Houston Nutt

[LRock34]

I don't buy into the idea that a guy from the South is going to be able to get top southern recruits with multiple southern offers to come to CT. Our best bet to do well in recruiting is to first get the best players from CT and our surrounding areas. That's just reality.

You people who think we are ever going to start recruiting top players from the south without first winning big and developing a reputation as a football school are either lost or crazy. Unless of course you are advocating cheating, but then again that would make you crazy.

I question whether "Houston Nutt" would do well in New England living rooms, someone like Eric Mangini with his background would probably do much better in New England.

The mistake you make is thinking that we need to land "the top" recruits from the South who have a million offers. That has never been our philosophy and we've never been successful at trying to do that. What we need is a coach who has deep rooted relationships in the South or the Midwest. Relationships that will help him to uncover those hidden gems. Good players who for one reason or another are going unnoticed. There are hundreds of kids in the South who the SEC and ACC miss. FHCRE did a decent job of doing this. We need someone that can take what Randy did to another level. Discovering under rated kids in hotbeds for talent. Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc. or if from the the Midwest, Ohio, PA, Missouri.......then combine that with landing the TOP recruits in CT, NY, and MA. That is the recipe for any potential major success.

Do you have any idea how many kids come out of Florida/Alabama, GA compared to New England??? There is plenty of talent to go around that can be tapped into to help us win in the AAC consistently. But we have to beat out the UCF's, NC States, Miss States of the world to get them. A coach with the right relationships can do that.

 

[huskyrob1]

Seriously. Dickie Nutt was the head coach at Arkansas state. We used to sponsor his coaches show. I about fell over when they told me his name.

I can't wait till he interviews at Ball State and Beaver College!!!

 

[Jimdish255]

Brando guest just made the assumption Nutt has already been offered the job. No facts to back it up. Fortunately Brando inferred that upcoming openings at FAU or UCF would be better jobs. Wow what a boatload of an exchange that was.

 

[metsfan2323]

The mistake you make is thinking that we need to land "the top" recruits from the South who have a million offers. That has never been our philosophy and we've never been successful at trying to do that. What we need is a coach who has deep rooted relationships in the South or the Midwest. Relationships that will help him to uncover those hidden gems. Good players who for one reason or another are going unnoticed. There are hundreds of kids in the South who the SEC and ACC miss. FHCRE did a decent job of doing this. We need someone that can take what Randy did to another level. Discovering under rated kids in hotbeds for talent. Florida, Georgia, Alabama, etc. or if from the the Midwest, Ohio, PA, Missouri.......then combine that with landing the TOP recruits in CT, NY, and MA. That is the recipe for any potential major success.

Do you have any idea how many kids come out of Florida/Alabama, GA compared to New England??? There is plenty of talent to go around that can be tapped into to help us win in the AAC consistently. But we have to beat out the UCF's, NC States, Miss States of the world to get them. A coach with the right relationships can do that.

Fair enough. Warde would really need to examine why he flamed out at Ole Miss and make sure we aren't getting P part two.

I like the idea that Houston is known as a fiery speech motivator, "The right reverend". He and Ollie can exchange notes in that regard. I guess we'll all need to find our inner cowboy at Cabelas before the game, UCONN is known for cow tipping so it works. Maybe he can be our June Jones/Tommy Tubberville/George O'Leary

 

[LRock34]

Fair enough. Warde would really need to examine why he flamed out at Ole Miss and make sure we aren't getting P part two.

I like the idea that Houston is known as a fiery speech motivator, "The right reverend". I guess we'll all need to find our inner cowboy at Cabelas before the game. Maybe he can be our June Jones/Tommy Tubberville.

FWIW I don't know if the coach I'm speaking of is Nutt. Reading some of the posts here it sounds like he isn't a very good recruiter. He might be a fit if we surround him with the right assistants (from the South and Midwest) but my point was that we need coaches with relationships in hot beds. That may or may not be Nutt.

 

[huskyrob1]

FWIW I don't know if the coach I'm speaking of is Nutt. Reading some of the posts here it sounds like he isn't a very good recruiter. He might be a fit if we surround him with the right assistants (from the South and Midwest) but my point was that we need coaches with relationships in hot beds. That may or may not be Nutt.

One thing about Houston Nutt is he calls the offensive plays from the sidelines, not his OC. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing in his case, but it makes me think PP. ??????????

 

[Excalibur]

FWIW I don't know if the coach I'm speaking of is Nutt. Reading some of the posts here it sounds like he isn't a very good recruiter. He might be a fit if we surround him with the right assistants (from the South and Midwest) but my point was that we need coaches with relationships in hot beds. That may or may not be Nutt.

My stance on the guy is basically this -- at Arkansas, he showed that he could win in the SEC with talent not as good as the top recruiting teams in the league. The Ole Miss flameout is a red flag that would need to be investigated, but getting canned at Mississippi is not necessarily an indication of poor coaching ability (see Cutcliffe, David). If there is interest, you at least need to do some due diligence, because there are plenty of indications that the guy can coach.

 

[metsfan2323]

This is a good write-up on Houston Nutt.


In his 13 seasons in the conference, Nutt has piled up 53 SEC victories, which ranks 14th in league history and third among current league coaches. With a 97-64 overall mark as an SEC coach, Nutt ranks 18th all-time in the league in coaching victories and behind only Steve Spurrier among active coaches.

In his first season in Oxford, Nutt led one of the greatest turnarounds in school history, reviving a Rebel squad that was coming off four straight losing seasons and a 3-8 campaign with no conference wins in 2007. With a 9-4 record (5-3 in the SEC), it marked the team's best improvement from one season to the next since legendary Ole Miss Coach John Vaught's debut in 1947.

Projected to place fifth in the SEC Western Division in the preseason, Nutt's first Rebel unit finished second in the West, ended the season on a six-game win streak and earned a No. 14 final national ranking.

Nutt's efforts earned him SEC Coach of the Year honors (SEC Coaches and The Touchdown Club of Atlanta) for the third time in his decorated career and AFCA Region Coach of the Year accolades for the fifth time.

Rising as high as No. 4 in the national rankings in 2009, Nutt's Rebels knocked off No. 8 LSU, Tennessee and Arkansas en route to a second straight berth in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, in which Ole Miss prevailed over No. 18 Oklahoma State 21-7. The Rebels finished 20th in the AP poll.

Nutt was bestowed with one of his greatest honors in 2009, as the Fellowship of Christian Athletes named him the 2009 FCA Grant Teaff Coach of the Year Award recipient. The award recognizes a football coach who exemplifies Christian principles and who is involved in FCA. The award is also based on the success/performance of the coach's team that year.

With his team decimated by injuries and departures, Nutt saw his streak of four straight seasons of eight or more wins and a January bowl berth come to an end in 2010 with a 4-8 record.

Despite the disappointment, Nutt took optimism away from last season, as 42 underclassmen gained valuable experience, including 18 freshmen. With seven underclassmen earning starts on the offensive line, Ole Miss topped the SEC in fewest sacks allowed and ranked third in rushing offense.

In his three seasons in Oxford, Nutt has continued his reputation as a giant killer, as his Rebels have registered five wins over ranked teams and three against top-10 teams, including a 25-23 victory over eighth-ranked LSU in 2009.

The 2008 Ole Miss squad knocked off three top-20 foes away from Oxford, including the defending national champion in No. 18 LSU and the eventual title holder in No. 4 Florida. The third win was a resounding 47-34 defeat of No. 8 Texas Tech in the 2009 Cotton Bowl.

The upset over the Gators - their lone blemish of the season - provided Nutt his fifth win against a top-five opponent as a head coach. In all five wins, Nutt's team entered the game unranked, and four of the wins came on the road.

 

[huskymedic]

If not for anything - there won't be many people that aren't aware we are looking, it's all over today (especially in the South):

http://collegefootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/10/31/houston-nutt-eyeing-a-coaching-return-at-uconn/

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2013/10/former_ole_miss_coach_houston.html

http://www.sbnation.com/college-football/2013/10/31/5050142/houston-nutt-uconn-football#194303289 (comments are great and disturbing @ same time).

EMsStTE

9:28am via Web​

UCONN: MAKE. IT. HAPPEN.blog.ctnews.com/hssports/2013/…pic.twitter.com/IYNNBotnFs

 

[huskymedic]

Ruh-R0h... we have smoke.

http://coachingsearch.com/coaching-search-ticker

>>UCONN: A report surfaced out of Connecticut on Wednesday that former Arkansas and Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt is researching the state of football in the Connecticut high school ranks. Why would Nutt have interest in the UCONN job? It may be because UCONN's biggest booster Robert Burton, who contributed a leading $2.5 million to the UCONN football complex, has a long-standing relationship with Nutt dating back to Nutt's time at Murray State. Burton has a bachelor's and honorary doctorate degree from Murray State. He is the president and CEO of Moore Printing, a $2.1 billion printing company. Since Burton's input will likely be considered, it will be interesting to see if other coaches from the Murray State tree emerge. Perhaps Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster could land an interview. Another coach that may have interest in the job is Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who coached the offensive line at Alabama from 2011-2012. Here is our original list of candidates for the UCONN job.<<

 

[Jimdish255]

Ruh-R0h... we have smoke.

http://coachingsearch.com/coaching-search-ticker

>>UCONN: A report surfaced out of Connecticut on Wednesday that former Arkansas and Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt is researching the state of football in the Connecticut high school ranks. Why would Nutt have interest in the UCONN job? It may be because UCONN's biggest booster Robert Burton, who contributed a leading $2.5 million to the UCONN football complex, has a long-standing relationship with Nutt dating back to Nutt's time at Murray State. Burton has a bachelor's and honorary doctorate degree from Murray State. He is the president and CEO of Moore Printing, a $2.1 billion printing company. Since Burton's input will likely be considered, it will be interesting to see if other coaches from the Murray State tree emerge. Perhaps Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster could land an interview. Another coach that may have interest in the job is Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who coached the offensive line at Alabama from 2011-2012. Here is our original list of candidates for the UCONN job.<<

What about the big FAU job? They should all be biting on that one!

 

[CTMike]

The plot thickens.

 

[junglehusky]

Today I learned Murray State has a coaching tree. Who'd'a thunk it.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Ruh-R0h... we have smoke.

http://coachingsearch.com/coaching-search-ticker

>>UCONN: A report surfaced out of Connecticut on Wednesday that former Arkansas and Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt is researching the state of football in the Connecticut high school ranks. Why would Nutt have interest in the UCONN job? It may be because UCONN's biggest booster Robert Burton, who contributed a leading $2.5 million to the UCONN football complex, has a long-standing relationship with Nutt dating back to Nutt's time at Murray State. Burton has a bachelor's and honorary doctorate degree from Murray State. He is the president and CEO of Moore Printing, a $2.1 billion printing company. Since Burton's input will likely be considered, it will be interesting to see if other coaches from the Murray State tree emerge. Perhaps Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster could land an interview. Another coach that may have interest in the job is Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland, who coached the offensive line at Alabama from 2011-2012. Here is our original list of candidates for the UCONN job.<<

Stoudland is an interesting name. I'll have to check but I think his name came up about a month ago in a private conversation on candidates. If this is who I think, he may be a quality candidate.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

Today I learned Murray State has a coaching tree. Who'd'a thunk it.

Believe it or not, Central Ct has a coaching tree.

 

[huskymedic]

Stoudland is an interesting name. I'll have to check but I think his name came up about a month ago in a private conversation on candidates. If this is who I think, he may be a quality candidate.

CT connections - Played for Kevin Gilbride @ SCSU and then coached there (ya know - the same school GDL came from - he also has PP ties from Cuse).

 

[FfldCntyFan]

I believe that if he is interested he would receive serious consideration. I hope that he is interested.

 

[huskymedic]

I believe that if he is interested he would receive serious consideration. I hope that he is interested.

He has the quality resume for sure... as long as people don't freak out on his passing PP/GDL connections and never give him a chance. God knows he can help fix the OL!

 

[CTGoonie]

I'll PM you.

I'm a sucker for anything CR related even if it is made up. Can you PM me too?

 

[SAMCRO]

Cupboard bare Cupboard bare Cupboard bare Cupboard bare P didn't suck, RE didn't leave anything for him.
We're never gonna hear the end of it. And when the new coach turns things around, it's gonna be with P's recruits.

At least Edsall developed talent once he got it on campus. Players improved over their time here while he was HC. That has not appeared to be the case while P was here. Kids on the OL were not improving year over year the past 3 seasons.

 

[pepband99]

My stance on the guy is basically this -- at Arkansas, he showed that he could win in the SEC with talent not as good as the top recruiting teams in the league. The Ole Miss flameout is a red flag that would need to be investigated, but getting canned at Mississippi is not necessarily an indication of poor coaching ability (see Cutcliffe, David). If there is interest, you at least need to do some due diligence, because there are plenty of indications that the guy can coach.

Bingo. I'll spin this a different way...

He won in a MUCH tougher conference, in a state where, comparatively, the recruiting pipeline is not nearly as fruitful. Sound familiar?

 

[Jax Husky]

One thing about Houston Nutt is he calls the offensive plays from the sidelines, not his OC. Not sure if that's a good thing or bad thing in his case, but it makes me think PP. ??????????

If he wants to call his own plays, I'd say "hell no" to him. If he is willing to give up offensive control, then it could work.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

He has the quality resume for sure... as long as people don't freak out on his passing PP/GDL connections and never give him a chance. God knows he can help fix the OL!

He can help fix the OL, he can stock the staff with assistants who have been with successful programs, he should be able to recruit and with a couple of young aggressive assistants throwing his name out we may be able to land some kids who never would have considered us.

Nick Saban supposedly has a P connection (and a pundit was claiming that Saban would hire P after we canned him). If this guy would want the job he is on my very short list.

 

[Excalibur]

Bingo. I'll spin this a different way...

He won in a MUCH tougher conference, in a state where, comparatively, the recruiting pipeline is not nearly as fruitful. Sound familiar?

Are you making the Tommy Bowden comparison again? Bowden hasn't gotten a sniff in 5 years from anyone, and the ACC from 2005-08 was an awful conference. He had superior talent and was mediocre with it.

 

[huskymedic]

He can help fix the OL, he can stock the staff with assistants who have been with successful programs, he should be able to recruit and with a couple of young aggressive assistants throwing his name out we may be able to land some kids who never would have considered us.

Nick Saban supposedly has a P connection (and a pundit was claiming that Saban would hire P after we canned him). If this guy would want the job he is on my very short list.

Heck - JS even dodged and weaved a "glancing blow" from Shapiro from his time @ the U and survived in tact. The good thing about the whole Houston Nutt notoriety tie-in is that UConn is being tied with quality candidates that actually are intriguing. NOT like last time. We'll see soon enough.