Ole Miss fires Orgeron after claiming he'd return in '08

ESPN ^ | 11/24/07 | Bruce Feldman

[Sybeck1]

A few weeks after Ole Miss brass announced that head coach Ed Orgeron would be back in 2008, the third-year coach was fired Saturday, ESPN.com has learned.

The news comes a day after the Rebels lost to archrival Mississippi State 17-14, capping off a winless SEC season for the first time in over two decades. The Rebels dominated much of the game, but momentum swung after Orgeron opted to go for it on a fourth-and-1 at midfield in the fourth quarter leading 14-0. BenJarvus Green-Ellis was stopped and the Bulldogs staged a frantic rally.

In three seasons Orgeron's teams won 10 games and had several close losses against ranked teams, but they could never get a big win. His recruiting classes were always highly ranked but the Rebels struggled on both sides of the ball, ranking near the bottom of most statistical categories in the SEC.

Orgeron, who had been Pete Carroll's right-hand man at USC, had continued to recruit well. He had hoped he could get to 2008, when Texas transfer Jevan Snead, a former blue-chipper, would become eligible.But the turn-the-corner win never came.

A week ago, after Ole Miss outgained but lost to top-ranked LSU 41-24, Orgeron and his staff hosted more high-profile recruits than he'd ever had on any weekend during his tenure at Ole Miss. He seemed confident that'd he'd be back for 2008, but one of his assistants pointed out that votes of confidence rarely mean anything.

"They just say those kinds of things so you keep recruiting," said the assistant.

Said Orgeron, "I know we're not out of the woods just yet."

He was right.

Bruce Feldman is a senior writer at ESPN The Magazine.

[Sybeck1]

I guess the 17 point comebacks by the Bulldogs was too much. Hopefully the Bulldogs will go to the Liberty Bowl so I can attend.

[Sybeck1]

bump

[stboz]

A win is a win. The Dawgs stunk for three quarters.

Glad for Coach Croom. It's been a long dry spell.

[MamaB]

This has been the talk on the forums for the MS teams. That call he made going for the 1st down instead of punting gave the game to the dawgs. That was what the State team needed.

Do you live in Memphis? I was born in a small town in MS about 60 miles south of Tupelo. I went to State back in the good ole days.

[WKB]

I never did trust that coona**

[grandpa jones]

A loss to State forces another SEC coach to the bench.
First Florida's Zook, then Bama's Shula.
Now Ole Miss' Orgeron.

Who is next?
Hehe. Go Dawgs!

[Sybeck1]

Southaven, just miles south of Memphis. I grew up in Holly Springs.

I went to the LSU game and saw two on side kick attempts that gave the then number one team great field position.

Coach “O” will have a hard time finding a high school caching job after this.

[Sybeck1]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UXVeykygag

Ballard of Nick Saban!

[wardaddy]

can’t say I’m surprised...

I’ll take beautiful women over a good football team any day

[MamaB]

I know where that is. I was born and grew up in the small town of Houston which is in Chickasaw County, I am in N. AL now. In fact, I have lived here much longer than in MS including the years at State. There are really some obnoxious Bama fans here! Did my heart good when State beat them but the one game they complain the most about is that LA team. There are not very many happy campers here. Two guys and I were talking about the State loss and I told them that the days of Bear were over and that I doubted if any team would ever have the teams he had. Just like Vaught {sp} at Ole Miss years ago. Every team in the SEC could beat another one on any game day.

[smonk]

----I’ll take beautiful women over a good football team any day---

yeah, but all of them are in hattiesburg ;)

[wardaddy]

very good.....lol

[vetvetdoug]

Ole’ Miss really deserves what they get because of Buffoon and Crapette’s meddling. The best coach Miss had is right now directing the Tennessee offense. Buffoon and Crapette had to conjure up a complaint against Cutcliff to justify their firing of Cutcliff...even though he was the SEC Coach of the year the previous season. Ole Miss sold their heritage for the hope of recruiting black athletes...they could have stuck to their traditions and done just as well. All of the sorry @$$ lawyers at Ole Miss are sending the university to mediocrity. Go Mississippi State!!!

[dixiechick2000]

LOL!

I’m not surprised. ;o)

[dixiechick2000]

You speak a lot of truth in your post...

...except for the “Go Mississippi State!!!” part. ;o)

[vetvetdoug]

I graduated from Tennessee....right now in overtime I am just beside myself....

[dixiechick2000]

They won in FOUR OTs!

WOW!!!
Whatta game!

CONGRATULATIONS!

Best wishes in the title game next week!

(you should be beside yourself) ;o)

[NerdDad]

Would that small town 60 miles south of Tupelo be Columbus, where I live?

[MamaB]

Nah, Houston in Chickasaw County. My ancestors settled there from SC, NC, GA, AL and then MS in the mid 1800’s. I don’t think it is quite 60 miles but it seems that far when we go back home from here! If we are on the Trace, it seems twice that long!

[MississippiMan]

The best coach Miss had is right now directing the Tennessee offense.

Just for the sake of accuracy...Cut was and is a solid football mind. Unfortunately, he cannot recruit. His only success in recruiting was Eli and Eli's coattails, and that came from a relationship with the Manning family, not recruiting ability.

When Cut left, the cupboard was virtually bare of the level of talent necessary to compete in the SEC. Orgeron is a fantastic recruiter and has brought the talent back. Unfortunately, he cannot coach, and he proved it with the 4th-and-1 call that gave the game to MSU, along with similarly boneheaded gameday calls (eg. pulling Schaeffer after he marched the team down the field against the nation's best defense, and put Adams in, who had been utterly ineffective against them.)

It takes both sides of the coin, recruiting AND coaching.

BTW, while I loathe State when we play them, I have returned to pulling for them against other teams, now that The Jackal is gone.

Hotty Toddy!

MM (in TX)