In 1962, James Meredith was successfully admitted to the
University of Mississippi. The school was integrated that same year as Ole Miss
would rightly admit students no matter the color or race. Unfortunately, the
school would still be the talk of racial strife with music, mascots and
symbols. Noting the pushback and effort to be proactive, a decision was made to
cease its affiliation to the confederate battle flag, the mascot noted as
Colonel Reb and any music that referenced “Dixie.”
It should be noted, the University and the State of
Mississippi is a loving place, full of people that will help our fellow
neighbors regardless of skin color. Unfortunately, many throughout the country
still believe Mississippi is a racially charged state with no way of any
cohabitation between racial groups.
That couldn’t be further from the truth.
I am a proud Mississippian and so proud of how we have grown
in so many areas. The University of Mississippi should be applauded as well,
taking positive steps to make sure all of its alumni and fans feel welcomed and
loved. Since the day Mr. Meredith stepped foot on campus, the universities
leadership has done a great job of being an inclusive group, conversely, its
has done a poor job of standing its ground to the detractors.
Since Dr. Robert Khayat retired, there has been a void of
leadership to tell the world what Ole Miss has to offer. Rather than be
defensive in what it has done wrong, tell the world what it is doing right and
go on the offensive. Pound the podium and let the world know what the
University of Mississippi has to offer future students.
Stop walking on
eggshells and carry a big hammer.
WAOM is a punchline. Tweeting it out by the marketing
department only makes the point more vivid for the world to see. Do you want it
to mean something? Change the narrative and make a difference.
Finally, it is high time the Ole Miss fans stand up and
support the university for what it is. The Rebel faithful continue to be somewhat
divided over the loss of an on the field mascot, a song and a flag. While the
group gets smaller by the day, the administration made it a priority to advance
forward with inclusivity. The fans that object need to follow suit.
As long as
there is a divide, it will only hinder the administration for advancing the
university forward in all forms.
THE NCAA INVESTIGATION IS OVER AND ITS TIME TO PUSH THE
RESET BUTTON.
The now infamous picture of former Chancellor Jeff Vitter, former
Director of Athletics Ross Bjork and former head coach Hugh Freeze is quite
telling. In order to move forward, the University had to make some tough decisions.
Both Vitter and Freeze are gone. As we all know, Bjork has moved on as well. I
think most believe Bjork leaving for Texas A&M was best for both parties.
For those three, including holding a press conference without
any press, countless decisions were made during the entire process that was proven
to be head scratching. From Freeze daring the NCAA to investigate the football program
on Twitter to Bjork and Vitter making the decision to cooperate with the NCAA
during the investigation, those were the most glaring.
While the actual findings and punishment were eventually
rendered, it packed a very little punch. The actual time of the investigation is
what was brutal on the program, with a plethora of the problems being self-inflicted.
When the NCAA findings noted that Ole Miss did not exhibit cooperation into the
investigation, while the administration remained steadfast in doing so, the
writing was on the wall. None of the three leaders would ever totally win the
fanbase back.
All three have now moved on in one capacity of the other.
THE NEW CHANCELLOR
For every Ole Miss fan reading this, it will be the biggest
hire in your lifetime at Ole Miss. I firmly believe the right Chancellor would catapult
the university to places it has never been. From giving to the school,
endowment advances and student recruitment, Ole Miss and the Institution of Higher
Learning board must make the right choice.
The good news for Rebel fans, Dr.
Ford Dye, a local ENT physician in Oxford, has Ole Miss’ best interest at heart.
He is heading up the committee to hire the new Chancellor and has been on the board
since his appointment by current Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant in 2012.
This is a new day. I look forward for the opportunity to see
the committee look at candidates of color and those of the opposite sex, of a
position where all 18 Chancellors have been males. Current interim Chancellor
Larry Sparks has been terrific in his short time on the job. He has no interest in the permanent position but being a Mississippi native has
been perfect for the transitional period.
Leadership at Ole Miss is something that has been void for
quite some time. The good news for the new Chancellor, the only way to go is up.
A place with the charm of Oxford, the beautiful campus and a school full of hard
working professors and staff, the sky is the limit.
ROSS BJORK LEAVES FOR TEXAS A&M
Bjork was named the Director of Athletics at Ole Miss in
2012 and was perfect for the job. Ole Miss needed a fresh face at the time and
Bjork was a home run. With stints at Western Kentucky, UCLA, Missouri and
Western Illinois, Bjork hit the ground running. Before he would depart Oxford,
Bjork would double the budget at Ole Miss from $57-million to $117-million.
Facility improvements were also a priority during his tenure
as the Manning Center was built for football, Swayze Field continued to receive
updates, Vaught-Hemingway Stadium saw its North end bowled in and the jewel of
the campus, The Pavilion, was built for the Ole Miss basketball team.
He excelled in so many areas and should be commended for his
time in Oxford in those areas.
In decisions not of his volition, Bjork would see the
athletic program mired in NCAA troubles. From women’s basketball, track and
football, Bjork and the administration would make the decision to comply with
the NCAA in regards to cooperating during the investigation, which proved to be
vital in the demise of the department in many facets.
The lack of transparency
would also prove to be a detriment. We learned that Bjork and Ole Miss fought
hard inside the Embassy Suites in Covington, KY, yet the dye was cast for many
Ole Miss fans. Bjork, Vitter and Freeze would lose fans and supporters they
would never get back.
In the annuls of history, Bjork very well could be one of
the most decorated athletic directors in the history of the University of
Mississippi. Due to the NCAA disaster, many will feel that will not be the case.
The next AD for Ole Miss will also be a big hire. Just like
the Chancellor hire, the athletic program, specifically the football program,
has a great opportunity to turn the page. Currently Keith Carter is acting
Director of Athletics and the perfect person for the transition.
Carter, a
former standout in hoops at Ole Miss, could potentially be the long term AD.
Regardless, the incoming Chancellor will make the decision and Carter could be
a viable candidate.
THE NEW BEGINNING SHOULD START NOW
At the end of the day, Ole Miss needs to turn the page. From
academic recruiting, to giving, to marketing, to all points in-between. Now is
the time to hit the reset button.
Ole Miss is much more than a person in a costume patrolling the
sideline, it’s much more than a song or a piece of cloth on a stick.
Ole Miss is a place where everyone is and always will be
welcomed.
It’s a place where friends and family can come together in The Grove
on Gameday and tell stories about all the games of the past, share recipes and eat
until you can’t eat anymore. It’s the smell of the flowers and the Pride of the
South playing before the game and meeting your future wife.
It’s a place to
receive a quality education, learn a ton of life lessons and know that your
education can take you places you could never dream of.
With a new Chancellor, Athletic Director in place and all of
the fans pulling in the same direction, Ole Miss could rise to places it has never
been before.
