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| School Name: | University of Mississippi |
| Location: | Oxford, Mississippi |
| Arena: | The Pavilion at Ole Miss |
| Capacity: | 9,500 |
| Conference: | SEC |
| Head coach: | Kermit Davis |
The Ole Miss Rebels represent the University of Mississippi in NCAA Division I sports as members of the Southeastern Conference. The Rebels were part of the SEC's West Division when the conference used divisions in basketball; the only sports in which the SEC now uses divisions are baseball, football, and women's soccer. Originally known as the "Mississippi Flood", they were renamed the Rebels in 1935, eight years after the state's Delta region was devastated by the Great Mississippi Flood. The school's colors are cardinal red (PMS 186) and navy blue (PMS 281), purposely chosen to mirror the school colors of Harvard and Yale, respectively. With a long history in intercollegiate athletics, the university competes in 18 men's and women's sports. Student-athletes, 630 in all, received all-conference academic honors from 1995–2004.
Basketball[]
Women[]
The Ole Miss Rebels women's basketball program began in 1974. The Rebels have appeared in seventeen of 27 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournaments, including the inaugural 1981 tournament; they have reached the Sweet Sixteen ten times and the Elite Eight five times. In the program's 33-year history it has a win-loss record of 673-337, for a 66.7% average. The program has produced such outstanding players as sisters Peggie Gillom, who still holds the school records for scoring and rebounding; Jennifer Gillom, an Olympic medalist, Kodak All-American, and SEC Female Athlete of the Year; and current WNBA player Shakira Austin.
Perhaps the most decorated player in Lady Rebel history, guard Armintie Price, joined the program for the 2003-4 season and immediately collected SEC Freshman of the Year honors. In her collegiate career, Price was named to the All-SEC First Team three times and became the first player to be named SEC Defensive Player of the Year twice. With Cheryl Miller she is one of only two players in NCAA history to record 2000 points, 1000 rebounds, 400 assists and 400 steals. As a senior she was a finalist for the Wooden Award and was named to the Kodak All-American Team; she led her team to their first Elite Eight appearance since 1992. Price was drafted third overall in the 2007 and went on to an outstanding first season with the Chicago Sky, culminating in Rookie of the Year honors.
Coaching legend and Basketball Hall of Famer Van Chancellor built his legacy with eighteen years as the Lady Rebels' head coach. Chancellor's legacy also includes several players-turned-coaches, including Jennifer Gillom, who helped Chancellor coach the US Senior Women's National Team to the 2002 World Championship; head coach Carol Ross, who returned to her alma mater in 2003; and current associate head coach Peggie Gillom.
Carol Ross resigned as head coach on April 26, 2007, and was replaced by assistant coach Renee Ladner.
Men[]
The Rebel men's basketball team, under the direction of first year head coach Andy Kennedy (basketball coach), tied for first place in the SEC West during the 2006–2007 season. Led by the senior trio of Clarence Sanders, Bam Doyne, and Todd Abernethy, the Ole Miss men finished the year with a 21-13 record, including a 16-1 record at home inside Tad Smith Coliseum. They advanced to the second round of the National Invitation Tournament, before falling at Clemson University. In his debut season with the Rebels, Kennedy was named the 2007 SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press after guiding Ole Miss, a preseason last-place pick in the SEC West, to its first division title and most wins since 2001, when they made the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA Tournament.
The 2007–2008 season was a historic one for the Ole Miss men's basketball team. The team started off the season 13-0, a school record. Since entering conference play, the team has faltered, falling to 17-7 overall.
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Songs and cheers[]
Songs[]
The school's fight song is Forward Rebels.
The song, Dixie (song) is an un-official fight song still popular with a large number of fans and alumni, and although not played as often as in the past, it is still performed by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band during the pre-game celebations in the Grove and at least once during home games.
A modification of Dixie called Dixie Fanfare is also played by the Ole Miss "Pride of the South" Marching Band.
A modification of the Elvis Presley song An American Trilogy, now known as From Dixie with Love, is also played during football games, both home and away. Students and fans often refer to it as Slow Dixie. The song was officially dedicated to Ole Miss fans when it was played before the Ole Miss versus LSU football game in 2003, which is to date the largest crowd at a football game ever in the State of Mississippi.
Cheers[]
The school cheer is entitled Hotty Toddy:
Are you ready?
Hell yeah! Damn Right!
Hotty Toddy, Gosh almighty
Who the hell are we, Hey!
Flim Flam, Bim Bam
OLE MISS BY DAMN!
See also[]
- Kermit Davis - Men's Basketball coach