Assistants coming over with Houston Nutt

[Cianne]

While I don't like David Lee, getting Markuson and Rocker is awesome since those are really the two best coaches on the staff. Herring would have been nice, but he wants to be a head coach somewhere anyway. Also, if Nutt only brings five coaches, that leaves four spots for holdovers in Freeze, Wilson, Hughes, and Thompson. Keeps the core recruiters intact: Freeze - Tennesee and coordinator, Hughes - Mississippi, Wilson - Louisiana.

clarionledger.com - News | New coach Nutt to bring at least five of his assistants to Ole Miss (http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071130/NEWS/71130019)

OXFORD — New Ole Miss football coach Houston Nutt is slowly piecing together his on-field staff, saying Friday that at least five of his assistants from Arkansas will make the jump to Oxford.

Nutt said that offensive coordinator David Lee, tight ends coach James Shibest, running game coordinator Mike Markuson, defensive line coach Tracy Rocker and recruiting coordinator Chris Vaughn have all decided to come to Ole Miss after they coach the Razorbacks’ bowl game.

“It’s good to know I’ve got some guys that can help me with recruiting,” Nutt said. “We’ll really have to hit the ground running.”

Nutt said he plans to come to Oxford on Sunday. At that time, he’ll meet with the Ole Miss coaches — including defensive coordinator John Thompson and receivers coach Hugh Freeze — who are interested in staying.

Thompson was Nutt’s defensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2000 and 2001. Thompson is under contract at Ole Miss for two more years.

Nutt signed a 4-year, $7.4 million deal to coach Ole Miss on Monday night and was presented to the school on Wednesday. Nutt won 75 games at Arkansas over 10 seasons before resigning just hours before he took the Ole Miss job.

[TDArkansasOhmy]

Nice post Cianne, that's the 1st that I've heard of this. Not surprised at all. Sorta hoping for a miracle that Mike Markuson and Tracy Rocker may have a brain freeze and stay. But they are Nutt men and you got a bonus when acquiring them.

But I have to admit, I can wait for next year. Being a football fan I can't get enough. And as I get older, I pray that I don't kick-off and miss the next season. My luck I'll keal over this off season and miss everything. But what IM most looking forward to is Ole Miss program.

Remember, 10 years ago Arkansas was the southern state that was happy about it's newly hired head coach. It was a living hell the two years before with Danny Ford in the driver's seat. So a Home boy returning home to save the state was a breath of fresh air.

Houston's first year was magic. As we all know a late fumble in Knoxville by QB, Clint Storner cost the 8-0 hogs a chance at glory. Then a young gunslinger had both guns cocked and really to shoot, from any where on the field. Hell I remember it wasn't anything to be inside our on five yard line and Nutt would call a post pattern. He wasn't afraid of nothing. It was brave, and it kept teams off balance. It was so cool.
Then something happen. Some feel that Frank got to Houston, and give him the order to back it off. Play percentages instead of the wild gambling that was now going on. And what ever the case was, if Frank got to him or what, Houston never was a gunslinger again. His guns shot blanks, and like most, I think Frank Broyles was loading his guns.
But that's what makes this hire at Ole Miss so great. Don't get me wrong, IM a Arkansas Razorback fans through and through. And yes,, I realize that the new head coach at Ole Miss is going to Battle us over recruits. But something also will be answered to Hogs fans like me. Did someone get to Houston and take him down a notch years ago?
I think we will see the Houston Nutt like 1998 season. And he will have a second breath and become a headache for everyone in the conference keeping teams off balance and defenses pulling their hair out.
If these fact come to pass. The UofA should look into John White's past, I mean call in Mike Wallace from 60 minutes, then ride his a** out of the state on a rail. They (Frank Broyles and the Board of trustees) created a monster in Houston Nutt, a Sponge Monster that absorbed everything handed out by negative fans. For that someone must pay other than long time die heart fans of the Hogs.
The haters, hated on the wrong person. Nutt was following orders from his boss, and thought he was doing the right thing for the UofA. To rebuild the program by recruiting the Springdale Five, Broyles and the powers that be on the hill insisted that Gus Malzahn be hired to better get Mustain, Williams and Cleveland. It worked. In my opinion, Nutt was indeed unhappy about the hire. But it was because he was told to hire an offensive coordinator, so he could spend more time as CEO of the team. Nutt was the patsy that took all the blame and this could have been a great episode on the Soprano's.
In 2008, will it be pay back time? I don't know. But I do want to see the real Houston Nutt at his best. If he does what I think he'll do, Ole Miss got the deal of a lifetime.