Derrick Nix considers what Ole Miss means to him

Ole Miss is everything to Derrick Nix. On Saturday, the wide receivers coach revealed how the program has impacted his life.

“I have to remind myself that I didn’t graduate here,” Nix said. “Sometimes, I feel that way. It’s like, ‘Man, did I grow up here?’ Every now and then, Coach Kiffin will remind me, ‘Hey, you’re a Mississippian.’ I said, ‘No, coach. I grew up in Alabama but all my adult life has been here in Oxford or Hattiesburg.'”

Nix is only 43 years old. Yet, he’s entering his 16th season on the Rebels’ coaching staff. Nix spent his first 12 seasons with the program as a running backs coach, before heading up the team’s wide receiver unit for the past four years.

Before Nix ever coached at Ole Miss, he made a name for himself in the Hospitality State. Breaking countless records, Nix was a three-time all-conference selection at Southern Miss and was named to the USM “Team of the Century.”

After spending four years on the sidelines at Southern Miss as a graduate assistant, Nix joined the Rebels. He hasn’t looked back.

“Ole Miss is basically the fabric of my family too,” Nix said. “My daughter, all she knows is red and blue. My wife, we’ve gotten a solid foundation with Ole Miss and outside of it with this community. It’s been nothing but a plus for me.”

Nix has seen no shortage of Ole Miss head coaches. While with the program, four different men have led the Rebels into battle, most recently Lane Kiffin. Nix attempts to learn valuable lessons from each of his leaders.

“I got to thank God that he’s put me in this position to be around all these great head coaches, to learn from them; coordinators, as well,” Nix said. “I try to take a little bit from each and try to instill some of my values, some of my principles, as I coach my guys. I got to say Ole Miss has been awesome to me.”

Nix wants to give some of that joy back to fans this season. In 2022, the Rebels averaged 240 passing yards per game. While the figure isn’t bad, it is no standout, either. Despite losing its top two receivers from last season, Ole Miss intends to step up its receiving game.

Watch the Rebels kick off the 2023 campaign on Sept. 2 against the Mercer Bears.