Lane Kiffin hands over reins to Derrick Nix for Saturday’s Ole Miss scrimmage, addresses need for more minority head coaches
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin has been known to say, “Don’t think outside the box — create a new box” when he sees problems or items that need to be addressed.
At Saturday’s Rebel scrimmage, Kiffin did just that when he named wide receivers/assistant head coach Derrick Nix as the team’s head coach for the day, doing so because he understands there just aren’t as many opportunities for minority head coaches and he wanted to give Nix the chance to gain some experience.
Honorary HC for today's scrimmage 🫡@DerrickDnix | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/HB9FuspmMv
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 12, 2023
“That was really done to give (Nix) the opportunity to see what it’s like,” Kiffin said after Saturday’s scrimmage.
“I remember my dad telling me a long time ago, ‘Be very grateful for what you have because this has not been a good profession at all for minorities.’ He used to say all the time, ‘There’s more Tony Dungys, there’s more Lovie Smiths, there’s more Mike Tomlins that never get the opportunity.’”
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin on Derrick Nix
So after Friday’s practice, Nix took over as the Rebels’ head coach, holding meetings with the staff and speaking with the team in a head coaching capacity.
“I saw a whole other level out of (Nix) of his intensity in meetings last night, pregame meal with the players, handling depth charts, doing everything. I was inspired by listening to him this morning talk to the team. … I just hope coaches like Coach Nix in this profession — Black coaches that don’t get opportunities — start getting opportunities, because it is ridiculous.”
Coach Kiffin on Coach Nix taking over as head coach
It starts today 😤@DerrickDnix | #ProMindset pic.twitter.com/qrCHAoivAJ
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 12, 2023
As for Coach Kiffin, well he served as wide receivers coach — Nix’s usual position.
Coach Nix has been at Ole Miss for 16 years, twelve of those as running backs coach before he moved to work with the wide receivers. Kiffin named him associate head coach this year.
After Saturday’s scrimmage, both Coach Kiffin and Coach Nix met with media and Nix said he awakened at 3:00 a.m., excited about the opportunity coming his way.
“I had to remind myself that, ‘Hey, this is a scrimmage,’” Nix said.
“I couldn’t sleep. When coach Kiffin gave me the news earlier that day the initial thought was pumped up, excited. Got in the staff meeting room and had what I wanted to say, but voice crackling because it was my peers. Got a chance to regroup with the coordinators and said, ‘hey let’s put up a plan on what we want to do.’ …Obviously a lot to learn.”
Coach Nix after serving as head coach during the scrimmage
Nix’s ties to Ole Miss and the state of Mississippi are deep. In 2003, he was a grad assistant at Southern Miss before later serving as the Golden Eagles’ running backs coach from 2004-2006. In 2007, he served as the quality control coach for the Atlanta Falcons.
“I had to remind myself that I didn’t graduate (at Ole Miss),” Nix said Saturday.
“Sometimes I feel that way. I’m like, ‘Man, did I grow up here?’ Every now and then coach Kiffin will remind me and say, ‘You’re a Mississippian.’ …I grew up in Alabama but all my adult life has been here in Oxford or Hattiesburg. Ole Miss is basically family to my family.”
Coach Derrick Nix on Ole Miss family
Ole Miss is family 💙@DerrickDnix | #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/Qb578wXKJJ
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) August 12, 2023
The need for ‘a new box’
There can be no doubt that the issue of minority coaching in NCAA football is one that needs to be addressed. Coach Kiffin explained to media Saturday that between the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12, there are no minority head coaches. Zero.
“That’s really unfortunate,” Kiffin lamented.
“Not that I’m going to be able to change that but to give someone the opportunity to speak in front of the media, handle pregame meal, handle injury report. Go out there and kind of manage the scrimmage and make a mock game that way. I think it was really good for him. Again, you can’t see how good somebody is until you give them the chance to do it.”
Coach Kiffin on Coach Nix serving as head coach
Coach Nix was appreciative of Kiffin’s unusual switch-up Saturday.
“I think I’ve had a lot of great opportunities to do what I do and I’m very thankful for it,” Nix said.
“Only way you overcome it is you got to have guys like Lane Kiffin give those guys opportunities. It’s not a true preseason game but it’s the closest thing we can do. You see it happen in the NFL right now and guys kind of get opportunities to showcase and just up their skillset and their assets that they bring to the table. I think it’s time. I think the door will continue to open up wide.”
Coach Derrick Nix
Hopefully new boxes will continue to be built.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
