Chris Partridge making the Ole Miss defense 'a lot more fun' heading into 2022 season
The Ole Miss defense has undergone some changes through the offseason yet the key players have remained the same. Co-defensive coordinator Chris Partridge has taken over the play-calling and infused a new energy within the defense.
Partridge took the reigns of the Ole Miss defense after former co-defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin left for Texas A&M in the same capacity.
Throughout the spring there was word that the defense felt different despite half of the same coordinator team was still heavily involved in developing the playbook.
A new sense of aggression was seen in the defense all throughout spring. Something the players noticed instantly.
“I feel like (Partridge) is making the defense a lot more fun for everyone across the board,” said defensive end Cedric Johnson. “From back end guys, (linebackers), the d-line. I feel like we’re going to be a lot more multiple. I feel like that’s going to be a great help for us.”
The search by head coach Lane Kiffin to find Durkin’s replacement was one of a family affair and a revolving door.
Kiffin initially hired his brother, Chris Kiffin, to return to Ole Miss and Oxford and take over co-defensive coordinator duties and linebackers coach in January.
Chris coached at Ole Miss from 2012 to 2017 before ending up with a coaching job in the NFL. He left the Browns to return to Oxford and join his brother and father, Monte, on staff. But it was short-lived as he decided to return to the NFL a couple weeks later.
“Obviously, it’s unique because it’s your brother, and so, he came back and that happens sometimes,” Kiffin said in March. “You take jobs at the end of the season and you’re excited about it but then you get there and you kind of have second thoughts.
“It happens with recruits when they sign to schools and it happens with coaches. Kids and adults aren’t a whole lot different. With jobs with salaries and even more with four kids, they’re used to their teams and their friends up there. They were really entrenched there and playing sports, all that stuff, so I get it.”
Once moving on from his brother, Kiffin had to hit the coaching search once again. That search, too, was short-lived as he settled on former Western Kentucky defensive coordinator Maurice Crum to join Patridge.
Crum is also coaching the linebackers while helping oversee the entire defense with Partridge.
The two were able to begin meshing in February ahead of spring drills beginning in late March. Since then there has been an easy adjustment period between Crum and the players. Partridge has helped be a constant throughout the flux of change.
“It’s helped a lot. Especially with him already being there the previous year with D.J.,” Johnson said. “It wasn’t like a complete turnaround with a completely new coach. We already knew ‘CP’ and very comfortable with him. So it’s just like, ‘Hey, what’s up? You’re the next guy. You’re the guy now.’
“That was good to have and he’s keeping our plays and everything familiar. So, it’s a lot of new things but it’s not completely new to us.”
