lead a team on their own, including Will Muschamp at Florida, Mark Dantonio at Cincinnati and now Michigan State, Derek Dooley at Tennessee, and Jimbo Fisher at Florida State. Smart, who has spent the last five seasons with the Tide as an assistant coach/defensive coordinator, and during that time has seen the Tide give up more than 25 points just eight times. Compare that to the number of games the Rebels have given up more than 25 points in this year alone (7), and it’s clear that a defensive mind like Smart wouldn’t be a bad acquistion for Ole Miss.
Gus Malzahn, Auburn OC – Malzahn, the hottest assistant in college football the last few years, can pick and choose which school will be the first to obtain his services as head coach, and it’s possible that the Rebels may get lucky this season. Auburn has been down a bit this season, meaning that it is quite possible that Malzahn picks this year to jump the ship. It’s clear from his years as an offensive coordinator with Arkansas, Tulsa, and Auburn that he can make the most out of his offensive unit, so don’t be surprised if Pete Boone tries to go out with a big swing and land Malzahn.
Terry Bowden, North Alabama HC – The Bowden name is still alive in college coaching, as the former Auburn head coach has led the North Alabama Lions to a 6-1 start to the 2011 season. Bowden currently holds a 26-8 record with the school, and while some of the Mississippi faithful may scoff at the fact that he hasn’t held a head coaching position in the FBS since 1998, I would never put it past a Bowden to step up and turn around a struggling football team.
Noel Mazzone, Arizona State OC – College football is all about connections, and the current Sun Devils offensive coordinator has just that. Mazzone, who has coached at nine different colleges in his 32 years of coaching, has spent six seasons with the Rebels as offensive coordinator, four during Tommy Tuberville’s run with the school in the ’90s and two in the last season David Cutcliffe was head coach and the first season Ed Orgeron was head man. Only fifty-four years old, Mazzone has the experience of a twenty years his senior, and it’s clear that he’s seen enough as a coach to know just what it takes to rebuild a team.
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