Austin Job Interview at Ole Miss

CFL Talk
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Ex-Rebel QB Austin, Nutt to meet today 1/9/2008 6:58:32 AM Daily Journal

By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal

OXFORD – Former Ole Miss quarterback Kent Austin will interview today for the vacant offensive coordinator’s position at his alma mater.

Presently the head coach of the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders, Austin will be the first candidate to discuss the job with Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt.

Austin was at Ole Miss from 1981-1985, the first two seasons with former Ole Miss quarterbacks coach David Lee, whose departure to the NFL on Monday created the present opening on Nutt’s staff.

Lee was Nutt’s offensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2007. While his Ole Miss contract was never finalized, he was expected to make around $300,000 a year.

Most CFL head coaches are paid in the $250,000-$300,000 range.

“When Houston called the other night and asked permission to speak with Kent, I said three things to him,? said Saskatchewan general manager Eric Tillman, also an Ole Miss alum. “One, as an alum I told him how pleased we all are to have Houston at Ole Miss. Two, I said he deserves full credit for identifying one of the brightest young coaches in the business, and lastly, I told him I’ll do everything in my power to retain him.?

Austin, who grew up in Nashville, guided the Roughriders to the 2007 Grey Cup championship in his first season as head coach. He also led the Riders to the title as their quarterback in 1989 and ranks among the top 10 quarterbacks in CFL history with 36,030 passing yards and a 57.6 completion rate.

Also expected to interview are former Alabama offensive coordinator Dave Rader, former Texas A&M coordinator Les Koenig, former Auburn coordinator Al Borges, former Virginia and Mississippi State coordinator Sparky Woods, former Miami head coach Larry Coker and former Ole Miss wide receivers coach Hugh Freeze.

Appeared originally in the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, 1/9/2008, section 0 , page 0

[url=http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=263897&pub=1&div=Sports]http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp ... div=Sports[/url]

arrrgg

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Marty York Reports that Marcel Beallefuille may break his contract with the Hamilton Tiger Cats if the Head Coaching job in Saskatchewan becomes available and return to his roots in Regina.

:wink: :wink: :wink: :wink: :wink:
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Easy to see Austin preference. There is more job security in working for big schools.

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I agree with thirdperson...being a college coach has a lot of benefits...especially when one can go home.

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....IF he does leave...i guess the line-up for head coach for the Riders will be a short one...with Ritchie Hall standing at Tilmans door and wishing Kent all the best.... :wink:

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Chill out Rider fans...

If he leaves then he leaves. We have Richie Hall who we all know is ready to take that next step...

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Sporty do not get the green masses up with such talk. Ro lock this puppy now!

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2005, I was going to say Shivers and Barrett are comming back, but Shivers is signing in BC on Monday!

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
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:lol: :lol: :lol: :( for the BC fans! I wonder is this not the second time Austin cut and run on the Priders? Just wondering!
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I think some people are getting ahead of themselves in here.

It's an interview, and even if he does well with the interview and they offer the position to him, that doesn't mean he's going to take it either.

I'd love to see him back again, as would probably ever Rider fan, but in this case we'll just have to let this play out and hope for the best. He does have a good situation here and I'm sure he knows that as well.

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A coordinator job in 1AA pays between 125k and 185k. With the dollar on par. Tillman can pay Austin 400k. So if Austin leaves for OleMiss it will be for personal reasons. I would not be surprised if Tillman told Austin go for the interview get the job and I'll pressure the board to give you that big raise....and the whole nation will be putting the pressure on the board :slight_smile:

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Not to mention the chance at a seven digit salary if he should ever become head coach.

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I heard Eric Tillman being interviewed on Sportsnet/Fan 590 by Bob McCown.
Saying to the effect he reluctantly gave permission to Miss HC to interview Kent.
Although anything can happen, he believes Kent will be back and if necessary they may throw in some cash to keep him. The Riders have asked both Eric and Kent to sign a long term extended contracts and both were(are) contemplating same.
As for a salary scenario, Eric would not state the exact figures for Kent as RR HC, but the range of HC's in the CFL is from a minimum of $225,000 to $400,000. With Kent around the $300,000 range.
Meanwhile the OC positions in College football being in the comprable or somewhat less then the top end of the CFL pay scale, around $250,000 US. The really big money is as HC for US college.

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It is directly quoted in the article that although the contract for the Ole Miss position wasn't finalized, it would be about 300k per year, or likely about what he makes here now.

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The bottom line is the money is relatively equal.
Which is a big improvement during the last few years for head coaches in the CFL, with the top end now at $400,000.

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I disagree.(with the last few years part)
Seems to me the CFL has always been the only sport where the coach makes more than the players,

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the ncaa spotlight is hard 2 turn down…coaching kids is easier that coaching pros…take the job it will lead to bigger pay days

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Except NCAA

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I can’t stand the NCAA in that respect. They get tons and tons of money through TV deals and all these bowl games and the players get squat.

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I hate the NCAA