Longtime Ole Miss assistant Derrick Nix takes Auburn offensive coordinator job

Jan. 17—Ole Miss wide receivers coach Derrick Nix has taken the offensive coordinator job at Auburn, Ole Miss announced Wednesday morning on social media. Nix spent 16 years on the Rebels' staff, serving as running backs coach from 2008-2019 before spending the last four as wide receivers coach. Nix was also associate head coach in 2023 and was assistant head coach the year prior.

"We are grateful to Coach Nix and express our gratitude to Derrick and his family for their invaluable contributions and dedication to the success that we have achieved at Ole Miss," Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said in a statement. "Acknowledging the opportunity to become a first-time playcaller with full-time playcalling duties as Offensive Coordinator at Auburn University, we extend our sincere well-wishes to the Nix family in this new endeavor."

Nix will take over as offensive coordinator for the Tigers under head coach Hugh Freeze, who was previously head coach at Ole Miss for five seasons with Nix serving as his running backs coach. Auburn fired offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery following a 2023 season that saw the Tigers average 26.2 points per game and 162.2 passing yards per game, which ranked fourth-worst and worst in the SEC, respectively.

During his time at Ole Miss, Nix — who was a star running back at Southern Miss — coached running backs Dexter McCluster, Brandon Bolden, Jordan Wilkins and Scottie Phillips, among others. As receivers coach he oversaw the development of players including Elijah Moore, Dontario Drummond, Jonathan Mingo, Malik Heath, Tre Harris, Dayton Wade and Jordan Watkins.

In 2023, the Rebels were one of three FBS teams to have three receivers with at least 700 receiving yards. With quarterback Jaxson Dart, Harris, Wade and Watkins, Ole Miss ranked third in the SEC in passing yards per game en route to the program's first-ever 11-win season and a Peach Bowl victory.

michael.katz@djournal.com