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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Houston Nutt To Visit Troops In The Middle East
3/12/2009 | Football
OXFORD, Miss. Ole Miss head football coach Houston Nutt will be taking part in the Second Annual Coaches Tour presented by Under Armour, traveling to military bases throughout the Middle East to visit U.S. Troops.
Four other coaches have committed to join Nutt on the trip that is set to run from May 28 through June 4. The coaches will visit bases in Afghanistan, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
The group, which includes head coaches Mack Brown (Texas), Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Rick Neuheisel (UCLA) and former Ole Miss and Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, will be heading to the gulf on a USAF KC-135 Refueling Tanker and is expected to visit more than 12,000 troops and travel 20,000 flight miles.
"It is such an honor to be asked to go to boost morale and uplift our troops, who give their lives everyday to protect our freedom," said Nutt. "I'm looking forward to the comradery with the other coaches and being a part of this very special experience."
Last year's tour was the first-of-its-kind for NCAA football and for Armed Forces Entertainment. The coaches will again participate in meet-and-greets at various bases, as well as coach flag football teams made up of servicemen and women. The head coaches will also host a symposium, where audience members will have the opportunity to ask questions.
Morale Entertainment is organizing the tour in association with Armed Forces Entertainment.
"Houston is a guy that has always supported the United States Military and is keenly aware of the sacrifices of our citizens that wear the uniform of our country," said Mike Whalen, Morale Entertainment Partner. "Additionally, the presence of Coach Nutt will help to illustrate the significant contributions of the Mississippi Air National Guard, the folks who have taken on the lion's share of the Aeromedical mission of flying our wounded back from the battlefield and military hospitals for many years.
"Along with the Rebels' great wins over Florida and Texas Tech this past season, we are confident that Coach Nutt will be an inspiration to thousands of our military personnel who he will meet and who are waging and winning the war against global terrorism."
Armed Forces Entertainment is the lead Department of Defense agency for providing entertainment to U.S. military personnel serving overseas, with priority given to those in contingency operations and at remote and isolated locations.
"I honor and respect Coach Nutt's parents as they both taught at the Arkansas School for the Deaf," said Col. Edward Shock, Chief of Armed Forces Entertainment. "My wife and I had been based in Little Rock and have a son who was born deaf, so I am especially eager to meet and work with Coach Nutt during this tour."
Founded in 1951, Armed Forces Entertainment brings a touch of home to more than 500,000 troops annually, embracing the best of Americana that stretches across all genres of entertainment. Visit www.CoachesTour2009.com for more information on the event.
