List of Ole Miss Rebels head football coaches
The Ole Miss Rebels college football team represents the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) in the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Rebels compete as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has had 38 head coaches[1] since it began play during the 1893 season.[2][3] The current head coach is Lane Kiffin, whose hiring was announced on December 7, 2019 after former coach Matt Luke was fired at the end of his third season (including one year as interim head coach).[3]
The team has played 1,242 games, including 33 wins later vacated as a result of NCAA penalties, over 125 seasons.[4] In that time, seven coaches have led the Rebels in postseason bowl games: Ed Walker, Johnny Vaught, Billy Brewer, Tommy Tuberville, David Cutcliffe, Houston Nutt, and Hugh Freeze.[2] Vaught won six conference championships as a member of the SEC and three national championships with the Rebels.[5][6]
Vaught is the leader in seasons coached and games won, with 190 victories during his 25 years with the program.[2] C. D. Clark has the highest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .857.[2] Z. N. Estes and Frank Mason have the lowest winning percentage of those who have coached more than one game, with .000.[2] Of the 38 different head coaches who have led the Rebels, Vaught[7] is the only one to have been inducted as a head coach into the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Indiana.
Key
General | Overall | Conference | Postseason[A 1] | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
No. | Order of coaches[A 2] | GC | Games coached | CW | Conference wins | PW | Postseason wins |
DC | Division championships | OW | Overall wins | CL | Conference losses | PL | Postseason losses |
CC | Conference championships | OL | Overall losses | CT | Conference ties | PT | Postseason ties |
NC | National championships | OT | Overall ties[A 3] | C% | Conference winning percentage | ||
Elected to the College Football Hall of Fame | O% | Overall winning percentage[A 4] |
Coaches
No. | Name | Term [A 6] |
GC | OW | OL | OT | O% | CW | CL | CT | C% | PW | PL | PT | DC [A 7] |
CC | NC | Awards |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Alexander H. Bondurant | 1893 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0.800 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
2 | C.D. Clark | 1894 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0.857 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
3 | H. L. Fairbanks | 1895 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0.667 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
4 | John W. Hollister | 1896 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
5 | T. G. Scarbrough | 1898 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0 | — |
6 | W. H. Lyon | 1899 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0.429 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0.333 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
7 | Z. N. Estes | 1900 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
8 | William Shibley | 1901 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0.333 | 0 | 4 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
9 | Daniel S. Martin | 1902 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0.571 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
10 | M. S. Harvey | 1903–1904 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0.591 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 0.438 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
11 | Thomas S. Hammond | 1906 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0.667 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0.600 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
12 | Frank A. Mason | 1907 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
13 | Frank Kyle | 1908 | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0.375 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0.200 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
14 | Nathan Stauffer | 1909–1911 | 26 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 0.692 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
15 | Leo DeTray | 1912 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0.625 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.500 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
16 | William L. Driver | 1913–1914 | 20 | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0.600 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0.750 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | — |
17 | Fred Robbins | 1915–1916 | 17 | 5 | 12 | 0 | 0.294 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0.091 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
18 | Dudy Noble | 1917–1918 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0.250 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.143 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
19 | R. L. Sullivan | 1919–1921 | 24 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 0.458 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0.167 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
20 | Roland Cowell | 1922–1923 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 1 | 0.425 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.222 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
21 | Chester S. Barnard | 1924 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0.444 | 0 | 3 | 0 | .000 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
22 | Homer Hazel | 1925–1929 | 46 | 21 | 22 | 3 | 0.489 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 0.360 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
23 | Ed Walker | 1930–1937 | 84 | 38 | 38 | 8 | 0.500 | 11 | 26 | 3 | 0.313 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
24 | Harry Mehre | 1938–1942, 1944–1945 |
66 | 39 | 26 | 1 | 0.598 | 15 | 17 | 1 | 0.470 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
25 | Harold Drew | 1946 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.222 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0.143 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
26 | Johnny Vaught [A 8] |
1947–1970 1973 |
263 | 190 | 61 | 12 | 0.745 | 106 | 39 | 10 | 0.716 | 11 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 3 - 1959, 1960, 1962 | — | |
27 | Billy Kinard [A 8] |
1971–1973 | 25 | 16 | 9 | 0 | 0.640 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0.462 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
28 | Ken Cooper | 1974–1977 | 44 | 21 | 23 | 0 | 0.477 | 12 | 14 | 0 | 0.462 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
29 | Steve Sloan | 1978–1982 | 55 | 20 | 34 | 1 | 0.373 | 8 | 23 | 1 | 0.266 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — |
30 | Billy Brewer | 1983–1993 | 126 | 68 | 55 | 3 | 0.552 | 33 | 41 | 0 | 0.456 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
31 | Joe Lee Dunn | 1994 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0.364 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0.250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
32 | Tommy Tuberville [A 9] |
1995–1998 | 45 | 25 | 20 | 0 | 0.556 | 12 | 20 | 0 | 0.375 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
33 | David Cutcliffe [A 9] |
1998–2004 | 73 | 44 | 29 | — | 0.603 | 25 | 23 | — | 0.521 | 4 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
34 | Ed Orgeron | 2005–2007 | 35 | 10 | 25 | — | 0.286 | 3 | 21 | — | 0.125 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
35 | Houston Nutt | 2008–2011 | 50 | 24 | 26 | — | 0.480 | 10 | 22 | — | 0.313 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
36 | Hugh Freeze | 2012–2016 | 54 | 35 | 19 | — | 0.648 | 17 | 15 | — | 0.531 | 3 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
37 | Matt Luke [A 10] |
2017–2019 | 36 | 15 | 21 | — | 0.416 | 6 | 18 | — | 0.375 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
38 | Lane Kiffin | 2020– | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Notes
- Although the first Rose Bowl Game was played in 1902, it has been continuously played since the 1916 game, and is recognized as the oldest bowl game by the NCAA. "—" indicates any season prior to 1916 when postseason games were not played.[8]
- A running total of the number of head coaches, with coaches who served separate tenures being counted only once. Interim head coaches are represented with "Int" and are not counted in the running total. "—" indicates the team played but either without a coach or no coach is on record. "X" indicates an interim year without play.
- Overtime rules in college football were introduced in 1996, making ties impossible in the period since.[9]
- When computing the win–loss percentage, a tie counts as half a win and half a loss.[10]
- Statistics correct as of the end of the 2012 college football season.
- Ole Miss did not field teams for the 1897 season due to a yellow fever epidemic, and for the 1943 season due to World War II. Ole Miss did not have a head coach for the 1905 season.[5]
- Divisional champions have advanced to the SEC Championship Game since the institution of divisional play beginning in the 1992 season. Since that time, Ole Miss has competed as a member of the SEC West.[11]
- Johnny Vaught retired following the 1970 season due to a mild heart attack. He returned to coach the Rebels for the final eight games of the 1973 after the firing of Billy Kinard. Kinard finished the season with one win and two losses and Vaught finished with five wins and three losses.[12]
- Tommy Tuberville resigned following the 1998 regular season to take the head coaching position at Auburn. David Cutcliffe was then hired and coached the Rebels to a victory in the 1998 Independence Bowl.[13]
- Luke served as interim head coach during the 2017 season following the resignation of Hugh Freeze. The interim tag was removed following the 2017 season.[14]
References
General
- "Mississippi Coaching Records". College Football Data Warehouse. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- 2010 Ole Miss Football Guide. Oxford, Mississippi: University of Mississippi Athletics Media Relations Office. 2010. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
Specific
- Some sources count Johnny Vaught's two stints as head coach (1947–1970 and 1973) separately.
- 2010 Ole Miss Football Guide, p. 179
- "Kiffin Named Head Football Coach at Ole Miss". Ole Miss Athletics. 2019-12-07. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
- "2019 Ole Miss Football Media Guide" (PDF). Ole Miss Athletics. 2019. p. 152. Retrieved 2019-12-31.
- 2010 Ole Miss Football Guide, pp. 169–174
- National Collegiate Athletic Association (2010). 2010 NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA.org. pp. 68–77. Retrieved November 25, 2011.
- "Johnny Vaught". College Football Hall of Fame. Football Foundation. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) (2011). Bowl/All-Star Game Records (PDF). Indianapolis, Indiana: NCAA. pp. 5–10. Archived from the original on August 22, 2011. Retrieved August 21, 2011.
- Whiteside, Kelly (August 25, 2006). "Overtime system still excites coaches". USA Today. McLean, Virginia. Archived from the original on November 24, 2009. Retrieved September 25, 2009.
- Finder, Chuck (September 6, 1987). "Big plays help Paterno to 200th". The New York Times. New York City. Archived from the original on October 22, 2009. Retrieved October 22, 2009.
- Harwell, Hoyt (November 30, 1990). "SEC sets division lineups". The Tuscaloosa News. p. 1C. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- Saggus, James (September 26, 1973). "Tough job ahead, Vaught says". The Tuscaloosa News. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- "College coaches are on the move". The Tuscaloosa News. December 3, 1998. Retrieved July 25, 2011.
- Harres, Sam (November 29, 2017). "Here to stay: Matt Luke continues as Ole Miss' head football coach". The DM Online. Retrieved November 29, 2017.