Cuctliffe has earned the right to rebuild
By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
November 4, 2004
Let me make one thing very clear right off the bat David Cutcliffe should not be fired as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels.
Having said that, I think Cutcliffe is to blame for a lot of the struggles facing the Rebels right now.
After having one of the Southeastern Conference's best offenses during the Eli Manning era, the Rebels' offense is now mediocre at best. The Rebels came into this season expecting to replace the greatest quarterback in school history with one of three players an unproven, erratic junior, a sophomore from the practice squad, or a redshirt freshman with zero experience.
Everyone Cutcliffe and Ole Miss fans alike expected Micheal Spurlock, Ethan Flatt or Robert Lane to be able to at least get by. But the fact that they haven't isn't a huge surprise to anyone except, apparently, to the Rebels' coaches, who find themselves without a viable quarterback just a year after a 10-win season.
It's a shortfall that should've been considered and planned for, but apparently wasn't.
Of more concern is the fact that the Rebels' defense is still miserable. For years even during last year's immensely successful season Ole Miss has been unable to stop opponents from passing at will. The Rebels, whose secondary ranks 11th of the SEC's 12 teams, are no closer to being a pass-stopping defense today than they were when Cutcliffe fired two defensive coordinators in two years.
Most alarming for Ole Miss fans should be the team's newfound lack of discipline. Only two teams in the SEC have been flagged more than the Rebels, who were penalized for more than 100 yards against Auburn. That's a direct result of inadequate coaching.
Overlooking the absence of a viable quarterback. Failure to adequately address a woeful defense. Negligence toward a team's overall discipline.
You tell me who's to blame.
Having said that, Cutcliffe has earned a little margin for error. Despite the fact that he has been criticized for creating an atmosphere of mediocrity during his six years in Oxford, he has quietly become one of the winningest coaches in Ole Miss history. He is still the defending SEC Coach of the Year, and he is still the same guy who has yet to endure a losing season (although that trend will likely change this year).
Cutcliffe has earned the right to have a rebuilding year. Like it or not, down years are a part of today's college landscape. If that's all this is, then after five straight winning seasons and a 10-win campaign in 2003, then Cutcliffe has earned a "Get Out of Jail Free" card.
What must be closely watched, though, is whether this is a trend rather than an anomaly. Look at Mississippi State. Jackie Sherrill led the Bulldogs to some very successful years, but in 2001, Mississippi State slipped. It happened again in 2002. And in 2003. By the time Sherrill left after the 2003 season, it was too late. MSU was at rock bottom.
Whether it was loyalty to a beloved coach or refusal to acknowledge an obvious problem, the failure to fire Sherrill when he got over his head came back to hurt Mississippi State big-time.
Ole Miss must not let the same thing happen with David Cutcliffe nor should they pull the trigger too soon. Look no further than Nebraska for an example of what happens when you do.
But the Rebels cannot give Cutcliffe too long a leash, either. One bad season? That happens to anybody. Two bad seasons? Find the problem and act on it quickly. Three bad seasons? It's too late as proven at Mississippi State.
Cutcliffe should be given an opportunity to turn around the fortunes of his program. He should not, however, be given too many chances.
If that happens, Ole Miss fans may wish they'd acted on an opportunity to stop the damage when they still had a chance.
