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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Cutcliffe Won't Renew Contracts Of Three Staff Members
12/30/2000 | Football
Dec. 30, 2000
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss head football coach David Cutcliffe announced Saturday that the contracts of defensive coordinator/linebacker coach Art Kaufman, defensive backs coach Tom Lavigne, and head strength and conditioning coach Benjy Pierce will not be renewed for the 2001 season.
"We evaluate our staff after every season," Cutcliffe said. "We will begin an immediate search to replace the three positions."
Kaufman spent the last six seasons as defensive coordinator of the Rebels, including the first four under former head coach Tommy Tuberville. Kaufman was retained by Cutcliffe when he became the Ole Miss head coach prior to the 1998 Independence Bowl. Kaufman first served as an assistant coach at Ole Miss from 1989-91 on Billy Brewer's staff.
Lavigne joined Cutcliffe's staff in time for the 1998 Independence Bowl and coached the defensive backs the last two years. He came to Ole Miss after spending five years as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State.
Pierce has been the head strength and conditioning coach at Ole Miss since January of 1995 when he joined Tuberville's staff. He remained in that position during Cutcliffe's first two full seasons at the helm of the Rebels.
Ole Miss finished the 2000 season with a 7-5 record, including a 4-4 mark in the Southeastern Conference, which tied for third in the Western Division. The Rebels concluded the season by losing to West Virginia, 49-38, in Thursday's Music City Bowl in Nashville. It was the fourth straight season for the Rebels to go bowling.