It looks like Houston Nutt is getting the ax after the Egg Bowl. Nutt had great success early at the University of Mississippi, but he has struggled the last two seasons. Not being able to find a quarterback might be what doomed Nutt, or maybe it was a fractured fan base and unreal expectations that killed this marriage in just four seasons.
The Rebels have not won an SEC game since beating Kentucky Oct. 2, 2010. That means this program is on a 12-game conference losing streak. Only two SEC games remain for Ole Miss. Sure, a slim chance exists that the Rebels will stun LSU Nov. 19, but I wouldn’t take that bet to Vegas. The Egg Bowl is the best chance left for a Rebel SEC win.
Looking back at the recruiting rankings since 2009, the Rebels have had top-25 classes each year according to Rivals and ESPN. Coaches want to win the recruiting battle in the spring to help win the war each fall. The Rebels looked like a team set up to win this fall but they haven’t, yet.
It is easy to blame Nutt for these teams not living up to their talent. Programs with a top-25 recruiting class are supposed to win games. Young kids are supposed to get coaching from their position coaches and become better football players as their careers progress.
Nutt might not be doing the best job coaching, but are his players doing enough to win games?
The saddest part of this whole tale is that an anonymous group such as the “Forward Rebels” bloggers can buy full-page ads in newspapers, fill them with questions and claims and get their way. Athletic director Pete Boone is also getting a pink slip according to reports, something this group has pushed for in its ads.
The result is that instead of going forward, this program is going backward. Nutt didn’t forget how to coach, and sports programs are always going to have down years.
It seems to me is that the University of Mississippi just can’t have a losing season without someone getting axed. Folks, three SEC West teams are ranked in the top ten, and the SEC West is the strongest division in college football.
My advice: Build a program. Move on from the past. If not, the Rebels will be right back here in three years.
Follow Bryan Flynn at http://www.jfpsports.com, Facebook and @jfpsports.
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The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.