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http://blogs.clarionledger.com/um/2011/10/31/6471/ - fat boy hugh weighs in.

OXFORD — Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt said Monday he understands the expectations of his job, and he is working “from daylight to exhaustion” to win games.

“I love it here,” Nutt said. “But I know this, they pay me to win.”

Ole Miss athletics director Pete Boone declined to comment on Monday about the status of the football program.

“I think we’re at the point in the season that just let the season play itself out,” Boone said to the Clarion-Ledger. “I really don’t want to get into a week-to-week conversation about whether it is going well or not.”

Ole Miss is 2-6 this season, and 0-5 in the SEC. It has lost a school-record 11 consecutive games in the SEC.

Nutt said he is not worried about his job security, but is instead focused on doing what he can every day to turn it around.

“I’ll take every single day and give you everything I have,” Nutt said. “I’ve done that since the first day I got here, worked from daylight to exhaustion. Everyday, giving it. Trying to make a difference in a young person’s life and try to win football games. We haven’t done that this year. I don’t like that. I hate losing.

“I think there are some players that feel the same way I do. They hate losing. And you don’t want that, so you try to give them the best plan possible so every single day you come to work and sometimes you stay up late at night, thinking what is the best plan I can give these guys so we can win.”

Read more in Tuesday’s print edition of the Clarion-Ledger.

Coach Nutt is a great guy, one of the nicest I've ever met.........but the fact is things are going horribly wrong with the program. I believe him when he says he is working as hard as he can to turn things around......but i think he's lost something that he had the whole time at arky and the first two years here. I don't know if he just got complacent or what but I can think of no other reason why he just all of a sudden couldn't do his job anymore when he did it well for years in the sec. Using the excuse that the sec is tougher now doesn't fly because thats not necessarily true. In 98' his arky team had the vols (who went on to win the nat champ) beat until a late fumble threw the game away. He took arky to atlanta twice. His arky team beat Lsu in 07 in baton rouge. He also had those great wins his first two years here. This guy knew how to win.....it just seems like he lost that ability somewhere down the road.

I was on the phone with a friend of mine when Nutt was giving his exit presser at Arkansas. As we were talking (about said presser), I informed my friend that it seemed likely Nutt would be our new HC.

About that time, (and I know that this is something he might have had to say), he told the media that he would be "A Razorback for life". I feel as though he meant that and when that rug was pulled out from under him, something changed.

He has mostly won. Everywhere he's been.

In '08 I think he did a great job.

In '09 he and Jevan Snead squandered the best Ole Miss team that I believe were ever assembled. The guy, for whatever reason, has just lost it.

Time to go.

As he said when he signed his large contract and extension, "It's a business"..

jrebel87 wrote:Coach Nutt is a great guy, one of the nicest I've ever met.........but the fact is things are going horribly wrong with the program. I believe him when he says he is working as hard as he can to turn things around......but i think he's lost something that he had the whole time at arky and the first two years here. I don't know if he just got complacent or what but I can think of no other reason why he just all of a sudden couldn't do his job anymore when he did it well for years in the sec. Using the excuse that the sec is tougher now doesn't fly because thats not necessarily true. In 98' his arky team had the vols (who went on to win the nat champ) beat until a late fumble threw the game away. He took arky to atlanta twice. His arky team beat Lsu in 07 in baton rouge. He also had those great wins his first two years here. This guy knew how to win.....it just seems like he lost that ability somewhere down the road.

I said it when it happened and was told I was crazy, and I am sure noone will agree with me even now, but I will forever believe that Nutt lost his focus, his players and this program in August of 2010 when he became so enamored with a quarterback from Oregon that he abandoned everything the team had been working toward at that point and inserted him into a game we were leading 31-10 and went on to lose (Jacksonville State). In the days leading up to that game when he should have been focusing on the upcoming season he was busy appealing to the NCAA and that had to have affected his team and his coaches. Masoli went on to have decent individual stats (mostly running) and the development of any offense outside of his individual plays grinded to a halt. We became an offense that relied on long gains by individual athletes, but an inability outside of those long gains to convert third downs and have sustained drives that gave our defense time to rest or helped us in the battle for field position. In many ways our offense is still operating on that premise now except for the handful of drives this year where Bolden has been able to run the ball well (first half against Auburn). As kooky as Snead got in '09, at least the threat of a down field passing game helped open up opportunities for Dexter, etc.

I also think that the revolving door of transfer quarterbacks that began that August and continues this year will give any serious High School quarterback considerable pause before they consider Ole Miss.

So anyway it is just my opinion but I firmly believe that is when the worm turned and Nutt's fate was sealed. And we were warned this would happen. But we were so happy to be rid of the Neanderthal that we didn't care. That is why I wish we would go ahead and get rid of him, so we can begin a measured and thoughtful search for his replacement instead of being so ready to get rid of him at the end of the season that we will just be glad for anyone but him and wind up back here again in a few years.

He said he hasnt won this season, where was he at last season? The guy is a joke, shouldnt have been hired. He walked into a team loaded and ready to win. Fire him soon, and bring on Butch Davis.

Butch Davis?!?!? besides the fact that he is damaged goods what has he done in the recent past (specifically at North Carolina) that would ever make you want him here at Ole Miss?

You can go ahead and give him the National Championship that Larry Coker won. Besides that here is a list of players he recruitted.
Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Edgrein James, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Reggie Wayne, Andrea Johnson, Dan Morgan, Phillip Bouchanon, Sean Taylor, Vince Wilfork, Kellen Winslow, Antrel Rolle, and Bubba Franks.
Certainly the guy can recruitt and has put North Carolina on the football map where they have never been. And that NC team he coached was filled with NFL talent. And he was fired cause of the bone head moves his assistants made not him. Oh, and hes coached in and won a BCS game. So hes done nothing. Hes a darn good coach and he would be millions of miles ahead of anyone we currently have, Id be glad to have him as our coach. Your crazy if youd rather have Nutt over him. We would be in the top 10 in 3 years if we had him.

I think we've had enough of other teams' slopply seconds. Surely we can lure a coach who is a proven winner at some level of college football.

joe_t25 wrote:He said he hasnt won this season, where was he at last season? The guy is a joke, shouldnt have been hired. He walked into a team loaded and ready to win. Fire him soon, and bring on Butch Davis.

No to former head coaches with NCAA baggage!

We would be lucky to have Butch Davis, and if we pass on him and he goes somewhere and starts winning we will be stuck going, why didnt we hire him. Trust me, three years after he got here, we would be in much better shape. Our team would be loaded with talent.

Rebchuck18 wrote:

jrebel87 wrote:Coach Nutt is a great guy, one of the nicest I've ever met.........but the fact is things are going horribly wrong with the program. I believe him when he says he is working as hard as he can to turn things around......but i think he's lost something that he had the whole time at arky and the first two years here. I don't know if he just got complacent or what but I can think of no other reason why he just all of a sudden couldn't do his job anymore when he did it well for years in the sec. Using the excuse that the sec is tougher now doesn't fly because thats not necessarily true. In 98' his arky team had the vols (who went on to win the nat champ) beat until a late fumble threw the game away. He took arky to atlanta twice. His arky team beat Lsu in 07 in baton rouge. He also had those great wins his first two years here. This guy knew how to win.....it just seems like he lost that ability somewhere down the road.

I said it when it happened and was told I was crazy, and I am sure noone will agree with me even now, but I will forever believe that Nutt lost his focus, his players and this program in August of 2010 when he became so enamored with a quarterback from Oregon that he abandoned everything the team had been working toward at that point and inserted him into a game we were leading 31-10 and went on to lose (Jacksonville State). In the days leading up to that game when he should have been focusing on the upcoming season he was busy appealing to the NCAA and that had to have affected his team and his coaches. Masoli went on to have decent individual stats (mostly running) and the development of any offense outside of his individual plays grinded to a halt. We became an offense that relied on long gains by individual athletes, but an inability outside of those long gains to convert third downs and have sustained drives that gave our defense time to rest or helped us in the battle for field position. In many ways our offense is still operating on that premise now except for the handful of drives this year where Bolden has been able to run the ball well (first half against Auburn). As kooky as Snead got in '09, at least the threat of a down field passing game helped open up opportunities for Dexter, etc.

I also think that the revolving door of transfer quarterbacks that began that August and continues this year will give any serious High School quarterback considerable pause before they consider Ole Miss.

So anyway it is just my opinion but I firmly believe that is when the worm turned and Nutt's fate was sealed. And we were warned this would happen. But we were so happy to be rid of the Neanderthal that we didn't care. That is why I wish we would go ahead and get rid of him, so we can begin a measured and thoughtful search for his replacement instead of being so ready to get rid of him at the end of the season that we will just be glad for anyone but him and wind up back here again in a few years.

I agree. He had an opportunity to establish a program at that point in time. He chose for the quick fix rather than the long term solution.

joe_t25 wrote:You can go ahead and give him the National Championship that Larry Coker won. Besides that here is a list of players he recruitted.
Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Edgrein James, Clinton Portis, Frank Gore, Reggie Wayne, Andrea Johnson, Dan Morgan, Phillip Bouchanon, Sean Taylor, Vince Wilfork, Kellen Winslow, Antrel Rolle, and Bubba Franks.
Certainly the guy can recruitt and has put North Carolina on the football map where they have never been. And that NC team he coached was filled with NFL talent. And he was fired cause of the bone head moves his assistants made not him. Oh, and hes coached in and won a BCS game. So hes done nothing. Hes a darn good coach and he would be millions of miles ahead of anyone we currently have, Id be glad to have him as our coach. Your crazy if youd rather have Nutt over him. We would be in the top 10 in 3 years if we had him.

Did he really "recruit" those guys or were they persuaded by....Nevin Shapiro? Just a thought....

The guy knows most fans want him gone. Do the right thing Nutt! I can't wait to log on here and see the NUTT IS GONE!!! threads.

WildRebel wrote:The guy knows most fans want him gone. Do the right thing Nutt! I can't wait to log on here and see the NUTT IS GONE!!! threads.

It is the reason I log on every day right now.