Tyrone Nix To Join Ole Miss Football Staff

OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss head football coach Houston Nutt announced Tuesday that he has selected Tyrone Nix to serve as defensive coordinator on his first Rebel staff. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.

“Tyrone Nix is one of the up-and-coming, bright defensive coordinators in America,” Nutt said.  “I love the fact that he has a deep connection with the state of Mississippi.  He has a great name in this state, has recruited the state and knows the high school coaches.  Tyrone is also an excellent teacher and knows how to relate to young men.”

Nix, 35, has been one of the youngest defensive coordinators in Division I college football for the past seven years, directing defenses for his alma mater, Southern Miss, and most recently South Carolina.

This year, he helped manage a Gamecock unit that topped the SEC and ranked fifth nationally in pass defense, allowing just 168.8 yards through the air. In 2006, the USC defense was sixth in the SEC and 29th in the country in scoring defense, surrendering 18.7 points per game, 4.5 fewer than in 2005 despite returning just one starter.

During his 10 years on the Southern Miss staff, Nix coached every position on defense and served as defensive coordinator the last four seasons, when the Golden Eagles’ defense was among college football’s toughest. From 2001-03, USM was top-15 in the nation in both scoring defense and pass efficiency defense each season.

A 2003 Broyles Award finalist, Nix entered the 2001 campaign with the distinction of being the youngest coordinator in the country at 29 years of age. Despite losing seven defensive starters from the previous year, Nix's 2001 USM defense finished in the NCAA leaders in scoring defense (8th), total defense (11th), pass efficiency defense (12th), rushing defense (13th) and turnover margin (21st).

Nix earned his bachelor's degree from Southern Miss in 1995 after being a standout linebacker and team captain. A native of Attalla, Ala., Nix and his wife, Toya, have one son, Tyvari, and one daughter, Tiah.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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