Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal
FOOTBALL: Coordinator search
January 14, 2008 by djrebel
The offensive coordinator search seems to have slowed a bit. Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt indicated last Thursday that would be the case with a big recruiting weekend coming up.
So far Hugh Freeze, Kent Austin and Sparky Woods have interviewed. Nutt said earlier he expected more interviews by the middle of this week.
Freeze has since been linked to an assistant’s opening at Tennessee. He had interest in the Vols when he came to Ole Miss in 2005 if The Blind Side is a credible source.
Nutt’s concern with Freeze as coordinator, I have a hunch, is that he’s never coached quarterbacks on the college level. Since Nutt coordinated his own offense more times than not while at Arkansas, this job is probably about coaching quarterbacks more than it is coordinating the Ole Miss offense.
Woods and Austin have both done that.
Austin, of course, played the position at Ole Miss and won a CFL championship with Saskatchewan where he now coaches. He led the Roughriders to another Grey Cup title last season, his first as head coach. People in CFL circles rave about Austin’s ability to tutor QBs, as well as his overall offensive mind.
Woods had successful quarterbacks at Virginia and Mississippi State.
Other names originally expected to interview included former coordinators Les Koenig and Al Borges and former Miami coach Larry Coker.
Nutt has said there is no timetable for a hire.
– Parrish Alford
Amazing how fast things can turn around. Austin was off the radar screen in the coaching world. Becomes OC with the Argos. Fired. Back to oblivion. Hired in Regina by Tillman (obviously a great move, and a surprising one). Grey Cup. Now he is a hot commodity.Austin, of course, played the position at Ole Miss and won a CFL championship with Saskatchewan where he now coaches. He led the Roughriders to another Grey Cup title last season, his first as head coach. People in CFL circles rave about Austin’s ability to tutor QBs, as well as his overall offensive mind.