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Ole Miss Football: Top 3 head coach candidates to replace Matt Luke

By Kyle Grondin

TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers looks on during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 23: Head coach Mike Norvell of the Memphis Tigers looks on during a game against the South Florida Bulls at Raymond James Stadium on November 23, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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TEMPE, AZ – NOVEMBER 25: Head coache Rich Rodriguez of the Arizona Wildcats reacts on the sidelines during the second half of the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 42-30 (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ – NOVEMBER 25: Head coache Rich Rodriguez of the Arizona Wildcats reacts on the sidelines during the second half of the college football game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium on November 25, 2017 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 42-30 (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

1. Rich Rodriguez, Ole Miss OC

I’m sure Ole Miss fans are clamoring to avoid another in-house hiring at head coach, as that failed with Luke, but Rich Rodriguez is a different kind of in-house hiring. The embattled coach arrived at Ole Miss as offensive coordinator after head coaching stints at both Michigan and Arizona, where he found mixed success.

He was able to lead the Wildcats to the Pac-12 Championship in 2014, and he was sent packing after an investigation into his personal life, which could be a major factor in his hiring. But, if there was one thing not to blame at Ole Miss this season, it was the offensive performance.

The Rebels finished the regular season No. 31 in total offense and No. 12 in rushing offense, rushing for nearly 252 yards per game on the ground, making them a force on the ground.

Their most memorable game was making things interesting against top ranked LSU, where Ole Miss finished the game with 402 rushing yards on the day, and scored 37 on the best team in the country.

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It remains to be seen if Rodriguez will be a candidate, but the Rebels need to be creative to be successful in the SEC West, and Rich Rod could be that guy with his high-octane offense.

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