Apparently the Right Reverend Nutt is out of work. Both Kevin Sumlin and Brent Venables are people Ole Miss fans are talking about.
Every melting down fanbase I've memorialized in that thread has a common denominator: They want Mike Leach. Why? Because "even if we keep losing, we will at least be fun to watch."
They'll never hire someone like Venables. They'll be looking for someone that knows the SEC or has experience/ties to the SEC in some way.
Leach's offense woud play havoc on the SEC defenses. I think it would be a great hire for Ole Miss. But, I dont think anyone touches him until the law suits have been settled.
Guess which conference the school he coaches at was before Stoops hired him But, there was something that might make S-E-C and NFL diehards raise their eyebrows a little: Leach's (SEC school!) quarterback was none other than NFL bust Tim Couch. Passing for 4600+ yards and 38 touchdowns was probably what led to the Browns taking him #1 overall... but anyone that has seen Mikey offenses since probably wonder why he didn't get at least 5,000 and 50 touchdowns
They won't go the Venables route. they want experience and frankly they want a name. their fanbase is fed up but they for some reason feel they should be a national power year in and year out so they want a household name. word is they are forming a search committee consisting of Archie Manning and FedEx CEO as the chairs of the committee....money isn't appearing to be an object b/c they want to be "relevant" again
The FedEx guy is a Memphis guy though... right? Ole Miss is probably concerned with being left behind in the newly fangled SEC-like thing that is forming around them. Being 12th every year looks good when there's 14 teams... but what if you drop from 12th for 14th by doing nothing but watch everything around you change?
He lives in Memphis but graduated from ole miss. (Edit: he does have a master's from Memphis. Undergrad from ole miss.) And Kirby Smart will be a target that is being discussed. the odd thing too though is that they are saying that the AD will resign as well but one report is saying he (the AD) will stay on for 12 more months then be replaced. who wants to walk in to that mess!
Leach would be great. He wouldn't win any SEC West titles in Oxford, but he would pull at least one huge upset every year. It would make the boring SEC much more exciting.
Fred Smith was born in Mississippi, but I don't believe he ever attended Ole Miss. He's a Yale grad. Memphis is about 80 miles north of Memphis, and Memphis is one of its largest alumni areas. He went to high school in Memphis, as well.
That would be a mistake. The new AD would never truly feel like the coach was 'his guy' and be quick to get rid of him unless it was a true home run hire. We've already seen this play out too many times.
Ole Miss has fielded many a good team. Most of the decade of the 2000s they were a Top 10 or at least Top 15 team. 2003 they played LSU tougher than we did, losing by 3, and were one play from winning at the end. Their teams that spanked LSU and won consecutive Cotton Bowls over the excellent 2008 Tech team and OSU the next year would have been a load to beat. With money, generally winning tradition, great recruiting ground, and a great conference and division, they may not get a Nick Saban, but they should get someone good.