Derrick Nix departing Ole Miss to become Auburn's next offensive coordinator
After weeks of speculation, and some social media jabbing by Lane Kiffin, it was the Ole Miss football head coach that confirmed on Wednesday the departure of Derrick Nix to Auburn and ending a lengthy tenure in Oxford.
Nix will join Hugh Freeze’s staff in Auburn as the Tigers new offensive coordinator after spending 16 years with the Ole Miss football program. He was currently the wide receivers coach and had been promoted by Kiffin as associated head coach prior to the 2023 season.
“We are grateful for Coach Nix and express our gratitude to Derrick and his family for their invaluable contributions and dedication to the success that we have achieved at Ole Miss,” Kiffin said in a statement.
“Acknowledging the opportunity to become a first-time playcaller with full time playcalling duties as Offensive Coordinator at Auburn University, we extend our sincere well-wishes to the Nix family in this new endeavor.”
Kiffin’s statement contradicts earlier reports that Freeze was going to take over the play-calling duties himself heading into his second season with the Tigers. According to the above statement it appears Nix will have playcalling control of the Auburn offense.
Through his first 12 years as a member of the Ole Miss coaching staff Nix served as the running backs coach before shifting over to wide receivers coach for the last four seasons. Prior to coming to Ole Miss Nix served four years on the Southern Mississippi coaching staff, where he played in college.
Nix and Freeze reunite after being together at Ole Miss from 2012-16 when Freeze was head coach in Oxford.
Kiffin now begins the search to fill two open position on the Ole Miss offense.
While it was reported earlier this month that Kelvin Bolden was being promoted to tight ends coach, replacing John David Baker who took the offensive coordinator job at East Carolina, it has not been confirmed by Kiffin.
With the departure of Nix, the fifth-year Rebels coach is in need of finding two assistant coaches in two of the more key positions within this offense.
“We will begin the search for a new wide receivers coach immediately with the objective of finding the best fit to coach the top wide receiver room in America,” Kiffin’s statement added.
