Embattled University of Mississippi athletic director Pete Boone will step down along with head football coach Houston Nutt this afternoon.
Sources confirmed that Boone's role in the search for Ole Miss' next head coach as well as the rest of his duties will either be "reduced or eliminated entirely." Boone has been athletic director at Ole Miss for 13 years, and with Nutt's expected firing today, has overseen the dismissal of three head football coaches (David Cutcliffe, Ed Orgeron) since 2004.
Boone has been the No. 1, and, at times, sole target of the "Forward Rebels" campaign, set up by fans and alumni of Ole Miss to demand a change in the athletic department's management. Ole Miss holds several dubious distinctions in the SEC's three largest revenue generating sports: the Rebels have never played in the SEC Championship game in football (the only SEC Western Division team not to), its baseball team has not reached the College World Series since 1972 despite numerous upgrades to its stadium and facilities, and has the conference's longest NCAA Tournament drought of any mens basketball team (2002).
Several reports have claimed that former Ole Miss football player and CBS analyst Archie Manning will help conduct the search for the Rebels' next head football coach.
The Ole Miss press conference will stream live at Rebel Vision at 3 p.m. ET today.
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