Ole Miss hires Houston Nutt as new football coach

Nov 27, 2007 - 8:05 PM OXFORD, Mississippi (Ticker) -- Houston Nutt needed less than 24 hours to find a new job.

Nutt reached an agreement to become the new football coach at Mississippi on Tuesday, only one day after resigning from the same job at Arkansas.

The 50-year-old Nutt will be formally introduced as Ole Miss' 36th coach during a news conference Wednesday.

The school did not disclose any details regarding Nutt's contract, but the Clarion-Ledger reported on its web site that the deal likely will have an annual value of at least $2 million.

Nutt will replace Ed Orgeron, who was fired Sunday after coaching the Rebels to three straight losing seasons.

The Southeastern Conference's second-longest tenured coach prior to his resignation, Nutt compiled a 75-48 record in 10 seasons at Arkansas, guiding the Razorbacks to seven bowl appearances.

Now Nutt will be faced with the challenge of reviving Ole Miss, which went 10-25 in three seasons under Orgeron and posted a 4-20 mark in SEC play during that span.

"I think (finding) a guy that's used to SEC type of battles and knows what to expect when it comes to a game like that (would be good)," Ole Miss cornerback Dustin Mouzon told the Clarion-Ledger. "I think that would have somewhat of an effect."

The Rebels concluded another disappointing campaign last Friday with a 17-14 loss to rival Mississippi State, a game in which they squandered a 14-point second-half lead.

It was just the second loss in the last six Egg Bowls for Ole Miss, which went 3-9 this season and finished winless in SEC play for the first time since 1982.

Hours after the Rebels lost to their in-state rival, Nutt masterminded one of the greatest victories in Arkansas history, a 50-48 triple-overtime upset of then-No. 1 Louisiana State.

It was the Razorbacks' first win over the nation's top-ranked school since October 17, 1981, when they rolled to a 42-11 triumph over Texas.

The wild victory somewhat salvaged what had been a lost season for the Razorbacks, who posted an 8-4 overall record and went 4-4 in SEC play.

Nutt had five years remaining on his contract at Arkansas but decided to accept a $3.5 million buyout, according to a report in the Northwest Arkansas Times. He was replaced by defensive coordinator Reggie Herring, who will serve as the Razorbacks' interim coach during the bowl season.

Reports began circulating two weeks ago that Nutt would be fired regardless of the outcome of the game with LSU.

But Nutt was masterful against the top-ranked Tigers, often using a Darren McFadden-based shotgun offense which baffled LSU's vaunted defense.

Arkansas lost to eventual national champion Florida in the 2006 SEC title game. The Razorbacks then were beaten by Wisconsin in the Capital One Bowl.

After last season, Nutt came under scrutiny when quarterback Mitch Mustain and wide receiver Damian Williams transferred to Southern California.

Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who coached Mustain and Williams in high school, also left to take the same job at Tulsa.