Former Ole Miss Rebels Coach Steve Sloan Passes Away

Former Ole Miss Rebels head coach Steve Sloan passed away on Monday.

Steve Sloan during his time at Vanderbilt with his 3-year-old son, Clay. / J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean / USA

Former Ole Miss Rebels head coach Steve Sloan passed away on Monday, reports indicated. He was 79.

Sloan had a lengthy career in the world of football, and he suited up for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 1962-65 before being selected in the 11th round of the 1966 NFL Draft by the Atlanta Falcons, a franchise he spent two seasons with, appearing in eight games and drawing one start.

During his collegiate playing days, he led Alabama to the 1965 national championship after taking over for Joe Namath. He also won most valuable player honors in the Orange Bowl in a win over Nebraska.

After his playing days had concluded, Sloan broke into the world of coaching as an assistant at his alma mater of Alabama from 1968-70. He was then hired as Florida State's offensive coordinator in 1971, and he took the same role at Georgia Tech the following season.

For the next decade-plus, Sloan was a head coach, beginning at Vanderbilt (1973-74) and Texas Tech (1975-77). It was then that he journeyed to Oxford to take over the Ole Miss program, a post he held from 1978-82.

Sloan concluded his career largely in athletic administration, serving as the athletic director for Alabama (1987-89), North Texas (1991-93), Central Florida (1993-2002) and Chattanooga (2003-06). He also had a brief stint as Vanderbilt's offensive coordinator in 1990.