Nov. 7, 2011
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OXFORD, Miss. -- University of Mississippi
Athletics Director Pete Boone announced today that the 2011 football
season will be the last for head coach
Houston Nutt.
"Our
goal is to compete for championships, and we are not making progress in
that regard," said Boone. "It's time for our team to have new
leadership and a new direction."
Nutt will finish out the season
with the Rebels, a decision that Boone says was made in the interest of
continuity and stability for student-athletes as they near the end of
the semester and end of the season.
"My time at Ole Miss has been
very special, and I've enjoyed working with a wonderful group of
athletes and the Ole Miss community at large," Nutt said. "Change is
never easy, but I understand why it's necessary. My attention is on
finishing out the 2011 season and winning this Saturday."
Boone also announced that he would be stepping down as athletics director within the next year.
"When
Coach Nutt arrived four years ago, I said publicly he would be the last
coach I would hire. I meant it," said Boone. "On several occasions over
the past year, Chancellor Jones and I have discussed what would happen
if a disappointing football season resulted in a coaching change,
including whether a change would affect my timetable as athletics
director. When I decided we need new leadership in the football
program, I knew it was also the right time for new leadership in the
athletics department."
Jones praised Boone for his leadership and commitment to Ole Miss.
"Pete
Boone loves Ole Miss. I am grateful to Pete for his leadership of
athletics, including his selfless decision to announce his plans for the
future," Jones stated. "There will be other opportunities to
acknowledge his contributions to the university, but I know we all
recognize the significant progress in facilities we have made under his
leadership and the vision he has provided for financing the next phase
of facility improvement."
During Boone's two stints as athletics
director, the department has seen significant growth and expansion, with
annual expenditures increasing from less than $10 million in 1995 to
approximately $50 million this year. Over that same period, Boone has
spearheaded more than $150 million in improvements to athletics
facilities.
"The Ole Miss family has accomplished a lot during
the time I've been here," said Boone. "We have one more step to take -
completing the Forward Together campaign. We will then have some of the
best facilities in the nation, across all sports, for our
student-athletes, coaches, and fans."
Jones says he looks forward to the next chapter of the Rebels' storied history.
"We
are committed to excellence in everything associated with Ole Miss,"
said Jones. "In the context of athletics, excellence includes winning
the right way and competing for championships. The Ole Miss family will
work together to ensure a smooth transition for our football team and
our athletics department."
The process to choose the next head
coach will be directed by a five member committee including
representatives from the faculty, the Athletics Committee, the alumni
and the M-Club, with the assistance of a national search firm. Ole Miss
great Archie Manning and FedEx Executive Vice President Mike Glenn will
serve as co-chairs of the search committee. The committee will make a
recommendation to Jones, who will make the final decision. Boone
recommended this process to Jones last summer as a part of routine
succession planning in the event a coaching change was necessary during
the last few years of his tenure.
Although a specific timetable
for the athletics director search has not yet been determined, that
search will also be directed by a committee co-chaired by Manning and
Glenn.
Chancellor Jones expressed gratitude to Manning and Glenn for agreeing to lead both searches.
"We
are fortunate to have these men co-chair both of these committees,"
Jones said. "No one in America is more connected in the world of college
athletics than Archie Manning. And no one is more trusted in the Ole
Miss family. Mike Glenn is a highly respected executive in the world of
sports, overseeing FedEx's sports marketing activities which include
sponsorship of the NFL, NASCAR and the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup. I am
personally grateful for their willingness to take on this
responsibility."
