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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Orgeron Names Rippon To Ole Miss Football Staff
2/16/2005 | Football
Feb. 16, 2005
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron announced Wednesday the addition of Chris Rippon to his football staff as special teams coordinator and defensive back coach. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
Rippon comes to Ole Miss after spending the last 12 years at Syracuse University, including the final year as assistant head coach, special teams coordinator, and safeties coach.
"Chris Rippon is an excellent football coach with great experience in the area of special teams," Orgeron said. "He also has past experience as a defensive coordinator. We worked together three years at Syracuse and I trust he will do a great job with our special teams and with our defensive backs."
The addition of Rippon has resulted in an assignment change for Orgeron's staff as assistant head coach Shawn Slocum will shift from coaching the secondary to coaching the linebackers.
Rippon led the Syracuse special teams unit in 2004, a position he also held for the Orange from 1995 to 1998 when they were nationally ranked in several categories. In addition, Rippon coached the safeties for the last
In 2003, Rippon's first season working with the safeties, strong safety Diamond Ferri set the Syracuse single-season record for solo tackles by a defensive back (75) and free safety Anthony Smith recorded five interceptions. Smith's theft total was the most by an SU player since 1999.
From 1999 to 2003, Rippon served as Syracuse's defensive coordinator. His 1999 unit was one of the nation's top-15 defenses throughout the season. The following year Syracuse ranked in the top 25 nationally in a number of defensive categories. The 2001 defense accumulated 40 quarterback sacks, the second most in SU history, and 30 turnovers, the most takeaways during the tenure of head coach Paul Pasqualoni.
Prior to that responsibility, Rippon was SU's linebackers coach from 1993 through 2000. Rippon mentored the inside linebackers in 1993, the outside linebackers from 1994 to 1997 and both spots from 1998 to 2000.
In Rippon's four seasons as SU's special teams coordinator, the Orange excelled. Three of Rippon's pupils Marvin Harrison, Quinton Spotwood and Kevin Johnson earned All-America honors as return specialists. In 1998, Johnson returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, including one for 100 yards. Johnson, who was an All-BIG EAST selection at kick returner and wide receiver, holds the SU and BIG EAST records for the most career kickoff returns for scores with four.
In 1997, Syracuse had one of its most outstanding special teams units in school history. Spotwood tied an NCAA record with four punts returned for touchdowns, and Johnson tied an SU record with two kickoffs returned for touchdowns. Spotwood and Johnson were the league Special Teams Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST selections at both wide receiver and punt returner in 1997 and 1998, respectively.
Rippon is a 1982 graduate of Southern Connecticut State, where he played football and earned a degree in physical education. He was recruited by Syracuse offensive coordinator George DeLeone, who joined Orgeron's Ole Miss staff in January, and started in the secondary for three seasons, with Pasqualoni working as his position coach. Rippon received his master's degree in agency counseling from Western Connecticut State in 1985.
After graduating from Southern Connecticut, Rippon joined Pasqualoni's staff as a graduate assistant at Western Connecticut State. He was promoted to defensive coordinator and assistant director of athletics in 1984 and then, when Pasqualoni left to join the Syracuse staff in 1987, Rippon was elevated to the head coaching spot. After three campaigns he moved on to Boston University for three years as defensive coordinator.
While coaching at Syracuse, Rippon was on the coaching staff of teams which participated in the 1996 Gator, 1996 Liberty, 1998 Fiesta, 1999 Orange, 1999 Music City, 2001 Insight.com, and 2004 Champs bowls.
Rippon was an assistant at Western Connecticut when it won the 1985 New England Football Conference title. During his tenure at Syracuse, the Orange won or shared the 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2004 BIG EAST Championships.
Professional players he has coached include Kevin Abrams, Keith Bulluck, Morlon Greenwood, Marvin Harrison, Nate Hemsley, Kevin Johnson, Tebucky Jones, Olindo Mare, Kevin Mitchell, Antwaune Ponds, and Dwight Freeney.
Rippon and his wife, the former Lisa Miano of Trumbull, CT, have four children sons Christopher and Matthew, and twin daughters Jillian and Samantha.
