Houston Nutt out at Ole Miss

[moorecajun]

This is good news, it's a year or two early. Now I'm worried about Tennessee the timing will be perfect for that one......

I'm with you on this ... this was the best time (for us) for this firing to take place. Maybe we'll be able to thank LATECH for Tennessee; maybe they'll be hesitant to hire a second coach from Louisiana!

[Parrott]

I don't think they'll have Hud on their list...

My guess would be:

Skip Holtz (South Florida)
Larry Fedora (Southern Miss)
Mike Leach
Gus Malzahn (Auburn)

Nice list. Hearing Malzahn (former walk-on receiver at Arkansas) is an early front-runner given the results at Tulsa, Arkansas and Auburn as offensive coordinator, although his lack of head coaching experience at the college level could be a concern to some.

Leach would be an interesting fit with his wide-open offense, bigger-than-life personality and coaching experience in the SEC (Kentucky, where he helped turn Tim Couch into the top pick in the 1999 NFL draft), but the school would likely ask him to drop lawsuit against ESPN.

Holtz worked under his dad at South Carolina and has won at East Carolina and South Florida.

Fedora was an offensive coordinator at Florida, has won consistently at Southern Miss with an exciting-to-watch offense and has strong ties in the state. Southern Miss just cracked into the top 25, too.

I wouldn't count out Freeze or Hudspeth being in the mix. Really depends on how much Ole Miss wants to spend and how confident some of the candidates feel about the school's leadership.

[CajunAlum10]

I was told by a source close to the team that HUD was offered a $10 Million signing bonus already to sign with Ole Miss.. and he turned it down (supposedly). I don't know what to believe anymore but this news surely does not surprise me if true.

[raginsaints]

I was told by a source close to the team that HUD was offered a $10 Million signing bonus already to sign with Ole Miss.. and he turned it down (supposedly). I don't know what to believe anymore but this news surely does not surprise me if true.

lol no

[ManAboutTown]

There is no way Ole Miss offered HUD that kind of money. That's an absurd figure for a coach with his resume'. I love the man, but he's at his first D1 gig now. Stoops doesn't make that kinda money.

[CajunAlum10]

lol no

This came from a guy that works for me, he said that's what he was told. Again, I don't know the validity of this but I thought it was worth throwing out there into discussion.

[raginsaints]

Ole Miss doesn't have $10 million for Nick Saban let alone Mark Hudspeth.

[cajunhawk]

Hopefully Johnboy can help either ease the worry, or stoke the fires of panic. He is our resident man in Oxford.

[CajunAlum10]

Ole Miss doesn't have $10 million for Nick Saban let alone Mark Hudspeth.

Yea I mean I completely agree, I thought it sounded absurd as well. And honestly, I think HUD is starting to fall in love with Lafayette and see major potential here. I mean the fact that he has so much passion and got so choked up in those interviews shows how much this team really does mean to him... it's not a front at all. I can't see him wanting to leave after only 1 season... I see him being here for at least 3 seasons while building up a stellar resume'.

Just my thoughts, I hope I'm right.

[ManAboutTown]

Make no mistake about it, Lafayette has an affect on ppl. Coach's wife loves this place, and you guys know how much that plays at home. HUD is falling for our little piece of the country and who could blame him..

[RagnCajunRebel]

Here's my understanding of where things are in Oxford at this time:

Archie and Mike Glenn will head the search committee, which will also consist of at least one former player and two others. The AD search will materialize a little slower, and Boone (current AD) will have no say so in the coaching search.

From what I hear, Hud is on the list, although he's a little further down on the list than others. I think him only having one successful year thus far is going to keep him off of a BCS radar for at least another year. And while I believe that Hud will be successful wherever he goes, I almost hope for his sake he holds out for a little while longer. Obviously, I want him to keep building what he's started here, but also Ole Miss will be a very tough job over the next 2 years. Nutt is leaving very little depth, not much in the QB spot, only one RB, a terrible OL, and a very think Defense.

Also, I can promise you that nobody, not even Hud, has been offered $10M.

The names at the top of the list, from what I gather, are Smart (provided we can get a top notch OC as well), Malhazan (which I think would be a bad hire), Diaz, Holtz, Sumlin, Hud and Hugh Freeze.

It will be interesting to watch, no doubt. I don't think the Cajuns have too much to worry about, at least not yet. But that may very well change here soon.

[NOCajun]

I don't know if Miles OR Saban is getting $TEN million right now! I do feel bad for Houston because I knew he and his brother from their playing days at OK State.