Jackson Free Press

Ole Miss fired football coach Ed Orgeron on Saturday. Orgeron, who coached the Rebels for three seasons, was fired less than 24 hours after the Rebels lost to Mississippii State 17-14 to finish the season 3-9 and 0-8 in the SEC ... and just three weeks after receiving a vote of confidence from UM officials. The Rebels went 10-25 under Coach Yaw-Yaw, with a 3-21 mark in SEC games.

Previous Comments

ID

97218

Comment

I wasn't surprised that O would be fired; I just didn't think it would happen so quickly.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-11-25T00:01:24-06:00

ID

97219

Comment

I've been dismayed that it didn't happen a long time ago. All I can say is that it happened three years too late. Oh, yeah, and also . . . whew (sigh of relief)!

Author

C.W.

Date

2007-11-25T09:17:37-06:00

ID

97220

Comment

Losers lose, don't they? Why blame coach O for choking? Chokers choke? Ole Miss needs to stop acting like they expect to win. Aren't they used to losing, anyway? Come on people! Stop faking the funk!

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-11-25T12:09:50-06:00

ID

97221

Comment

Its something wrong with Ole miss as a whole, until they change their image as a whole they will continue to lose no matter what good coach they get. They need to stop trying to hang onto that old image and thinking that they are superior and better than everybody else. Mississippi State might have been formed for common and poor people but i don't think many black athletes are hesitant about going to STATE because of that reason. Ole miss be honest with yourselves you cant have it both ways, hanging onto your past but trying to blaze to the future. GO JSU win the SWAC Championship!! AND LADD can jsu get some coverage just like State, we headed to a championship game dang.

Author

NewJackson

Date

2007-11-25T12:53:29-06:00

ID

97222

Comment

Alright everyone I'm out and onward to the trial of the decade or century, in my word. Hopefully, the lord will be with me so that I can make it back alive and with enough behind to sit on. It's a steep uphill battle, but just like muhammad Ali brought down the mighty George Foreman, I hope to do the same. Pike, et al, don't ya'll beat me up too bad while I'm away for a week or two. That would be so sad.

Author

Ray Carter

Date

2007-11-25T13:05:25-06:00

ID

97223

Comment

can jsu get some coverage just like State, we headed to a championship game dang. Just make a thread on it. All there is to it. Ole Miss really didn't handle the search to replace David Cutcliffe very well. After all, Pete Boone said on TV that he was looking for a head coach who has head coaching experience. Orgeron didn't have head coaching experience. He was a recruiting coordinator at Miami and USC and they fielded successful results with national titles. O was also the d-line coach for USC. Maybe the AD thought it was impressive enough to hire him, or that no one else was interested. Supposedly, coaches such as Dennis Erickson (now at Arizona State) and Rick Neuheisel (Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator and formerly a head coach at Colorado and Washington) had interests in the job, but the Ole Miss thought there was too much baggage to deal with. Also, the university doesn't want to pay top dollar to get the best coach. Speaking of Neuheisel, he was among a list of coaches listed in the Clarion-Ledger that could possibly be candidates, along with Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher, New York Jets defensive backs coach Mike McIntyre, recently-resigned Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione, Florida co-defensive coordinator Charlie Strong and Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. I wonder if Ole Miss would consider asking Tommy Tuberville to come back to Oxford, though I get the feeling he won't leave Oxford (again) in a pine box.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-11-25T13:14:17-06:00

ID

97224

Comment

golden eagle you went to ole miss rite

Author

NewJackson

Date

2007-11-25T13:26:46-06:00

ID

97225

Comment

Sure. :P

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-11-25T13:34:42-06:00

ID

97226

Comment

NewJack, he went to USM. He eats, sleeps and breathes it. That's why he calls himself "golden eagle". His whole house is probably black and gold, LOL.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-11-26T10:32:39-06:00

ID

97227

Comment

I have two questions about all this: First, why isn't Ole Miss firing AD Pete Boone also? Boone is the one who shamefully fired Cutcliffe only one year after a highly successful season, leaving the clear impression that Cutcliffe was hired just to recruit Eli Manning. Boone claimed the UM goal was to win SEC Championships . . . but you can't hire a quality coach if they think they'll be fired after one bad year. Second, and more importantly, how can college football be called an "amateur" sport if coaches are being paid a million dollars a year? That's a sick joke. I think they players should sue under the Wage and Hour laws.

Author

GenShermansGhost

Date

2007-11-26T11:22:07-06:00

ID

97228

Comment

Jeff Bower Fired at usm http://www.clarionledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071126/SPORTS/71126014

Author

jd

Date

2007-11-26T11:38:04-06:00

ID

97229

Comment

Jeff Bower? Ooooh.

Author

LatashaWillis

Date

2007-11-26T11:47:16-06:00

ID

97230

Comment

The business of football is a very simple one. The coach is hired to produce a winning team. You are given one season to do just that. O is now into his third season; doing the same thing and expecting different results. I do feel a little sting when fathers/husbands lose their jobs; however, these guys are paid enough in one years to last for many years to come if they are financially well managed.

Author

justjess

Date

2007-11-26T11:49:44-06:00

ID

97231

Comment

Fired or resigned? Do we know for sure?

Author

DonnaLadd

Date

2007-11-26T12:02:51-06:00

ID

97232

Comment

Espn.com is reporting that "It wasn't immediately known whether Bower was forced to resign or was fired. The decision was reached after Bower met with Southern Miss athletics director Richard Giannini on Monday morning."

Author

jd

Date

2007-11-26T12:12:39-06:00

ID

97233

Comment

According to the Ledge: Southern Miss football coach Jeff Bower was told this morning he will not be back after 17 years as head coach of the Golden Eagles. Later: Bower was forced to resign during a meeting with USM athletic director Richard Giannini. Bower stormed out of the USM athletic department offices and went to his house. He could not be reached for comment. I am absolutely appalled about Jeff Bower's firing (though ESPN.com is saying that Bower resigned). I'll admit that this past season and some other seasons have been underwhelming, but the man brought 14 winning seasons in a row to Hattiesburg. Aside from USM, only Florida State, Michigan, Florida and Virginia Tech can now say they have had 14 or more winning seasons. USM is also going bowling for the tenth time out of the last eleven seasons. Bower also spent 17 seasons there overall and could've left for more lucrative jobs elsewhere. He brought loyalty and winning seasons to the Rock and this is the thanks he gets? Who does Giannini thinks he can get that will be better? It's not like coaches are lining up to take the USM job like they would for Michigan or Nebraska. G better hopes that he strikes lightning in the bottle with the next football coach or he might go the way of Steve Pederson and his buddy Bill Callahan at Nebraska: out the door.

Author

golden eagle

Date

2007-11-26T13:32:55-06:00