History of Ole Miss Football
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HISTORY & RECORDS HISTORY OF OLE MISS FOOTBALL The University of Mississippi boasts a long and col- orful football history, which includes the formation of the first football team in the state, as well as one of the most successful programs in the history of collegiate football. In its 120-year history, the Ole Miss football pro- gram has claimed three national championships (1959, 1960 and 1962), six Southeastern Conference titles (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, and 1963), and one SEC Western Division title (2003). In addition, Ole Miss has produced 54 first-team All-America selections and 162 First Team All-SEC selections, appeared in 34 bowl games with 22 wins, and sent almost 300 players into the professional ranks. REBEL FOOTBALL BEGINNINGS The beginnings of the program can be traced all the way back to 1890 when Dr. A.L. Bondurant, who would later serve as Dean of the Graduate School, urged Ole Miss students to help in the formation of an Athletic Association in the interests of football, baseball and ten- First Ole Miss All-American Bruiser Kinard (Left) nis. Such a group became a reality a short while later, and Kinard, in 1936. Kinard, who also earned All-America things to come for Ole Miss. During his 24-year tenure, in 1893, a football team was organized, with Bondurant first-team honors in 1937, would be the first of 46 Reb- the Rebels would have only one losing campaign. serving as the manager-coach. els to earn the prestigious national accolade. Vaught’s squads, however, didn’t stop at just That first squad set a precedent that was to be- Under Walker’s tenure, Ole Miss took another step winning league titles. The Rebels also claimed three come an Ole Miss tradition, winning four of five games to help cement a solid future for Rebel football and other national championships in 1959, 1960 and 1962. Ole during that maiden season, including a 56-0 victory over athletic teams when they became a charter member Miss won the 1959 Dunkel System national crown, the Southwest Baptist University of Jackson, Tenn., in the in- of the SEC in 1933. The Rebels have competed in the augural game on Nov. 11, 1893. league ever since. Prior to joining the SEC, Ole Miss had Early financial matters were the responsibility of the SIX SEC TITLES competed in the Southern Conference from 1922-32. manager. Support came largely from the Athletic Asso- Harry Mehre, from Notre Dame, became the head 1947 ............................................9-2 ciation, which was made up of a combination of students coach in 1938 and put together a pre-war record of 39- 1954 ............................................9-2 and faculty members willing to back the athletes by pay- 26-1, which included several notable victories. Mehre led 1955 ..........................................10-1 ment of a small fee. Ole Miss to its first ever victory over Vanderbilt in 1939, 1960 .......................................10-0-1 Although it has never been documented, it is its first win in 11 years over LSU in 1938, and its first win 1962 ..........................................10-0 thought that C.D. Clark of Tufts was the first paid football over Tulane in 25 seasons in 1941. 1963 .........................................7-1-2 coach at Ole Miss. His name appears as manager of the The post-war period would prove to be the Rebels’ team, as shown in the Ole Miss Magazine, dated Novem- most glorious era as C.M. “Tad” Smith, a member of the ber 1894. Ole Miss athletic family since 1929, succeeded Mehre as director of athletics. Smith would serve as athletic direc- THE PRE-WWII YEARS tor for 25 years before retiring on Feb. 1, 1971. Prior to 1925, a total of 22 coaches took their turn Harold (Red) Drew of Bates was brought in as head as head coach at Ole Miss with only seven heading up the coach in 1946 and Ole Miss football stood on the verge program for more than one season. Those early years of becoming one of the most powerful and respected TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE were characterized by periods of both prosperity and dif- programs in the country. A long-time assistant coach at ficulty: 1883-95, 12-3; 1896-1908, 24-36-1; 1909-14, Alabama, Drew remained at Ole Miss just one season be- 3 National Titles 33-17-4; and 1915-24, 30-48. fore returning to Tuscaloosa as head coach, but his brief Since the formation of the Athletics Committee in stay would prove to change the course of Rebel football. 6 SEC Championships 1925, the Rebels have had just 14 head coaches, with three of those also handling the dual responsibility of VAUGHT PLACES OLE MISS ON 1 SEC Western Division Championship athletic director. The establishment of the committee on a NATIONAL FOOTBALL MAP faculty-alumni basis (a student representative has since John Vaught, a line coach under Drew and a former 54 First-Team All-America Selections been added) seemed to re-establish alumni support for All-American at TCU, remained in Oxford as head coach the football program and a bright future lay ahead. in 1947 and led the Ole Miss program to national promi- 279 Professional Draft Selections Homer Hazel of Rutgers served as the head coach nence over the next 24 years. from 1925-29, winning 21 games, losing 22 and tying Ranks T-19th Nationally with 34 In his first season at the helm in 1947, the Rebels Bowl Appearances three before being succeeded by Ed Walker, a Stanford posted a 9-2 record and won the first of six SEC crowns graduate, in 1930. While Walker’s record was a modest (1947, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962, 1963). That 1947 Ranks T-10th Nationally with 22 Bowl 38-38-8 over his eight-year stay, he firmly established season also saw Ole Miss great Charlie Conerly become the direction of the football program. He took Ole Miss Victories and Second in Winning the first Rebel player to be a contender for the Heisman Percentage (.647) to its first bowl game in 1935, with the Rebels falling to Trophy, placing fourth in the voting for the prestigious Catholic University, 20-19 in the Orange Bowl. He also honor. Vaught’s first year proved to be a sign of good 162 First-Team All-SEC Selections coached the Rebels’ first All-America first-teamer, Bruiser 100 | @OLEMISSNOW | @OLEMISSFB | @COACHHUGHFREEZE 3 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS | 6 SEC CHAMPIONSHIPS | 22 BOWL VICTORIES HISTORY & RECORDS 1960 Football Writers Association of America, Dunkel ing that decade. In the 1960s, Vaught guided the Rebels In the 1950s and 1960s under Vaught, Ole Miss System, Williamson System national championships, and to a 72-20-6 record and a 76.5 winning percentage, was a fixture in the national polls. The Rebels were the 1962 Litkenhous Ratings national title. Vaught’s which was the fourth best during that decade. ranked atop the Associated Press poll for three weeks 1959 squad, which was honored as the “SEC Team of Under Vaught’s guidance, Ole Miss made Heming- during the 1960 season and one week during the 1961 the Decade,” was ranked the third best collegiate football way Stadium (later named Vaught-Hemingway Stadium) campaign. In 1964, Ole Miss was ranked preseason No. team from 1956 to 1995, according to the Jeff Sagarin one of the toughest places in the nation for opposing 1 in the Associated Press poll. Ratings released in January of 1996. teams to play. In his 24 seasons at the helm, Vaught’s Vaught also made going to postseason play the The Rebels were also among the winningest pro- teams compiled an impressive 57-6-2 record in Ox- norm rather than the exception for the Rebel football grams in the country under Vaught during the 1950s ford for an astounding 89.2 winning percentage. From program. Ole Miss played in 15 consecutive bowl games and 1960s. From 1950-59, Ole Miss posted an 80-21-5 1952-1964, the Rebels put together an incredible 34- from 1957-71 which, at that time, was a national record. record (.778 winning percentage). The 80 wins and 77.8 game homefield unbeaten streak (33-0-1), including In all, Vaught led Ole Miss to 18 bowl game appearances, winning percentage were second to only Oklahoma dur- 21-straight victories from 1952-59. posting a 10-8 record in those contests. For his efforts, Vaught was named SEC Coach of the Year six times REBEL NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS (1947, 1948, 1954, 1955, 1960, 1962). During his time at the helm, Vaught coached some of the best players ever to wear the Red & Blue. In 24 seasons, Vaught produced 26 All-America first-teamers. He also coached four players who finished in the top five in the Heisman Trophy voting. Along with Conerly in 1947, Charlie Flowers (5th in 1959), Jake Gibbs (3rd in 1960) and Archie Manning (4th in 1969, 3rd in 1970) were in the running for college football’s top honor. Failing health forced Vaught to resign his position in 1970 and the reins of the Ole Miss football program were turned over to Billy Kinard. THE POST-VAUGHT YEARS Kinard became the first Ole Miss alumnus to lead The 1959 Ole Miss Rebels the football program, while Frank “Bruiser” Kinard, an of- National Champions: Berryman, Dunkel and Sagarin fensive line coach under Vaught since 1948, was named to replace Smith as athletic director that same year. The Rebels went 16-9 under Billy Kinard, includ- ing a 10-2 record and a 41-18 Peach Bowl victory over Georgia Tech in his first year in 1971.