Houston Nutt Houston Dale Nutt , Jr . ( born October 14 , 1957 ) is an American football coach and former player . Most recently he was the head football coach at the University of Mississippi ( Ole Miss ) from 2008 to 2011 . Previously , he served as the head coach at Murray State University ( 1993 – 1996 ) , Boise State University ( 1997 ) , and the University of Arkansas ( 1998 – 2007 ) . Nutt has served as an assistant coach under Lou Holtz and Jack Crowe . He currently works for CBS as a college football in studio analyst . Early life and family . Houston Nutt , Jr . was born in Arkansas . He is the son of the late Houston Dale Nutt , Sr . , and Emogene Nutt and is the oldest of four children . Houston Nutt , Sr . briefly played basketball for the University of Kentucky under Adolph Rupp before transferring to Oklahoma A & M ( now Oklahoma State ) in 1952 . Nutt graduated from Little Rock Central High School . His parents taught at the Arkansas School for the Deaf at Little Rock , Arkansas for 35 years . His father also served as athletic director and head basketball coach for the school . His father was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2001 . During his childhood , Houston and his brothers were daily members at the Billy Mitchell Boys and Girls Club in Little Rock . Often referred to as the " Right Reverend " Houston Nutt because he is known for his fiery and inspirational speeches to his teams . Wife Diana , like Nutt , graduated from Oklahoma State University . They have four children together : Houston III ( born March 11 , 1987 ) , twins Hailey and Hanna ( born September 26 , 1988 ) , and Haven ( born March 19 , 1991 ) . Nutt ' s brother Dickey Nutt was the head basketball coach at Arkansas State University until he announced his resignation on February 19 , 2008 . He now coaches basketball at Southeast Missouri State University . His brother Danny Nutt served as the Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development at Ole Miss during Houston ' s tenure as head coach . Nutt ' s youngest brother Dennis Nutt , a former NBA player , is head men ' s basketball coach at Ouachita Baptist University . College athletic career . Nutt was the last player recruited by Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles before his retirement in 1976 . Nutt was recruited as a drop - back style quarterback and started four games as a true freshman after starting quarterback Ron Calcagni was sidelined with an injury . Nutt also played that year for the Southwest Conference champion Arkansas basketball team under coach Eddie Sutton , which went 26 – 2 and bulled its way to a 16 – 0 conference mark . With the retirement of Frank Broyles , Arkansas hired Lou Holtz as the head football coach . Holtz established an option offense that did not make use of Nutt ' s passing style and relegated him to the bench as a backup . Disappointed by his lack of playing time , Nutt transferred to Oklahoma State University and played two years as a backup quarterback . During his time at Oklahoma State he also played for the basketball team . Nutt graduated from Oklahoma State in 1981 with a degree in physical education . Coaching career . Assistant coaching . After graduation , Nutt became a graduate assistant for Oklahoma State under head coach Jimmy Johnson . In 1983 Nutt returned to Arkansas and became a graduate assistant coach under former coach Lou Holtz . In the spring of 1984 , Nutt was hired by Arkansas State University as a full - time assistant coach but he spent only four months there before returning to Oklahoma State that summer as a wide receivers coach . Nutt spent six seasons as an assistant coach for receivers and quarterbacks at Oklahoma State and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 1989 . During his years at Oklahoma State , he coached Barry Sanders , who won the 1988 Heisman Trophy and Buffalo Bills legend Thurman Thomas . In 1990 , Nutt returned to the University of Arkansas as an assistant under head coach Jack Crowe and established a reputation as an excellent recruiter . Nutt remained with the Razorbacks for three seasons and established relationships with Arkansas high school football coaches that would serve him in good stead in later years . Murray State . In 1993 Nutt received his first head coaching position at NCAA Division I - AA Murray State University . The team went 4 – 7 and 5 – 6 in Nutt ' s first two years . In 1995 his efforts paid off with an 11 – 1 record and an Ohio Valley Conference championship after reeling off an 8 – 0 conference mark . Nutt received Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year honors and was recognized with the Eddie Robinson National Division I - AA Coach of the Year Award . Nutt repeated his success for the 1996 season with an 11 – 2 record and another undefeated run through his Ohio Valley Conference schedule . Murray State won its first round Division I - AA playoff appearance , earning Nutt the OVC Coach of the Year honors and regional Coach of the Year honors . Boise State . Nutt made the step up to NCAA Division I - A the next year when Boise State University hired him to take over their program , which was the lowest ranked of 112 Division I - A schools and had posted a 2 – 10 record the year before . Two years after making the Division I - AA finals in 1994 , the Broncos had an interim head coach in 1996 as head coach Pokey Allen battled cancer . Boise State ' s first year in Division I - A had been difficult and was looking for a recruiter and motivator to jump start their program following Allen ' s death in late December . Nutt ' s team posted a 5 – 6 record in 1997 , playing at the Division I - A level with its Division I - AA players . Nutt ' s team beat rival Idaho on the road in overtime for the first BSU win in Moscow since 1981 . Additionally , Boise State almost pulled off an upset against Wisconsin of the Big Ten . Arkansas . Nutt became the head coach of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks on December 10 , 1997 succeeding head coach Danny Ford . Nutt , during his first press conference as coach , immediately mentioned a " National Championship " as his goal and felt that Arkansas had the program to win one . The Razorback team had suffered through a long low period under a succession of head coaches in the previous years , having only received two bowl game bids in the eight seasons prior to Nutt ' s arrival . Upon his arrival at Arkansas coach Nutt invigorated the Hogs fan base with his enthusiasm and high energy . Under Nutt , the Razorbacks were one of three SEC schools to play in three New Year ' s Day bowls within five years . Nutt ' s teams have been noted for a series of overtime games including the two longest overtime games in NCAA history . Off the field , some of Nutt ' s players have been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll 145 times and he has established a reputation as a responsible coach academically . Some criticism has come for an SEC win record just barely over . 500 and because he calls his own offensive plays during a game instead of relying on an offensive coordinator . In his first six seasons Nutt led the team to a bowl game each year and averaged eight wins per season . 1998 . Nutt ' s Razorbacks were picked to finish last in the Southeastern Conference Western Division in 1998 but ended up with a 9 – 3 record and a share of the division title . The Razorbacks lost to the eventual national champion Tennessee Volunteers on Tennessee ' s home field after quarterback Clint Stoerner fumbled while trying to run out the clock . For their efforts , the Razorbacks received their first - ever invitation to the Citrus Bowl and ended the season ranked 16th after losing to Michigan . Nutt was selected as the Football News ' National Coach of the Year . 1999 . In 1999 , Nutt ' s Razorbacks were picked to win the SEC Western Division , but suffered a series of setbacks during the season . They recovered to defeat nationally ranked Tennessee and Mississippi State to earn a Cotton Bowl Classic bid versus arch - rival Texas . The Razorbacks defeated Texas 27 – 6 , becoming the first team to ever hold Texas to negative rushing yards in a game . The Cotton Bowl victory propelled Arkansas into the top 20 to end the season . 2000 . The 2000 season saw the Razorbacks lose the core of their team and suffer a string of injuries , including season - ending injuries to all of the starting running backs . The Razorbacks struggled throughout the season until the final two games when they defeated ranked Mississippi State and LSU teams to pull out another winning record and a Las Vegas Bowl appearance . 2001 . In the 2001 season , the Razorbacks started off with three straight losses in SEC play . They then came back to win six of the last seven including victories over ranked South Carolina and Auburn teams . Based on this performance , the Razorbacks were selected to return to the Cotton Bowl Classic to face the defending national champion Oklahoma Sooners . Arkansas lost , gaining only 50 yards of total offense and just six first downs . Coach Nutt was named SEC coach of the year by the Associated Press and by the SEC coaches . 2002 . In 2002 , Nutt ' s Razorbacks stumbled midway through the season but pulled together five straight wins , including a last second touchdown pass against LSU , often referred to as the " Miracle on Markham " to pull out a share of a Western Division title . Arkansas was defeated by the Georgia Bulldogs in the SEC Championship Game and ended the season with a loss to Minnesota in the Music City Bowl . 2003 . In 2003 , Nutt ' s team started off with a 4 – 0 record including a win against # 5 Texas on their home field . The early season success raised fan expectations sky - high and put Nutt under intense pressure when the Razorbacks lost their next three games , putting them out of contention for the national championship or even the SEC Western Division crown . The Razorbacks won four of their final five games and defeated Missouri in the Independence Bowl . After the 2003 season , Nebraska was rumored to be courting Nutt to be their head coach , after the firing of Frank Solich . 2004 – 2005 . The 2004 and 2005 campaigns were widely expected to be rebuilding years due to young teams . The 2004 season ended with a 5 – 6 record and without a bowl invitation for the first time under Nutt . The 2005 season was also a rebuilding year as expected . Tough losses to USC ( 70 – 17 ) as well as to Vanderbilt and South Carolina showed that the season had been predicted accurately . The team was ineligible for a bowl for the second season in a row ( and the second season overall under coach Nutt ) . This led to Razorback fans calling for coaching changes . After meeting with Frank Broyles ( athletic director ) at the conclusion of the season , coaching changes were made by Nutt in the offseason at the risk of being fired , the most notable of which was the forced addition of Gus Malzahn , previously the head coach at Springdale High School in Springdale , Arkansas , as offensive coordinator . The hiring of Malzahn allowed Nutt to sign several highly recruited Springdale players , including Springdale High School quarterback Mitch Mustain and wide receiver Damian Williams who eventually transferred to USC because of disagreements between some parents and the coaching staff and a few disparaging emails from a close friend of Nutt , Teresa Prewett . 2006 . The 2006 season began with a new offensive coordinator in Gus Malzahn , who brought the spread offense and the wild cat formation to Arkansas . The Razorbacks started the season losing 50 – 14 , at a home game in Fayetteville , to the USC . Following the loss to the Trojans , Nutt announced that Mustain would replace Robert Johnson as the Hogs ' starting quarterback . Mustain led Arkansas to eight straight wins , including wins against # 22 Alabama at home and # 2 Auburn at Auburn , before losing the starting job to Casey Dick . Dick had been slotted to start at the beginning of the season but was unable to do so due to a back injury suffered in the spring . Dick led the Razorbacks to two victories out of four for a total of 10 wins , including a win over 13th ranked Tennessee . The Razorbacks moved to # 7 in the BCS standings . However , the Hogs lost their last regular season game to the # 8 LSU Tigers , 31 – 26 . Despite the loss , the Hogs were still Western Division Champions of the SEC , and played the 11 – 1 , fourth - ranked Florida Gators for the SEC Championship . Florida won , 38 – 28 . The Razorbacks then lost to the # 5 Wisconsin Badgers on New Year ' s Day , 2007 in the Capital One Bowl . A highlight of the season was the second place finish of sophomore tailback Darren McFadden in the Heisman Trophy voting . Coach Nutt was named SEC coach of the year by the Associated Press and by the SEC coaches for the second time . 2007 . The 2007 season began with the Razorbacks ranked 21st by the AP Poll . The Hogs opened at home with a victory over Troy . However , early losses to Alabama and Kentucky knocked Arkansas out of the rankings and made the remaining SEC schedule an uphill struggle , even with Darren McFadden , Felix Jones , and Peyton Hillis in the Razorback backfield . Fan frustration boiled over to some fans wearing all black tshirts with anti - Nutt statements and buying an entire page in a local Little Rock newspaper calling for Nutt to be fired . A non - official flyover was made hours before the Auburn home game with a small airplane holding a banner , which read : " Fire Houston Nutt . Players and fans deserve better . " On November 23 , 2007 in Baton Rouge , Nutt ' s Razorbacks beat the top - ranked football team in the nation . In a game that lasted three overtimes , Arkansas defeated eventual national champion LSU Tigers , 50 – 48 , returning the Golden Boot back to Arkansas . Resignation . Three days later , Nutt resigned as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks amid several controversies and rumors , which had come prior to and throughout the 2007 season . He left the school with a 75 – 48 record , which is second on the school ' s all - time win list , behind only Broyles . Ole Miss . On November 27 , 2007 Nutt was hired as the new head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels , replacing former head coach Ed Orgeron , who was fired after three consecutive losing seasons . Nutt ' s move to Ole Miss served to stoke the long - standing Arkansas – Ole Miss rivalry . It was announced on April 16 , 2009 that Nutt and his wife , Diana , had committed to give a gift of $ 100 , 000 to Ole Miss , evenly divided between the university ' s indoor practice facility and the creation of student - athlete scholarships . 2008 . After a 41 – 24 victory over border rival Memphis to open the season , the Rebels suffered a loss to the then - ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons , 30 – 28 , on a last - second field goal . After defeating Samford , Ole Miss lost to the Vanderbilt Commodores at home . After the loss , the Rebels traveled to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville , Florida , where they defeated the # 4 - ranked , and eventual national champion , Florida Gators , 31 – 30 , after blocking Florida ' s attempt at a tying extra point and a defensive stop of Florida quarterback Tim Tebow on 4th - and - 1 . The next weekend , the Rebels lost to South Carolina . Next on the schedule was Alabama , ranked # 2 in the nation at the time . During the game , Ole Miss became the first team Alabama trailed in the 2008 season . Alabama ultimately prevailed , however , in the final series of the game , winning , 24 – 20 . Then came Arkansas . Nutt , facing his old team , came out victorious , 23 – 21 . The Rebels followed that with a 17 – 7 home win against Auburn . On November 15 , Ole Miss beat ULM , 59 – 0 , to push their record to 6 – 4 and become bowl eligible for the first time since 2003 . Ole Miss next beat # 18 LSU , 31 – 13 , in Baton Rouge , snapping a six - game losing streak to the Tigers , earning the Rebels an Associated Press ranking of 25 , first time in four years Ole Miss had been ranked , and putting them in position for a possible bid to the Cotton Bowl Classic in Dallas , Texas . The Rebels went on to beat SEC West and in - state rival Mississippi State , 45 – 0 , in the Egg Bowl to finish the regular season at 8 – 4 . The win over the Bulldogs moved the Rebels up to # 22 in the AP Poll and landed the team their first ranking of the year in the Coaches ' Poll , coming in at # 25 . Ole Miss defeated the # 7 - ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders , 47 – 34 , in the Cotton Bowl Classic . 2009 . The Ole Miss Rebels began the 2009 season rated highly by the media . After beating Memphis , 45 – 14 , and Southeastern Louisiana , 52 – 6 , which gave Ole Miss the second longest winning streak in the nation at eight games dating back to the 2008 season , Ole Miss climbed as high as # 4 in the AP Poll before losing their 2009 SEC opener , 16 - 10 , on the road at South Carolina in a Thursday night game on September 24 . After the loss , Ole Miss fell 17 spots in the AP Poll , down to # 21 . Ole Miss went on the road again and beat Vanderbilt the next week , 23 – 7 . After a disappointing start of their 2009 season and pair of conference losses , they managed to rebound against Arkansas , winning 30 - 17 . The Hogs had just come off a devastating loss to Florida , the outcome of which was potentially influenced by several controversial calls during the game ; after the game , the officiating crew was suspended by the league office . After this promising victory , Ole Miss was able to beat # 8 - ranked LSU , 25 – 23 , at Oxford . Ole Miss lost to in - state and SEC rival Mississippi State on November 28 in the Egg Bowl at Starkville , 41 – 27 . Ole Miss was picked to play in the Cotton Bowl Classic for the second year in a row , where they defeated Oklahoma State , 21 – 7 , to end the 2009 season . 2010 . The Ole Miss Rebels finished 4 - 8 overall in the 2010 season , including 1 - 7 in the Southeastern Conference . Among the worst of these losses was to FCS - member Jacksonville State , which was Ole Miss ' first loss to a lower division team since 1945 . In an ironic twist , the HC of Jacksonville State at this time was Jack Crowe , who had resigned under pressure one game into the 1992 season as HC at Arkansas after a season opening loss to FCS - member The Citadel . Houston Nutt was an assistant on Crowe ' s staff at this time . 2011 . Nutt set an Ole Miss coaching record with his 12th straight Southeastern Conference loss . On November 7 , 2011 , Nutt was fired by the University of Mississippi , but was allowed to coach through the end of the season . His final game was a 31 - 3 loss to Mississippi State .