WR Coach Derrick Nix Serves as Ole Miss Head Coach in First Scrimmage of Fall Camp

Nix was given a trial run as a head coach on Saturday in Oxford.

OXFORD, Miss. -- For 24 hours, the Ole Miss Rebels had a new head coach in fall camp.

Derrick Nix, the Rebels wide receivers coach, has been on staff at Ole Miss for 16 years, but leading up to the team's first scrimmage of camp, head coach Lane Kiffin gave him the keys to the program, allowing him to work with coordinators and players as the head man.

"He became the head coach for a 24-hour period," Kiffin said following the scrimmage on Saturday. "That was not done as a PR thing, but to give him an opportunity to see what it was like. I remember my dad telling me a long time ago, 'Be very grateful for what you have because this has not been a good profession at all for minorities.'

"You look around, and we're in 2023, and between the SEC and Big 12, we have no minority head coaches. That's really unfortunate. Not that I'm going to be able to change that, but to give someone an opportunity, I think was really good for him. You can't see how good someone is until they get a chance to do it. Coach Nix has been here, and we've been fortunate to keep him here. Today, you saw a whole other level out of him. I was inspired listening to him this morning speak to the team. I hope coaches like Coach Nix are getting opportunities."

"Before I get started, let me say this, I want to thank Coach Kiffin again for the opportunity to be the head coach today," Nix said. "It started yesterday in organizing the staff meeting, very indebted and grateful for that."

Nix spoke during his media availability after the scrimmage on his excitement for the opportunity. Even though a preseason scrimmage is not the same as an actual game, it provided him a learning experience and an opportunity to showcase his coaching talents.

"At 3 o'clock in the morning, I had to remind myself that this was just a scrimmage," Nix said. "I couldn't sleep. My initial thought was pumped up. Felt like being at home. Obviously, I've got a lot to learn, but an awesome opportunity."

Nix is a 2002 graduate of Southern Miss, but Ole Miss has become his home, in his words. His longevity on the Rebels staff is a testament to that.

"I had to remind myself that I didn't graduate here," Nix said. "Every now and then, Coach Kiffin will say, 'You're a Mississippian,' but I grew up in Alabama. All my adult life has been here in Oxford or Hattiesburg. 

"Ole Miss has been the fabric of my family, too. It's been nothing but a plus for me. I've got to thank God that He's put me in the position to be around all these great head coaches, and I try to take a little bit from each. Ole Miss has been awesome to me."

In the Southeastern Conference (including Texas and Oklahoma who will be joining the league in 2024), there are no minority head football coaches. Nix believes that there is work that can be done to open these opportunities to more minorities in the industry, but he has to control what he can control.

"I've got to speak for myself, I think I've had a lot of great opportunities to do what I do, and I'm very thankful for it," Nix said. "Only way to overcome it is to have guys like Lane Kiffin give guys opportunities. I think as time goes on, the door will open up wider and wider. I would love to get to the highest level to be able to do that, but it's not a dealbreaker. Control the controllable, the tasks you're given, do to the best of your ability, and let the other things fall in place."

As far as his potential head coaching abilities, Nix learned a lot on Saturday as the head man at Ole Miss.

"Be a clear communicator," Nix said. "That's what I felt out there, making sure you go back through the plan with a fine-tooth comb and all the coaches are all on the same page. Look at the other side of the ball and the other positions. You've got to be there for everybody."

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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