Cutcliff Canned At Ole Miss

[NaptownChief]

Mississippi coach David Cutcliffe was fired Wednesday after the team's worst season in 10 years, according to sources close to the program.


There is a news conference scheduled for 3 p.m. in Oxford, Miss., and the school will announce the firing of Cutcliffe and his entire staff, according to reports.


Cutcliffe was fired after refusing to get rid of some of his coaches, sources told ESPN. Two of them reportedly were offensive coordinator John Latina and defensive coordinator Chuck Driesbach.


Driesbach has been the target of significant criticism, ESPN.com's Pat Forde reported Monday. The Rebels slid to 4-7 after going 10-3 last year.


Speculation about Cutcliffe's future has been heated all week, with the coach meeting with athletic director Pete Boone and chancellor Robert Khayat on Tuesday after a talk with Boone on Monday.



Cutcliffe was the only coach in school history to win at least seven games in his first five years. However, his first losing season cost him his job.



Last season, was Cutcliffe's best at Ole Miss. He led the Rebels and quarterback Eli Manning to a 10-3 season and a share of the Southeastern Conference West division title.



But without Manning, the first pick in the NFL draft, Ole Miss struggled. The Rebels were 3-5 in the SEC this season, losing four games by a total of 19 points.



Cutcliffe has three years remaining on a contract that pays about $1.2 million annually, including perks and bonuses. He was 44-29 in six seasons at Ole Miss and 25-23 in the SEC.


Rumors were rampant in Oxford on Monday that Cutcliffe would resign or be fired.


When asked after Ole Miss' annual season-ending Egg Bowl game against Mississippi State whether he'd be coach of the Rebels in 2005, Cutcliffe offered no assurances.


"It's not up to me," Cutcliffe told the (Jackson) Clarion-Ledger. "That's not my decision."


One coach expected to interview for the Ole Miss job is Southern California defensive line coach Ed Orgeron, according to ESPN the Magazine's Bruce Feldman.

[Billy Clyde Puckett]

Hope they come up with some money to hire a good one and keep things stirred up in the SEC. I have only been to Ole Miss once for a game but remember it fondly thanks to some great southern hospitality. I used to travel on business and arrange my trips to leave on Friday nights and catch a college game on Saturday, relax Sunday before hitting it on Monday. I sat next to a girl on the plane into Jackson. Her father picked her up at the airport and offered me a ride to my hotel. He was as crazy about college football as me. I bought them a couple of drinks in the bar and they picked me up for the game the next day and after the game I went to there house for dinner. Great people and Ole Miss has been a favorite of mine every since.

[NaptownChief]

Originally Posted by Big Guy

Hope they come up with some money to hire a good one and keep things stirred up in the SEC. I have only been to Ole Miss once for a game but remember it fondly thanks to some great southern hospitality. I used to travel on business and arrange my trips to leave on Friday nights and catch a college game on Saturday, relax Sunday before hitting it on Monday. I sat next to a girl on the plane into Jackson. Her father picked her up at the airport and offered me a ride to my hotel. He was as crazy about college football as me. I bought them a couple of drinks in the bar and they picked me up for the game the next day and after the game I went to there house for dinner. Great people and Ole Miss has been a favorite of mine every since.

I've always liked Ole Miss cause of the way the mascot makes the PC police squirm.

[Bronco LB 59]

Cutcliffe got screwed.

I know he rode the coattails of Eli Manning for awhile, but they won't find a coach that's going to do much better than what he accomplished there in six years.

I feel the impatience with college coaches is going overboard these days.

[SoCalBronco]

I think Cutcliffe will go back to Tennessee and be Fulmer's OC again. He is very close with Phil Fulmer. And Fulmer has a growing dislike of his current OC Randy Sanders beginning with several disputes in 2002. I dont think Cutcliffe will get a head job this year although i think he isnt a bad coach.

[ro_50]

i think Cutcliffe could end up back at UT or get a head coaching job somewhere else.

as a person that lives in SEC country and follows the conference closely, i'm shocked at his firing. sure he had eli last year, but they had a great year in 03, one of the best in their school's history. and this year, they lost a lot of close games.

and the coach experimented w/ three qb's, but it had to be done cuz none of them stepped up. although i think the flatt and lane kids are talented. it was a rebuilding year for ole miss this year and what do they do, fire the coach.

this is a program that wont contend annually in the sec, but once in awhile, can come up there against the big boys.

[ro_50]

i've heard tales about the Grove down at ole miss, more importantly, i've heard about the scenery, and i'm talking about the females.

[SoCalBronco]

Originally Posted by ro_50

i've heard tales about the Grove down at ole miss, more importantly, i've heard about the scenery, and i'm talking about the females.

more please Ro.

[FADERPROOF]

Originally Posted by ro_50

i've heard tales about the Grove down at ole miss, more importantly, i've heard about the scenery, and i'm talking about the females.

This thread is worthless without pics...

[Goobzilla]

This is about as fair as it would have been to can Shanny the season after Elway retired. It seems like college coaches are on a VERY short leash these days. You'd think someone would cut him a little slack after losing the best QB that school had ever seen. On a positive note, props to him for not throwing his assistants under the bus. Even though it cost him his job, you'd think the loyalty displayed would count for something to future employers.

[FADERPROOF]

Originally Posted by SoCalBronco

I think Cutcliffe will go back to Tennessee and be Fulmer's OC again. He is very close with Phil Fulmer. And Fulmer has a growing dislike of his current OC Randy Sanders beginning with several disputes in 2002. I dont think Cutcliffe will get a head job this year although i think he isnt a bad coach.

Didn;t see this post earlier, but I'm hoping he comes back to Tennessee as our offensive coordinator.

UT doesn't know how to use a mobile QB like Brent Schaeffer, and hence why Erik Ainge took over as starter. I like Brent a tad better and think he has more upside, but needs to be used properly.

So I'm hoping Cutliffe can come back and turn the Vols offense around a bit more, because right now we're a pocket QB offense that needs to get more versatile.

[bendog]

I lived at the bottom of the hill on soroity row for two years. Great looking women.

[bendog]

My local rag mentions that ole miss is looking at Zook and Winningham. My take is that this was incredibly stupid and brought on by some pain in the butt alumni big donors. I'm surprised Khayat caved in. Cutliff can recurit QB's. He has a record of getting guys in the NFL. He got Lane two years ago. He at least had something of a leg up on Croom for instate recruiting. (Though it'll be real fun to see Croom go into Ala and where some black kids are gonna have to consider that ole Sly wasn't good enough for Ala cause of his color, and see what those kids do.)

Willingham is black, so that could play well in recruiting. But Zook? Anyway, here are some local letters to the editor, if anyone's interested.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pb...PINION#letters

[bendog]

not to bore you all, but ole miss fiasco is very entertaining. Turns out the chancellor was on vactation when it blew up between the athletic director, boone, and cutliff. Now, they've been turned down by Willinghame (ain't coming to Miss) and Zook and perhaps others. They're down to Obregon, who prolly isn't a bad choice cause of his ties to the region, though two days ago Boone was saying they wanted a guy who'd already been a head coach and not another asst liek Cutliff, and ....... Neuhesil. roflmao. Khayat said on Sunday he didn't want anyone wiht a history of ncaa trouble, but now they've even backed off that. The irony of Neuheisel landing this job would be too funny. A couple of stories:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pb...y=SPORTS030103

[NaptownChief]

Originally Posted by bendog

not to bore you all, but ole miss fiasco is very entertaining. Turns out the chancellor was on vactation when it blew up between the athletic director, boone, and cutliff. Now, they've been turned down by Willinghame (ain't coming to Miss) and Zook and perhaps others. They're down to Obregon, who prolly isn't a bad choice cause of his ties to the region, though two days ago Boone was saying they wanted a guy who'd already been a head coach and not another asst liek Cutliff, and ....... Neuhesil. roflmao. Khayat said on Sunday he didn't want anyone wiht a history of ncaa trouble, but now they've even backed off that. The irony of Neuheisel landing this job would be too funny. A couple of stories:

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pb...y=SPORTS030103

Certainly interesting for me...as IU and Ole Miss will probably be going after many of the same coaches. Neuheisel and Solich are still in the mix at IU. If I had to guess they will end up with some complete turd however....seems to be the IU way anymore.

[bendog]

What's the deal on DiNardo? Cutliff, for all his game day mistakes, recruited well and is a decent man. DiNardo had a run at LSU, as I recall, but I don't know if he could recruit and/or get a game plan in.

I think ole miss made a bad decision here. And, it wasn't at all planned. Boone was hired after cutliff, and he has a history of making a coach give him a detailed plan, including asst coach decisions, of what will be doen to address specific defincies that Boone identifies. Basically, it seems Boone called Cutliff out on: not blitzing and making "safe" calls. for example, he had 4th and 2 two years ago, and he ran the ball instead of letting Eli take a shot. I figured he was vulture bait then. The shoe just dropped. But, he's got a young qb with legs and an arm who is coming off a redshirt freshman year. Cutliff knows qbs.

Ole Miss decided cutliff couldn't take them consistently to the SEC W title game - with Ark, Tenn, Ala and Aub being the competition. I think that's right. But Neuihesel? Please.

[NaptownChief]

Originally Posted by bendog

What's the deal on DiNardo? .

He is an obsessive control freak that is tough to work with or around. Not a very good characteristic to have when you are a below average coach and recruiter. He was a horrible hire and only reason IU hired him in the first place was cause he came on the cheap at a time they were pinched for cash. I would be stunned if he were ever a HC again at the college level, my understanding is that he has made more than his share of enemies.

I really want Solich as I would love to see IU running the Nebraska I down the throats of the Big Ten.

[bendog]

I'm hopeful for Obregon. Ole Miss is offering 1.5 mil, give or take 200K, so the offer might be tempting. Reading between the lines, though, I think Boone wants Neuheisel, and in a way that would be fine, imo. I mean I hope he burns their program, but ole miss was to me a team that had less money and talent, but had some class, and had a good time losing without embarrassing themselves. And, once every 4-5 years, they'd make a run in the SEC. I'd be ok with that, fi I was an ole miss fan.

[NaptownChief]

Originally Posted by bendog

I'm hopeful for Obregon.

What is his story? Not familiar with him.

[bendog]

http://usctrojans.collegesports.com/...eron_ed00.html

I think the rebs wish was down to Petrino from Louisville or Neuhiesel. Boone said this:
Although Boone said he would prefer someone who has been a head coach, he did not rule out considering a top assistant for the job. Southern Cal assistant head coach Ed Orgeron, Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik and LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher are considered among the nation's most respected assistants.

"If there's a really top-notch assistant out there, he'll be considered," Boone said. "But there's a big difference between being in the No. 1 (head coach) and No. 2 (top assistant) jobs. We are going to aggressively pursue the best coach we can find to give the best possible outcome for our players to succeed. And we will be successful in that."

But Petrino has bailed.

read this and tell me that Boone isn't a idiot.

http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pb...412070316/1109

[NaptownChief]

"Speaking on the Rebel Yell Hotline radio show Monday night, Boone said Ole Miss' interest in Petrino was not as strong as it was made out to be."


Funny how it never is after the candidate tells you he doesn't want the job.

[NaptownChief]

Why isn't Norm Chow getting more interest? With his track record at BYU, NC State and USC I can't imagine why people aren't beating his door down...Not to mention the positive press it would bring the school for hiring a minority coach.

Wish IU was giving him a serious run.

[bendog]

I somewhat agree with LB52, but the consensus down here, that I agree with btw, is that Cutliff's offensive and defensive coord playcalling was 'not to lose.' Cutliff and Eli got ole miss one of the best practice facilities in the SEC and a stadium expansion up to 60K. The fans have put up the jack to go 3-2. They think they can do it consistently. I dunno. Hard.

LSU Ark Aub Ala and Miss St

How about Butch Davies? At the gym a guy mentioned him. He might want the job cause if he won the sec west with ole miss he could have any job in college for the asking.

[GonzoLays]

Here are some Ole Miss ladies...

[GonzoLays]