Houston Nutt Press Conference

Opening Comments

We have been moving around. We have been really excited about the reception. We really appreciate the high school coaches in the state of Mississippi and the junior college coaches. The response we have gotten has been very, very good. I feel like now since this is a quiet period, we can catch our breath. We have had some good home visits. We are excited about where we are in recruiting right now, and the next time we reconvene right after the first of New Years, we will get back and really get organized and we will have everyone in place.

Let me give you a few more coaches that are for sure coming. On offense, Mark Markuson has been with me for a long, long time. He has done a great job of recruiting in the Alabama/Georgia area. He will be joining us. Also David Lee, who coached here before at Ole Miss, I am excited about him. He is offensive coordinator and has coached quarterbacks. He has coached Tony Romo and has a lot to do with is success. I mentioned Ron Dickerson, Kim Dameron before. I am excited about those guys. I tell you what, those two guys and Tony Hughes have really saved us along with Kent McLeod and the grad assistants. I was really proud of the organization they have that really helped us. I’m still waiting to see on Tony Hughes. I have to see how this is going to play out. Defensively, I was really proud to get Tyrone Nix in here as our defensive coordinator. Tracy Rocker is an Outland trophy winner, Lombardi winner who has played in the league and also played in the SEC. I am excited about him, who will also recruit Georgia since he is from Atlanta so that will help us. I will hold right there, and we are real close with the others. We will find out exactly who will be here in the next week or so. I am real excited. Our guys have done a good job. During this time, it is always very, very difficult because you are trying to catch up, but these guys have done a good job. But now we can wait because of the quiet time, get re-organized, get everybody in a room. That will be good, because we have been doing it with about four or five people.

Let me talk about spring ball. I am jumping around but this on my mind and I am excited about it. We’re moving spring ball to after spring break. We tried before to do a week or two of four to five days of practice before spring break then they go home and you have to reteach everything. So we are going to start after spring break. The spring game will be the 12th of April, and we’re real excited about that.

Q: Have you determined coaching assignments?

Tracy Rocker, defensive line. Tyrone Nix, linebackers and (defensive) coordinator. Mark Markuson, offensive line. David Lee, quarterbacks.

Q: Are the other assignments still up in the air?

It’s real close, but I want to make sure.

Q: Do you have separate coaches for your defensive backfield?

I have two coaches in the backfield. We do split the safeties and corners.

Q: Were you ever concerned about losing Tyrone Nix to Arkansas?

I do not think I was ever close to loosing him. I think it is a battle anytime there is family involved. Of course, when you have a brother that coaches for coach Petrino, and you have a chance to coach with your brother and I understand that, that is a real pull. Tyrone was very adamant about being here at Ole Miss, and having spent a lot of time in Mississippi, he was real happy about getting back and is real excited.

Q: Do you plan to sign anyone in the early signing period?

Hopefully two to three.

Q: Are there any academic concerns with the returning players?

I see this every time I have made a move, and I see this across the country. Anytime there is change and the players know there is change, you are always going to have a few that will not finish very strong academically. I do not think there is a person that is on there that we cannot get motivated to get them going. After looking at all the grades, we are going to get them going. We have a good support team here, and we will get on these guys. It is real natural for us to let go of the rope, and I know change is hard. It is depressing, but we will get on these guys starting January 2 and we will get them back in. We will be ok.

Q: Do you know how many players need help?

I do not know the exact number. It has happened everywhere I have been, Murray State, Boise State, going to Arkansas. I think across country if you survey you will see they know there will be change, it is difficult to stay focused but we will get them going.

Q: Will these players be available in the spring?

Yes, absolutely. We have always had a very good relationship with the faculty. We will stay on these guys. They have to do their homework, do it the right way. To me, that is winning. You win in the classroom, you win in the weight room, and you win on the football field.

Q: Talk about Chris Vaughn.

I’m glad you brought that up. I recruited Chris out of Tallahassee, Fla. I recruited him to Murray State. He was an all-conference linebacker. He had one goal: he wanted to be a coach. He said he was going to coach for me one day, and it happened pretty quickly. I think he was one of the youngest coaches that I had ever hired. I think he was 23 when I first hired him. He is just a quality person with great character. He will recruit Florida, and I tell you what, he will get close to these guys. He is a person that when he walks into a room, you feel like you know him. He is approachable, but yet he is a good firm yet hard coach and so he will be a real asset. I was glad that I was able to get him over here early. I’m sorry he didn’t get to go to the Cotton Bowl, but they needed a spot and I was glad to get Chris.

Q: Will Vaughn serve as recruiting coordinator?

We will keep that going. He has been outstanding and his energy and passion in that role is good.

Q: How do you plan to watch the Cotton Bowl?

I will probably watch it on TV. I will see with my family where we will be.

Q: Where are you at in recruiting?

We feel like from the last time I talked to you guys that we are light years ahead. We have a real handle on where we are in recruiting right now after watching everybody on film and know the ones that we are going to come after, know the ones that we will offer. What we’ll do now in this dead time is really get organized. We are going to have a full allotment of coaches to now really get zeroed in. I like to go two to three coaches in a home. And what we will do is make sure that student-athlete meets that position coach and coordinator very, very fast, and now we really start zeroing in. That will be the first priority in the first 10 days, map out and zero in on where we are going. So we’ll spend a lot of time on that, and then position-wise, we will zero in on the needs, different positions. For example, with linebackers, this is how many we will take; corners, we’ll take this many; tight ends, this many. That is the kind of things we will be doing, and I feel much better this time than the last time I talked to you.

Q: How involved in recruiting have the assistants been that are still at Arkansas?

Not as much as I would like. We just took the guys that are right here. They are the main recruiters and got after it. I’d love to have had them all, but this is the best case scenario for us and we feel like we kind of caught up a little bit.

Q: Where are you looking for help in the early signing period?

I’m really hoping defensive end, running back and tight end. That’s what I am hoping.

Q: Did you have any assistants at the Mississippi-Alabama All-Star game?

We had Kim Dameron and Tony Hughes down there. It was very beneficial. Hopefully we’ll get the film from the game, so it was really good. There is nothing like watching them live, seeing them move, checking out their positions, ball skills, those kinds of things.

Q: Have any other players stopped by to meet with you further?

Yes they have. They have done a good job of trying. Again it was such a quick turnaround with everyone getting ready for finals, so not everyone could. Michael Oher. I’m trying to learn everybody’s name right now, but there has been a good group to come by. Again some came and I was gone. Some came and I was out on the road.

Q: Were you able to follow Arkansas’ coaching search?

No, I hadn’t had time to keep up with that. I have had my hands full.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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