Ole Miss Wide Receiver Coaching Hot Board: Names to Watch after Derrick Nix Departs for Auburn OC job

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin announced Wednesday morning that Rebels’ wide receivers and assistant head coach Derrick Nix would be accepting the offensive coordinator role at Auburn University. 

Thanks to @DerrickDNix for 16 great years. pic.twitter.com/VmpJcagu2V

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) January 17, 2024

Nix had coached at Ole Miss for 16 years, serving as running backs coach for 12 years before switching to wide receivers four years ago. 

With Nix’s departure, we have put together a coaching hot board of some potential replacements who would each make a fantastic wide receivers coach for the Rebels.

 Jacob Peeler

Peeler, a Mississippi native, is the current wide receivers coach at Missouri. Prior to arriving in Columbia in 2022, he was the offensive coordinator at Texas State (2020–21) and before that served as the wide receivers coach at Ole Miss (2017-19). 

During his time in Oxford, Peeler coached AJ Brown and DK Metcalf, two of Ole Miss’ and the NFL’s best wide receivers. This past season at Mizzou, Peeler coached Luther Burden lll who caught 86 passes for 1,212 yards and nine touchdowns. This would be a fantastic hire for Ole Miss.

Michael Spurlock

Another interesting name on the potential list we have put together is Southern Miss running backs coach Michael Spurlock. A Mississippi native, also, Spurlock played at Ole Miss as well as eight seasons in the NFL, mostly with Tampa Bay.

Spurlock has coached two years in the NFL, for Dallas and Green Bay as a special teams assistant. After coaching at the collegiate level at Southeastern Louisiana, Spurlock then served as a senior analyst for Lane Kiffin and the Rebels in 2020 and 2021. He spent time at Western Kentucky as a wide receivers coach prior to being hired by head coach Will Hall at Southern Miss on January 3, 2024.

Kelvin Bolden 

Bolden, the current coordinator of recruiting strategy at Ole Miss, played wide receiver at Southern Miss and was a wide receiver assistant coach at Central Florida before taking the job with Kiffin in 2022.

As a player at Southern Miss, Bolden hauled in 1,393 receiving yards with 14 total touchdowns in two years. With the playing and coaching experience that Kelvin brings to the table, this is another outstanding option for the Rebs. There had been talk that Bolden would be moved to an on-field coaching position with Ole Miss, perhaps as tight ends coach to replace John David Baker; however, that has not been confirmed by Ole Miss as of yet. 

Tee Martin 

The current Baltimore Ravens quarterbacks coach has a deep tie with Lane Kiffin that runs back all the way to 2010. When Kiffin was the head coach at USC from 2010-13, Martin was his wide receivers coach starting in 2012 before becoming the offensive coordinator in 2016. 

As a college player, Martin was the quarterback for Tennessee, where he won the national championship in 1998. Martin has coaching and playing time in both college football and the NFL. This is another impressive candidate that should be considered by Ole Miss.

Mike Espy 

The former Ole Miss wide receiver took to Twitter this morning to say that he “knows” a wide receiver coach who is available, presumably referring to himself.

I know one of the best WR coaches in the nation who is available ✋🏾🔴🔵 #hottytoddy

— Mike Espy (@ESPN3ALLDAY) January 17, 2024

Following his career at Ole Miss and in the NFL, Mike started ‘Espy Performance,” which is a wide receiver training program. 

Espy is also one of the founders of MESH Academy, with former Ole Miss wide receiver Shay Hodge. MESH is an elite 7v7 and training program in Mississippi. This is a candidate with professional playing experience and several years of coaching with all different types of receiving prospects.

Shay Hodge

Hodge is another former Rebel receiver who notched 2,646 receiving yards and 22 touchdowns while playing at Ole Miss from 2006-09. Hodge played in the NFL for two years and soon after started his coaching career. 

Hodge is currently an assistant football and track coach at Jackson Academy. He is also co-founder of MESH Academy with Mike Espy. 

Shay also started his own training program, which is referred to as Hodge Performance, where he trains some of the state’s most talented receivers and running backs. Shay could also be a name to keep in mind as the coaching search gets underway.

Donte Moncrief

One of the most legendary Ole Miss wide receivers also took to Twitter Wednesday after Nix’s departure was made official.

👀👀👀👀👀👀

— Donte Moncrief (@drm_12) January 17, 2024

As a Rebel, Moncrief was exceptional. He caught 156 receptions, 2,371 yards, and 20 touchdowns. After college, Donte spent seven years as an NFL wide receiver and officially retired in February of 2023. More recently, we’ve seen Moncrief tweeting at recruits and expressing his excitement about Ole Miss on social media.

We will keep you posted as the Rebels’ wide receiver coaching hotboard gets going. Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all of your football coverage and more!