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Bjork Addresses Rebel Nation Following Football Season
Ross Bjork, vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics at the University of Mississippi, Photo by Nathan Latil/Ole Miss Communications
Dear Ole Miss Family,
Greetings from the Ole Miss campus. I wanted to personally reach out to the Ole Miss Family as quickly as possible after this past weekend. It’s hard to believe the football season went by so fast and has now come to an end. With a new normal being established, it is also difficult to believe the Rebels will not be going to a fifth-straight bowl. Less than a year ago, Coach Freeze and our team were hoisting the AllState Sugar Bowl trophy in New Orleans. In 2014, the Landshark defense was No. 1 in the nation, allowing only 16 points per game. I could go on with recent accomplishments under Coach Freeze, but you know them already and that’s what makes this season disappointing.
All of us who work for your athletics program embrace high expectations – we signed up for this, and it is what makes Ole Miss a special place. We have all come to expect excellence, and that’s a game changer for our culture and fanbase.
Make no mistake about it – not a single coach, staff member, student-athlete or administrator is content with the results of this season, and I assure you we will be relentless about getting back to the same trajectory of the previous four seasons. That plan and direction is built on a solid foundation that includes momentum across the entire University, enhanced athletic facilities, more financial resources than ever before, a confident fanbase and a commitment to excellence in all facets of our athletics program. None of those things are going away, and I can commit to you that we will not quit or let one season rattle our foundation. We are building a program to last.
So what’s next? Here are a few areas we know you’re interested in:
- Coaching Staff. As Coach Freeze has said, we will evaluate all aspects of the team and make appropriate changes. The search for a defensive coordinator is in full swing, and we have all of the resources to hire the best and brightest leader for our defense.
- NCAA Process. We know how difficult and frustrating this case is for our program and the Ole Miss Family. Rest assured, we have every resource at the table, but we will not make this a public campaign. At the appropriate time, we will be able to share more about the process and the steps we have taken along the way. We are trying to reach a conclusion, and no one wants to see the end more than I do.
- Vaught-Hemingway Experience. As you know, Vaught-Hemingway was expanded and upgraded in nearly every area leading up to this season. With any construction project of this size, there are growing pains, and we want to know about your experience in an organized way so we can make the experience better in 2017. Please be on the lookout for the annual fan experience survey that will be emailed to all season ticket holders in the next two weeks.
At my introductory press conference, I asked our fans to do one thing – pull the rope in the same direction because you love this University and our students who compete in athletics. In addition to excellent coaches and student-athletes, winning the SEC requires the Ole Miss Family working together. Thank you for your incredible love, passion and support for Ole Miss Athletics.
Hotty Toddy and Go Rebels!
Vice Chancellor – Intercollegiate Athletics
Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports
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| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | 3:15 PM |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | 5:30 PM CW Network |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | 6:45 PM |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | 11:00 AM TBD |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | TBD |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | TBD |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | TBD |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | TBD |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | TBD |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | 11:00 AM |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | 2:30 PM |
Frank
November 28, 2016 at 4:54 pm
Question: What the “HELL” happen? As you said less than a year ago we were on top of the game. When you get the HELL beat out of you by a “No Body” at HOME – you have a real problem. Between the NCAA and this showing the “recruiting” will suffer beyond repair. SOMETHING IS BAD WRONG !!!!!!!!! Please fit it!!!!!!!!!!
John Davis Williams
November 28, 2016 at 9:44 pm
Mr. Bjork and Chancellor Vitter….can both of you correct this situation on your end? Here is what is wrong with our football program:
It started with Chancellor Robert K and drifted to Vitter by way of Ross Bjork. You took away our Rebel Flag then you took away Col. Reb and gave us that dumb bear. Then you Ross demanded that the band not play DIXIE…Evil, stupid, and is unforgivable.
Chancellor Vitter you took down the Mississippi State flag from the campus because it may offend someone…Evil, stupid, and is unforgivable. Do you guys not understand that it is the State of Mississippi who you go to for your funding each year and it is the State of Mississippi who pays your outrageous salaries?
You folks have taken the fun out of being a real Ole Miss Rebel. Bring back what you have taken from us and give us motivation to “Make Ole Miss Great Again”.
BSPh 1970
Jonothan
November 29, 2016 at 12:28 pm
The Egg Bowl this year was doomed from the beginning. Fans all around me, as well as myself, were all asking the same question at the time for the Hotty Toddy chant – “Who the hell was that?”.
It was someone that no one apparently knew, they were too soft spoken and they had a barely audible “Are y’all ready?”.
You need a loud, strong spoken person with a booming “Are You Ready!”. I had been thinking about all week leading up to the game and I wondered if Chad Kelly would have lead the Hotty Toddy cheer since he had been injured earlier and was unable to play for the remainder of the season.
It was a crash-and-burn from the beginning.
One last thing, if y’all don’t want to listen to the fans or the taxpayers who fund this state funded university, please don’t let the door hit you as you get the hell out.