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The University of Mississippi Athletics
INSIDER: A Family Affair
10/7/2008 | Football
By Thomas McKee
OleMissSports.com INSIDER
When Houston Nutt first arrived in Oxford as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, one of the first things he wanted to do was mold his new football team into a family.
While many head coaches taking over a program may subscribe to that philosophy, not many actually create a family to the extent that Houston Nutt has.
His team has come together, and Houston Nutt can often be heard saying, they now have "one heartbeat."
However, the thing that separates Houston Nutt's family from other football families around the country is deeply rooted in his staff.
It's pretty rare for a staff to have a set of brothers, but it's almost unheard of for one team to have two sets of brothers on the same staff - something that the Rebels possess thanks to their head coach.
Houston Nutt and his younger brother, Danny Nutt, have been together for years, and the second set of brothers, Tyrone and Derrick Nix, have only coached together briefly. So far, things are working out great.
For the past 14 years or so, Houston Nutt has had his brother, Danny, at his side.
Since his first head coaching gig at Murray State in 1994, Danny has been a part of his brother's staff at all of his head coaching destinations, spending a majority of the time as his running backs coach.
Danny has coached many good running backs during his career, most recently Arkansas' dynamic duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. The younger Nutt was very instrumental in putting the "Wild Hog" formation into place for the Razorbacks.
"It's been awesome," Houston said of coaching with his brother. "He's a great coach. He's great with people, especially young people. We've won championships together, but I feel like the most important thing is that he's helped change young people's lives. That's why you're in this business."
In 2007, Danny had to step down from his post as Arkansas' running backs coach due to health concerns, and the Nutt brothers weren't sure if they would ever be on the same football field together again.
Though Danny is no longer able to coach, Houston knew as soon as he took the job as the Rebels' head coach that his brother would be on his staff in some capacity.
"I wouldn't have come without him," Houston said. "That's the way I've felt since the first time I wanted him as a coach with me at Murray State."
As soon as Houston set foot in Oxford, his brother was hired as Ole Miss' Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development.
"I'm just so blessed to be a part of this," Danny said. "I didn't know what my life was going to be like about a year ago, but I'm just thankful to be a part of this. (Houston's) got a great group of players and coaches. This is just exciting."
Just because Danny is no longer out on the field coaching, Houston said that his younger brother's work should not be discounted.
"Sometimes, especially during the heat of the season, it's easier for a player to walk into Danny's office rather than into a coach's office," Houston said. "That's where the player development comes in and that's where he develops those relationships. He's a great ear, a great listener and a great problem solver.
"There are so many things under his job title that he does that people don't realize. One of our young men's grandfather died. He spent a great amount of time with him just to get him through that very difficult time. His job has no hours. It's not a 9 to 5 job.
"I knew as the head coach what I was getting - loyalty, dedication, great with x's and o's and the ability to change young people's lives. That's why you hire the best. In my mind he is one of the best. Even though he can't coach on the field right now, he's making a difference in young people's lives off the field."
Another one of Houston Nutt's first moves as the Rebels' head coach was hiring Tyrone Nix to be his defensive coordinator, the same position Tyrone had held at South Carolina.
He knew that Tyrone had a younger brother as well, named Derrick, who was an assistant with the NFL Atlanta Falcons in 2007 and a former assistant coach at Southern Miss.
Knowing how well he's worked with his brother over the years, and what having family on the staff has done for his football teams, he wanted to give the Nix brothers the same opportunity that he and Danny have had.
"It was my idea," the older Nutt said. "Tyrone didn't bring it up, I did. Derrick had a job already, but when a spot opened up on my staff, I said I would really like to have Derrick Nix here, based on things I know and the things I've heard.'
"Tyrone was even probably a little surprised. I was really the one pushing that. I didn't have to say much, because once I brought it up, he was all for it. I told him how great it is working with my brother."
Tyrone and Derrick coached together once before at Southern Miss for two years, but once Tyrone took the job at South Carolina, the brothers weren't sure if they would ever be together on the same sidelines again.
"I was really excited when he told me about it because it was an opportunity for us to be together again," said Tyrone.
So far for all parties involved, the addition of the Nix brothers has been nothing but a positive experience.
"I think it's special when you have two quality men who are two great coaches, and then to add on top of that, they're brothers," Houston said. "It makes your staff that much closer. You just feel it. I think it's nothing but a huge plus."
Tyrone is steadily improving the Rebel defense, and Derrick has the Rebels' young tailbacks running all over the field.
"It's been great so far," Derrick said. "Us getting to see each other's families, and our parents only having to go one place to see both of us has been awesome. Being at Ole Miss has just been icing on the cake."
All four members of the staff will be the first to tell you that they give their brothers a harder time than anyone else, sometimes jokingly, and sometimes not.
In Danny Nutt's case, Houston admits that he was a lot harder on Danny than anyone else on the staff, even too hard sometimes.
"It was worse when we were first on the staff together," Houston said. "I just wanted to make sure there was good chemistry on the staff, and that I wasn't giving my little brother a bunch of breaks. He probably had the toughest go at Murray State and Boise State."
The Nix brothers have only gotten into it once since they've been back together as coaches.
"We've only had once incident so far this year, and that was playing basketball, other than that it's been good," Derrick said with a smile.
Both sets of brothers got into coaching for different reasons.
The Nutt brothers were born to coach football. Their father was a coach and athletics director at the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and their mother was a teacher there.
The Nutts' other two brothers have been very involved in athletics as well. Dickey was the head basketball coach at Arkansas State for 13 years, and Dennis was the head basketball coach at Texas State for six years, and is currently a scout for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
"Growing up we all thought we were going to be professional ballplayers, but we knew we would eventually be coaches," Houston said. "My dad was a coach for 32 years and my mom was an English teacher there, at the Arkansas School for the Deaf. It's definitely in the family, in the blood."
For the Nix brothers, coaching just happened after their playing days were over.
They were even the first in their family to play the game of football, with the older Tyrone starting first, and Derrick following soon after.
No matter their families' backgrounds, both the Nutt and the Nix brothers have made athletics a big part of their families' lives.
Family dinners at the Nutt and Nix households are sure to have very interesting conversations.
"It's hard not to talk about sports," Houston said. "That's our life and we love it. Whether it is the previous game or the game coming up. Whether it be Darren McFadden, Jevan Snead, Dexter McCluster or Michael Oher, you're always talking about something that is either about your immediate family or your sports family. That's just the way it is."
The skeptics will always have their questions, but Houston Nutt believes that having his brother, Danny, as well as the Nix brothers on his staff is a recipe for creating a team with one heartbeat, which ultimately leads to success - something that has been missing in Oxford over the past few years.
"There is nothing at all wrong with having a brother on the staff," Houston said emphatically. "I think it just helps everything."
OleMissSports.com INSIDER
When Houston Nutt first arrived in Oxford as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, one of the first things he wanted to do was mold his new football team into a family.
While many head coaches taking over a program may subscribe to that philosophy, not many actually create a family to the extent that Houston Nutt has.
His team has come together, and Houston Nutt can often be heard saying, they now have "one heartbeat."
However, the thing that separates Houston Nutt's family from other football families around the country is deeply rooted in his staff.
It's pretty rare for a staff to have a set of brothers, but it's almost unheard of for one team to have two sets of brothers on the same staff - something that the Rebels possess thanks to their head coach.
Houston Nutt and his younger brother, Danny Nutt, have been together for years, and the second set of brothers, Tyrone and Derrick Nix, have only coached together briefly. So far, things are working out great.
For the past 14 years or so, Houston Nutt has had his brother, Danny, at his side.
Since his first head coaching gig at Murray State in 1994, Danny has been a part of his brother's staff at all of his head coaching destinations, spending a majority of the time as his running backs coach.
Danny has coached many good running backs during his career, most recently Arkansas' dynamic duo of Darren McFadden and Felix Jones. The younger Nutt was very instrumental in putting the "Wild Hog" formation into place for the Razorbacks.
"It's been awesome," Houston said of coaching with his brother. "He's a great coach. He's great with people, especially young people. We've won championships together, but I feel like the most important thing is that he's helped change young people's lives. That's why you're in this business."
In 2007, Danny had to step down from his post as Arkansas' running backs coach due to health concerns, and the Nutt brothers weren't sure if they would ever be on the same football field together again.
Though Danny is no longer able to coach, Houston knew as soon as he took the job as the Rebels' head coach that his brother would be on his staff in some capacity.
"I wouldn't have come without him," Houston said. "That's the way I've felt since the first time I wanted him as a coach with me at Murray State."
As soon as Houston set foot in Oxford, his brother was hired as Ole Miss' Assistant Athletics Director for Player Development.
"I'm just so blessed to be a part of this," Danny said. "I didn't know what my life was going to be like about a year ago, but I'm just thankful to be a part of this. (Houston's) got a great group of players and coaches. This is just exciting."
Just because Danny is no longer out on the field coaching, Houston said that his younger brother's work should not be discounted.
"Sometimes, especially during the heat of the season, it's easier for a player to walk into Danny's office rather than into a coach's office," Houston said. "That's where the player development comes in and that's where he develops those relationships. He's a great ear, a great listener and a great problem solver.
"There are so many things under his job title that he does that people don't realize. One of our young men's grandfather died. He spent a great amount of time with him just to get him through that very difficult time. His job has no hours. It's not a 9 to 5 job.
"I knew as the head coach what I was getting - loyalty, dedication, great with x's and o's and the ability to change young people's lives. That's why you hire the best. In my mind he is one of the best. Even though he can't coach on the field right now, he's making a difference in young people's lives off the field."
Another one of Houston Nutt's first moves as the Rebels' head coach was hiring Tyrone Nix to be his defensive coordinator, the same position Tyrone had held at South Carolina.
He knew that Tyrone had a younger brother as well, named Derrick, who was an assistant with the NFL Atlanta Falcons in 2007 and a former assistant coach at Southern Miss.
Knowing how well he's worked with his brother over the years, and what having family on the staff has done for his football teams, he wanted to give the Nix brothers the same opportunity that he and Danny have had.
"It was my idea," the older Nutt said. "Tyrone didn't bring it up, I did. Derrick had a job already, but when a spot opened up on my staff, I said I would really like to have Derrick Nix here, based on things I know and the things I've heard.'
"Tyrone was even probably a little surprised. I was really the one pushing that. I didn't have to say much, because once I brought it up, he was all for it. I told him how great it is working with my brother."
Tyrone and Derrick coached together once before at Southern Miss for two years, but once Tyrone took the job at South Carolina, the brothers weren't sure if they would ever be together on the same sidelines again.
"I was really excited when he told me about it because it was an opportunity for us to be together again," said Tyrone.
So far for all parties involved, the addition of the Nix brothers has been nothing but a positive experience.
"I think it's special when you have two quality men who are two great coaches, and then to add on top of that, they're brothers," Houston said. "It makes your staff that much closer. You just feel it. I think it's nothing but a huge plus."
Tyrone is steadily improving the Rebel defense, and Derrick has the Rebels' young tailbacks running all over the field.
"It's been great so far," Derrick said. "Us getting to see each other's families, and our parents only having to go one place to see both of us has been awesome. Being at Ole Miss has just been icing on the cake."
All four members of the staff will be the first to tell you that they give their brothers a harder time than anyone else, sometimes jokingly, and sometimes not.
In Danny Nutt's case, Houston admits that he was a lot harder on Danny than anyone else on the staff, even too hard sometimes.
"It was worse when we were first on the staff together," Houston said. "I just wanted to make sure there was good chemistry on the staff, and that I wasn't giving my little brother a bunch of breaks. He probably had the toughest go at Murray State and Boise State."
The Nix brothers have only gotten into it once since they've been back together as coaches.
"We've only had once incident so far this year, and that was playing basketball, other than that it's been good," Derrick said with a smile.
Both sets of brothers got into coaching for different reasons.
The Nutt brothers were born to coach football. Their father was a coach and athletics director at the Arkansas School for the Deaf, and their mother was a teacher there.
The Nutts' other two brothers have been very involved in athletics as well. Dickey was the head basketball coach at Arkansas State for 13 years, and Dennis was the head basketball coach at Texas State for six years, and is currently a scout for the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats.
"Growing up we all thought we were going to be professional ballplayers, but we knew we would eventually be coaches," Houston said. "My dad was a coach for 32 years and my mom was an English teacher there, at the Arkansas School for the Deaf. It's definitely in the family, in the blood."
For the Nix brothers, coaching just happened after their playing days were over.
They were even the first in their family to play the game of football, with the older Tyrone starting first, and Derrick following soon after.
No matter their families' backgrounds, both the Nutt and the Nix brothers have made athletics a big part of their families' lives.
Family dinners at the Nutt and Nix households are sure to have very interesting conversations.
"It's hard not to talk about sports," Houston said. "That's our life and we love it. Whether it is the previous game or the game coming up. Whether it be Darren McFadden, Jevan Snead, Dexter McCluster or Michael Oher, you're always talking about something that is either about your immediate family or your sports family. That's just the way it is."
The skeptics will always have their questions, but Houston Nutt believes that having his brother, Danny, as well as the Nix brothers on his staff is a recipe for creating a team with one heartbeat, which ultimately leads to success - something that has been missing in Oxford over the past few years.
"There is nothing at all wrong with having a brother on the staff," Houston said emphatically. "I think it just helps everything."
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