Who will be Ole Miss’ next coach? It’s the question weighing on the minds of administrators, players and fans alike – and everyone has an opinion.
As the search goes on, many names will be thrown into the mix. Some would be great fits for the Rebels, but they may never make it past the wish-list stage. Here are five coaches I’d love to bring to Oxford:
1) Scott Frost
Scott Frost has taken the University of Central Florida program and quickly turned them into a legitimate team. UCF is 8-0 and ranked 18th by the College Playoff Committee. They are averaging 49 points a game and 540 yards a game. Their offense is explosive, beating bigger teams like Maryland, Memphis and Navy. They also rank in the top 40 in most defensive stats.
Frost is a hot commodity among schools searching for new head coaches. He has been linked to multiple SEC openings and potential openings, especially the vacancy at Florida. Nebraska is also giving him serious thought – and that’s where he played college ball.
- Mike Norvell
Norvell has done a fantastic job of maintaining the success of the Memphis program, which was raised from the ashes a few years ago. His offense is one of the tops in the nation, and the defense has surprised people this year. Memphis has knocked off two ranked teams (Navy and UCLA). Their only loss is to an undefeated UCF team.
Norvell’s name has come up in many coaching searches from many SEC schools. He has denied rumors that he’s looking for a change, and Memphis is trying diligently to re-sign him to a long-term contract. If any school could pull him away from Memphis, I think it may be Arkansas. Ole Miss would benefit from his pass offense, which has been tearing up defenses.
3) Chip Kelly
Kelly has been out of coaching since he left his NFL gig. He is now a TV analyst, but the rumor is that he wants to get back into coaching. Many Ole Miss fans would love to hire a big name like Kelly. He succeeded at Oregon, where he vied for NCAA championships. However, there are bigger-name schools that have more money to throw at Kelly. Florida is the ideal spot for Kelly.
4) Mike Gundy
Gundy has done a fantastic job this year in leading Oklahoma State to contention in the Big 12. They are also in the running for a New Year’s Six Bowl. The Cowboys have a high-power offense, which would do wonders for Ole Miss if Shae Patterson decides to stay another year.
There is only one SEC school that has come close to luring Gundy from OSU in the past. That school is Tennessee, and they now have an opening. It will take a lot of money and opportunity for Gundy to leave his current situation, but I think Tennessee can pull it off.
5) Mike Leach
Leach is a name that has been connected to the Rebels for a while. He has a strong high-powered passing game at Washington State and has led them to three bowl games. He also has WSU ranked as a top 20 team.
There are a few reasons why Leach wouldn’t make the jump to Ole Miss. Most importantly, his job at WSU could be one he doesn’t want to leave. They have a very good team, and he could use an Ole Miss offer to get an extension on his contract – and a big, fat pay raise.
Finally, here are some coaches that Ole Miss should avoid at all costs, in my opinion:
Lane Kiffin, Florida Atlantic
Butch Jones, formerly of Tennessee
Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M
Mike Bobo, Colorado State
Phil Longo, Current Ole Miss Offensive Coordinator
Mack Brown, formerly of Texas
Nick Bushart is an intern for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at nabushar@go.olemiss.edu.
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