Herring Denies Report on Ole Miss DC Offer

by Dan Scott - Correspondent - Tue Jan 08 16:59:56 GMT-04:00 2002

CLEMSON - Clemson University defensive coordinator Reggie Herring soon could be named to the same position at Ole Miss, according to broadcast reports.

Radio station WHBQ-560 AM in Memphis, Tenn., reported Tuesday morning that Herring would in fact be named the new defensive coordinator for the Rebels. The station did not say when the announcement would be made.

Ole Miss is searching for a replacement for Don Lindsey, who was let go by Rebels' head coach David Cutcliffe on Dec. 13 after just one season as defensive coordinator. Ole Miss finished the season 7-4, but missed going to the postseason when the Humanitarian Bowl chose Clemson over the Rebels.

Herring did not return phone calls to his office Tuesday afternoon, but released a three-sentence statement through Clemson's sports information office.

"I've not been offered a job. I've not accepted a job. I'm the defensive coordinator at Clemson," the statement read.

Calls to Cutcliffe and Ole Miss athletic director John Shafer Tuesday also went unreturned.

Herring's defense struggled in 2001, allowing 390 yards per game during the Tigers' 7-5 campaign. The 2000 defense statistically was the best in the country during Clemson's 8-0 start. But the Tigers then gave up better than 1,200 yards combined to Georgia Tech and Florida State, and were ripped by Michael Vick and Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl.

Herring expected 2001 to be better, but injuries, disciplinary measures and All-American Keith Adams leaving early for the NFL robbed the defense six key performers, five of whom would have been starters - defensive lineman Paul White, linebackers Adams and Altroy Bodrick, cornerback Alex Ardley and safety Marcus Houskin.

Houskin suffered a broken neck against Wofford in week two of the 2001 season.

Were Herring to take the Ole Miss job, he would join a pair of former Clemson assistants already on Cutcliffe's staff in Oxford:

- Rich Bisaccia, Cutcliffe's assistant head coach, was running backs coach at Clemson under Tommy West;

- John Latina, offensive line coach, served the same position under West.