Rebels, what exactly did Houston Nutt say that was so wrong?

[Heawww]

I read that interview with him, and he seemed very complimentary of Freeze and said you all would be a contender this year. I thought nothing bad about it. When talking about the recruiting classes, he seemed like he told the absolute truth. Said he was left two good classes (2005, 2006), then two not so good ones (2007, 2008) and then his first class was bad (2009), but then he had two good ones (2010, 2011).

Then, Kellenburger writes this: http://blogs.clarionledger.com/um/2013/08/18/houston-nutt-continues-to-say-houston-nutt-things/

What's the deal? Sensitive much?

 

[RockstarFromMars]

The 2010 class was a disaster, not sure why you listed it as a good one. Sure, 2009 and 2010 were decently ranked but none of the players he signed stayed and only 5-6 from that class contributed/have contributed. Not even going to go into the abortion that was the 2009 class because you've documented it here several times. 2011 was a really solid, deep class and kudos to him for that.

He also blames part of his downfall on Jevan Snead leaving early. Nevermind the fact that he got Masoli, who single-handledly kept Ole Miss from 1-11 in 2010.

Where he really gets creative is the Nkemdiche part. Let me preface the following with this: No, Ole Miss does not sign Robert without Denzel. Credit to Mike Markuson for seeing his film and getting Nutt to recruit him. That said, if Houston Nutt is retained at Ole Miss following 2011, Denzel transfers out. Tyrone Nix had no idea what to do with Denzel, and Denzel was so disillusioned that he did not watch the 2011 Egg Bowl, despite being on the team. Moreover, if Ole Miss repeated 2-10 in 2012, even without Nutt, Robert still wasn't going to come. He was serious when he committed to Clemson.

If you're interested, Neal talks a lot about it on his podcast today.

 

[FreeDawg]

I actually beat Kellenburger (by 3 hours) with an article taking up for Freeze. It's titled almost the same thing. Nutt took credit for th season, the recruiting class, and the facility upgrades. Nutt sounds pathetic in that interview. I honestly think Nutt has a personality disorder.

Here is mine if anyone cares http://3rdand57.com/houston-nutt-takes-credit-for-freezes-success/

 

[RockstarFromMars]

Nutt did an interview with Brando like 2 weeks after he was fired in which he said essentially set up everything he said in this interview and the one on your blog. "They're close, they're close. Giggity." is what he closed that interview with Brando with (maybe paraphrased a little)

 

[Heawww]

The 2010 class was a disaster, not sure why you listed it as a good one.

He got some good players out of that class. It was in no way, shape or form as bad as the others. There were some holes, sure, and Freeze did a good job filling those, namely with Wallace. And Nutt gave him credit for that.

He also blames part of his downfall on Jevan Snead leaving early. Nevermind the fact that he got Masoli, who single-handledly kept Ole Miss from 1-11 in 2010.

I don't think there's any doubt that Snead leaving early hurt him. And Masoli played in the Jacksonville State game. THAT was the colossal f*ck up. After that, Masoli or no Masoli, it was down hill.

Where he really gets creative is the Nkemdiche part. Let me preface the following with this: No, Ole Miss does not sign Robert without Denzel. Credit to Mike Markuson for seeing his film and getting Nutt to recruit him. That said, if Houston Nutt is retained at Ole Miss following 2011, Denzel transfers out. Tyrone Nix had no idea what to do with Denzel, and Denzel was so disillusioned that he did not watch the 2011 Egg Bowl, despite being on the team. Moreover, if Ole Miss repeated 2-10 in 2012, even without Nutt, Robert still wasn't going to come. He was serious when he committed to Clemson.

I don't think you can speculate like that. Nutt told the truth, then gave Freeze credit for securing the commitment.

I just don't see the problem here. Fans just like to believe that the previous coach was 100% problematic. Same with us and Croom. It's insane.

 

[FreeDawg]

It's a no lose situation for Nutt making that comment which is my point. He sounds like he's being tasteful saying that but he's really setting himself up to take credit for some of the success. If Freeze would have fallen flat last year no one cares what Nutt said about him being close.

You also have to use the context of Nutts whole career. Dude is crazy. "I called that play brotha! I made some great calls today!" I know a lot of coaches may think that but how many have said something like that right after a big win? Nutt is all about self promoting his ego

 

[Heawww]

Nah I disagree with you all here. They were close. I said for a long time that they weren't as down in the dumps as people thought, nowhere close to us in 2003. The last 4 games of 2011 could be attributed to the team quitting because the idiot AD fired him mid-season. Remember that they almost beat Top 5 Arkansas that year. And if he doesn't bumble around and lose to BYU it's probably a different story altogether. Not to mention (again) the Jax State screw up, but he overcame that with the 2011 recruiting class.

 

[Heawww]

You also have to use the context of Nutts whole career. Dude is crazy. "I called that play brotha! I made some great calls today!" I know a lot of coaches may think that but how many have said something like that right after a big win? Nutt is all about self promoting his ego

I'll agree with this, he's got a little pyschopath in him. Doesn't mean he didn't do some good things while he was coaching, though. In the right place, I think he'd win big.

 

[FreeDawg]

I'm just using the stance that coaches that get fired can't often take credit for the next guy winning. Take OM, Nutt, and Freeze, out of this. A coach who won 2 games and got fired took credit for the guy who won 7 the next year. How retarded does that sound?

Think about the success Nutt did have. It could be 100% attributed to Coach O's classes and Jevan Sneed transferring which had zero to do with Nutt. Did Orgeron do interviews saying he set up Nutt even though he did??

 

[KurtRambis4]

Why

such hatred for Nutt among the OM fans? Y'all were all saying he was one of the best coaches in the SEC. Arkansas fans posted non-stop on Nafoom that he sucked. Y'all continuosly made fun of them and called them idiot, hillbillies. Now, y'all seem to be in agreement with the idiot hillbillies. I guess they were that big of idiots, afterall.

 

[Heawww]

He did give Orgeron credit, you know.

In the end, I'm in no way saying Nutt should have been kept. He was fired, and deserved to be fired. That's a given, and I assume everybody agrees on that premise.

 

[RockstarFromMars]

DE

JC

<nobr> </nobr>

Wayne Dorsey (Mississippi Gulf Coast) - Starter for 1 1/2 seasons, but never played like a 5 star. 5 career sacks I think

<tbody>
</tbody>

DE

17

<nobr> </nobr>

Carlos Thompson (Simmons HS) - Still on team and is in the DE rotation after 3 years of nothing. Redshirted as a junior

<tbody>
</tbody>

WR

20

<nobr> </nobr>

Vincent Sanders (Noxubee County HS) - Solid player with possible next-level potential.

<tbody>
</tbody>

DT

22

<nobr> </nobr>

Carlton Martin (Madison Central HS) - Still on team and is in the DT rotation, though not a starter.

<tbody>
</tbody>

DE

32

<nobr> </nobr>

Delvin Jones (Miami Palmetto Senior HS) - Disaster. Legal issues got him kicked off.

<tbody>
</tbody>

QB

JC

<nobr> </nobr>

Randall Mackey (East Mississippi) - Complete bust as a QB. Freeze found a way for him to contribute elsewhere.

<tbody>
</tbody>

S

JC

<nobr> </nobr>

Damien Jackson (Mississippi Gulf Coast) - Was a roleplayer in the secondary for 2 years. Not complete bust I guess.

<tbody>
</tbody>

FB

11

<nobr> </nobr>

Martez Eastland (Ringgold HS) - Didn't qualify.

<tbody>
</tbody>

C

16

<nobr> </nobr>

Chase Hughes (Springville HS) - Still on the team I think, though not certain.

<tbody>
</tbody>

CB

26

<nobr> </nobr>

Tony Grimes (Hollywood Hills HS) - Another disaster because of legal issues.

<tbody>
</tbody>

RB

32

<nobr> </nobr>

Nick Parker (South Panola HS) - Yet to do anything meaningful in his career. Finally made a position move to H-back

<tbody>
</tbody>

OG

33

<nobr> </nobr>

Jared Duke (Walker Valley HS) - Currently 2nd string OG so I guess that's cool.

<tbody>
</tbody>

DT

39

<nobr> </nobr>

Bryon Bennett (Madison Central HS) - Probably our 3rd best DT. Solid player.

<tbody>
</tbody>

OLB

39

<nobr> </nobr>

Ralph Williams (Miami Southridge HS) - Transferred.

<tbody>
</tbody>

RB

53

<nobr> </nobr>

Jeff Scott (Archbishop Carroll HS) - 2nd best player in the class. Hopefully he learns to run forwards soon.

<tbody>
</tbody>

CB

62

<nobr> </nobr>

Eric Mitchell (Mariner HS) - Didn't qualify

<tbody>
</tbody>

S

65

<nobr> </nobr>

Brishen Mathews (Monticello HS) - Part of Marijuanagate with Brunetti and Mackey. Still on team but irrelevant

<tbody>
</tbody>

WR

82

<nobr> </nobr>

Quadarias Mireles (Atlantic HS) - Didn't qualify.

<tbody>
</tbody>

OLB

85

<nobr> </nobr>

Clarence Jackson (North Clayton HS) - Another legal disaster. Unfortunate because he and Grimes were probably the best

<tbody>
</tbody>

CB

92

<nobr> </nobr>

Cliff Coleman (Boyd H. Anderson HS) - Not sure if still on team.

<tbody>
</tbody>

OLB

101

<nobr> </nobr>

Cordell Giles (Ray Brooks School) - Didn't qualify.

<tbody>
</tbody>

OT

PG

<nobr> </nobr>

Terrence Hackney (Hargrave Military Academy) - Ditto.

<tbody>
</tbody>

DE

PG

<nobr> </nobr>

Mike Thomas (Hargrave Military Academy) - Ditto ditto.

<tbody>
</tbody>

CB

NR

<nobr> </nobr>

Cedric Smith (Prattville HS) - Ditto ditto ditto.

<tbody>
</tbody>

 

[Heawww]

Uhh, thanks for proving my point. And you're overly negative on guys like Mackey, and you know it.

Why can't people just say that Nutt was a good coach, but let some things get away from him (namely Snead, Jax State, and recruiting in 2009)? Why is it that Nutt was terrible and he only succeeded because we are Ole Miss by damn? You (and Kellenberger, McCready, etc.) sound silly to me.

When Freeze underachieves, you'll probably crucify him too. History repeats itself.

 

[jb1020]

not to change subjects on you

but wtf kinda bone does McCready have to pick with Nutt? He constantly bashes him every chance he gets then he just went off on twitter the other night.

McCready keeps saying over and over that he's not a fan...but damn, something about Nutt is still burning him up.

 

[RockstarFromMars]

Well for starters, I don't really care to be lumped with NAFOOM. While I do have an account there, it is probably 2 years old now and has less than 50 posts. Nothing against NAFOOM, but it isn't an Ole Miss board I frequent.

Secondly, Arkansas fans were very, very right. I've eaten crow many times for it.

As to why we don't like him, just look at some box scores from 2011 season. I don't hate Houston. He did some nice things for Ole Miss and perhaps if Pete Boone had not been there, he could've been more successful. However, he has been quick to blame things like "it's hard to recruit to Oxford" (Someone forgot to tell Hugh Freeze that) and "We didn't have a training table" for his downfall as opposed to blaming himself, but is quick to take credit for last year's success.

 

[patdog]

Nutt sounds pathetic in that interview and Kellenberger looks pathetic for writing it. Just a poor article all the way around.

 

[RockstarFromMars]

McCready say it's paranoia. I think McCready went from covering Auburn and the Saints to covering Ole Miss at the same time Houston Nutt was hired, and despite what many people tend to say on here, McCready really isn't a fan. I don't know if McCready wrote something negative about Nutt or his tenure at Arkansas while working for the Mobile Register, but Neal and Chase Parham both said that Nutt was always stand-offish with Neal for whatever reason the entire tenure. Then Neal made the prediction that Arkansas would beat Ole Miss 49-10 during the 2011 season. Ole Miss nearly pulled off the upset, falling 29-24 and in his post-conference, Houston looked at Neal and said "It wasn't no 49-10 Neal" (I believe the vid is on Steve's blog post.)

 

[RockstarFromMars]

Overly negative on Mackey? The guy won 1 game as a starter and in the following spring, fell behind Barry Brunetti and Mikhail Miller. Nothing about Mackey's play at RB/WRlast season can be attributed to Houston Nutt.

And how exactly did half of that class either not qualifying or not lasting more than a year prove your point? That class was terrible.

 

[RockstarFromMars]

Probably aren't many times you'll find a Rebel fan in full agreement with you. I suppose we should cherish this.

 

[FreeDawg]

Probably aren't many times you'll find a Rebel fan in full agreement with you. I suppose we should cherish this.

Noted. Calls for a single malt

 

[kired]

That's hillarious for Nutt to suggest he left anything for Freeze. How many players did they even have on scholarship last year? I know after enrolling 25 guys this year they are still well under the 85 limit. They couldn't redshirt but a few guys because everyone had to play last year.

He had maybe the most commitments ever in the history of college football one year, and only about 1/3 of those guys actually played 4 years. Nutt had a serious issue with signing guys that, for one reason or another, couldn't last more than 2 years. I just wish UM could have kept him around for one more year.

 

[RockstarFromMars]

Apologies for the double reply, but there's also this.

http://www.redcuprebellion.com/2011...nsive-signals-not-smarter-than-a-fifth-grader

 

[KurtRambis4]

Oh I

know why y'all hate them. I just enjoy busting y'all on fighting with Arkansas fans year after year during the Nutt era. Y'all continously bashed them and said they they were idiots for talking bad about Nutt. Now, it appears that y'all were the idiots.

 

[RockstarFromMars]

Indeed we were. Looking back at all the NFL talent on the 2008 team, one could even argue Houston Nutt underachieved his first year.

But in the context of the dismal end to Orgeron's era, we got caught up in the excitement of a 2nd place divisional finish.

 

[jacksonreb]

as you guys have pointed out adnauseum regarding recruiting

rankings, many of nutt's best signees either never got to ole miss or left/didn't contribute. nutt left us with a two year cluster17 and now wants to act like he was just a year away. horseh**t. if nutt had stayed we might not have been able to field a team last yr cause of the academic issues. he sure as hell wasn't doing anything to fix them. bottom line is he screwed the pooch and for him to be mouthing off now does piss a lot of us off. the guy should do like croom. just take the money and keep his self serving mouth shut.

I read that interview with him, and he seemed very complimentary of Freeze and said you all would be a contender this year. I thought nothing bad about it. When talking about the recruiting classes, he seemed like he told the absolute truth. Said he was left two good classes (2005, 2006), then two not so good ones (2007, 200 and then his first class was bad (2009), but then he had two good ones (2010, 2011).

Then, Kellenburger writes this: http://blogs.clarionledger.com/um/2013/08/18/houston-nutt-continues-to-say-houston-nutt-things/

What's the deal? Sensitive much?

 

[Arloguthrie]

Arkansas fans (at least the ones who came to Nafoom) were batshit crazy like a psycho ex-girlfriend. It wasn't so much whether they were right or wrong but the fact that they came to Nafoom daily in droves to talk **** about their former coach. They could not let it go. Who does that? What were we supposed to say - "Thanks anonymous obsessed Arkansas fans for telling us our new coach who is far superior to Orgeron is a scumbag"?

And I don't hate Nutt. We had a couple of good seasons under him, and if Freeze turns out to be a great coach who we can keep (both of which are admittedly far from certain), we probably had to go through the Nutt era (during which time Freeze was fired from UM and proved himself somewhat as a head coach) to get to Freeze.

 

[Firecaptain4]

Nothing at all that I can see.

 

[RebFan.sixpack]

Yep, the real question was "if they (Ark fans) hated him so much and were so glad he was gone, why were they so obsessed with the guy?" It was as if he'd left them for OM at the height of his career. I think the Nutt hate is weird, but I think the hate for any former coach is weird. Nutt burned out and we caught him at the end of his useful life as a coach. It happens

 

[RebFan.sixpack]

I count 6 from that class who have actually started a game for us, and 2 that have been impact players

 

[Heawww]

I'd be willing to bet he gets back into coaching soon and wins again. At least at the same level he did at Arky and OM.

 

[RebelAlumnus]

I would bet he doesn't. He was an embarrassment in his interview with Jason Garrett at Dallas. Reports were that his lack of knowledge of schemes was mind-boggling for someone who had been a HC for so long.

Houston Nutt won because he had a bunch of NFL players in 2008 and 2009. Wallace (a top 6-8 WR in NFL), McCluster, Powe, P Jerry, J Jerry, G Hardy, Bolden, Oher, Sanford, Ashlee Palmer, Marshay Green, Cassius Vaughn, Rishaw Johnson, Kendrick Lewis, Trahan, and a bunch more All-SEC players. Most anyone not named Ed Orgeron could win with that group as a base of players.

 

[FreeDawg]

I think

Orgeron would have gotten to a bowl w/Snead. It's an old argument but I still think its right.

 

[KurtRambis4]

I think

they initially came over to laugh at y'all, and then the batshit nafoomers heckled them to no end (suggesting Nutt was awesome and Ark were idiots for firing him) causing the nonstop, terrible posting (from both sides). In the end, the Arkansas fan was proved right, and y'all were made to look like the idiots.

 

[Heawww]

Agree and disagree. Obviously he won because he had talent. But Nutt was known (throughout football, not just in the small minds in Oxford, MS) as a guy who got the best out his players. He always had them ready to play. And when he goes somewhere and commits himself to the job, he'll get better results.

His problems in 2010 and 2011 were due to lack of recruiting, JUST LIKE HE SAID TODAY. Do you want to know why he was less than impressive on the recruiting trail? Because he was constantly looking for another job.

That's really the long and short of it.

 

[patdog]

Well, we're 2 years out now and nobody's offered him a job.

 

[RebFan.sixpack]

Apparently the rest of the nations AD and coaching community doesn't agree, but be sure and let them know. Maybe you're right and they're all wrong. Its plausible. It always amazes me how much you and others know about OM, and not only about the inner circle-type info. You also are extremely versed on the motivations, attitude, work ethic, and general all around circumstances surrounding Houston Nutt. Of course, as has become common-place, its all impossible to prove, but makes a great story

 

[patdog]

One thing I've never understood is the idea that a coach is mailing it in at his current school because he's trying to get a better job. Wouldn't it make more sense to bust his *** at his current school if he wants a better job?

 

[Heawww]

Are you kidding? They guy went 9-4 at Ole Miss. It was widely known he wanted the Auburn job and countless others. He busted his *** on the field with the talent he had, just not on the recruiting trail.

Seriously, are you that dense? You really didn't comprehend that?

 

[Heawww]

Apparently the rest of the nations AD and coaching community doesn't agree, but be sure and let them know. Maybe you're right and they're all wrong. Its plausible.

Nobody wanted Mike Leach last year either. Give them a year or two, Houston Dale will be back on the sidelines.

It always amazes me how much you and others know about OM, and not only about the inner circle-type info. You also are extremely versed on the motivations, attitude, work ethic, and general all around circumstances surrounding Houston Nutt. Of course, as has become common-place, its all impossible to prove, but makes a great story

Strawman argument.

You see only what you want to see.

 

[Heawww]

Orgeron wouldn't have beaten Florida. Highly doubt he'd have beaten Arkansas up there too. So yeah, he may have gotten to a bowl but he wouldn't have them so hot that people start thinking that they are dark horse BCS contenders the following year.