The University of Mississippi Athletics
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10/20/2004 | Men's Golf
Oct. 20, 2004
By Matt Segal
Athletics Media Relations Intern
Ernest Ross is back. And, it appears the Rebels are, too.
After a 17-year hiatus, which included stops in Gulf Breeze, Fla., and Jackson, Miss., Ross returned to his old stomping grounds July 1 to take over the Ole Miss men's golf program for a second time.
"I've always thought that Ole Miss is a school which attracts serious golfers," Ross said in a preseason interview. "It's a nice school with great academics and a beautiful campus. I have always thought that Ole Miss has all the right ingredients for building a successful collegiate golf program. When I left coaching for the first time, I never really got it out of my blood. I have always followed the Ole Miss golf program and have stayed in touch with a lot of the great people I met during my first stint as head coach."
His first eight seasons in Oxford -- from 1979 to 1987 -- produced great results. After the Rebels finished ninth at the Southeastern Conference Championships during his first season, Ross guided Ole Miss to a second-place effort in 1982 and the conference crown in 1984. Ross was named SEC Coach of the Year in both `82 and `84.
Under Ross' guidance, the Rebels made back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 1984 and 1985. The `85 campaign ended with a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Championships. In addition, Ross led the Rebels to 15 regular-season tournament titles during his first stint at Ole Miss.
Several individual accomplishments were also seen during Ross' first eight seasons at the helm. Randy Watkins (1982), Dave Peege (1984 & 1985) and Darren Cole (1984 & 1985) earned All-America honors. Peege also picked up SEC Player of the Year accolades in 1984, while Peege and Cole were named Co-Players of the Year in 1985. Six of Ross' former players followed up their college eligibility with time spent on the PGA Tour.
Now, Ross faces the task of getting the program back to where it once was.
"We were pretty successful during my first eight seasons here and I think we can get back to being one of the top teams in the Southeastern Conference," he said. "I want to help this program strengthen its image. We want to be thought of as one of the top collegiate golf programs in the south. We want competitive high school golfers to consider Ole Miss and all of the benefits that come along with being a student at the university. During my first stint here, we had a lot of success. We worked hard to represent the university and its golf program. There was a lot of excitement and I think the recruits saw that. Hopefully, we can get back to that level where quality people want to be part of what we're doing."
If the first three tournaments of 2004-05 campaign are any indication, fans of the Ole Miss men's golf program have a lot to look forward to.
The Rebels opened up the "Ernest Ross Era, Part II" with their first tournament title since March 21, 1999, capturing the Raising Cane Classic by 16 strokes. Sophomore Kyle Ellis, of Senatobia, Miss., tied for medalist honors with a 70-65-71--206 (-7), which was Ole Miss' first individual championship since March 13, 2001. Fifth-year senior Jordan Dempsey, who sat out the 2003-04 season as a redshirt, carded a 67-70-71--208 (-5) to place fourth.
Since returning to the line-up, Dempsey has been on a tear. The Jacksonville, Fla., native was named SEC Men's Golfer of the Week Oct. 6, after becoming the first Rebel since 1995 to register three straight top-five finishes. Dempsey followed up his fourth-place effort in the opener with second-place finishes at the Mason Rudolph Championships in Franklin, Tenn. (2nd, 70-67-69--206, -7) and Memphis Intercollegiate in Cordova, Tenn. (T-2nd, 73-73-70--216, E).
Ross, a 1974 Ole Miss graduate and 1998 Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, is looking forward to the remainder of the fall season and then the traditional spring season.
"When I took over three months ago, I inherited a team full of frustrated golfers with very little self-confidence," he said. "One of our main focuses during the preseason was to gain some early-season success. I think we have accomplished that by winning the Raising Cane Classic and posting three straight top-five finishes. Confidence and momentum are everything in the world of golf. I think we have this ship headed back in the right direction and, hopefully, we can build on that momentum for the rest of the season."
