Nutt hired as head coach by Ole Miss
By ArkansasOnline, The Associated Press
Arkansas Head Coach Houston Nutt resigns from the University of Arkansas on Monday, Nov. 26, inside the Broyles Center.
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JACKSON, Miss. — Houston Nutt wasn't out of a job for long: He was hired as Mississippi's football coach just hours after resigning at Arkansas.
Nutt agreed to a contract late Monday night, and replaces Ed Orgeron, who was fired Saturday after the Rebels lost to rival Mississippi State and finished 3-9.
The hiring of Nutt was confirmed by a person close to the program who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made.
Nutt resigned even though the Razorbacks upset then-No. 1 LSU 50-48 in triple overtime last week.
"I had the opportunity to stay, but deep down in my heart ... as a person who loves the Razorbacks, I felt it was important that the state come together as one," Nutt said during his resignation Monday night in Fayetteville.
Ole Miss planned an announcement on its coaching situation later Tuesday.
Ole Miss was searching for a proven winner after firing coach Orgeron.
Nutt neatly fits the description of the coach Ole Miss was looking for. He is 111-70 in 15 years as a head coach, compiling a 111-70 record at Arkansas, Boise State and Murray State.
And he's been a winner in the SEC. The Little Rock, native rebuilt the Arkansas program, going 75-48 since his hiring in 1997 to replace Danny Ford. He was 42-38 in conference play.
While Arkansas is likely headed to the Cotton Bowl, Nutt will be going to the homes of recruits to try to hold together the promising class Orgeron was assembling.
Nutt, 50, said Monday he left Arkansas to help mend a split among fans after off-the-field problems were compounded by a difficult season.
A call to Nutt's agent, Jimmy Sexton, was not immediately returned.
Nutt takes over a program that has foundered since a 10-win season in 2003 under David Cutcliffe. The Rebels won a share of the SEC West that season with Eli Manning at quarterback.
Since then Ole Miss has had four or fewer wins in four seasons. Boone fired Cutcliffe for a lack of effort in recruiting and hoped Orgeron, who helped build two national title teams at USC as Pete Carroll's recruiting coordinator, would bring the kind of energy needed to build a winner in the nation's best football conference.
Orgeron finished 10-25 and was routinely the target of fan discontent.
Originally published 09:02 a.m., November 27, 2007
Updated 09:02 a.m., November 28, 2007
