Mixed Nutts

Fayetteville= Hootie-Free Zone?

By now, most of you have heard the rampant rumors of Houston Nutt's resignation, I'm sure. Whether it's because he has the Baylor or SMU job in hand or to pursue some other opportunity is unclear.

What I believe is that either he went to White/Broyles late last week or he was told by one or both that he, Hootie, would not be back in 2008. Reports out of Knoxville indicated he was slumped over in a chair with an ashen look even before the drubbing at the hands of the Tennessee Vols. The same Vols Steve Spurrier said the Hogs were 3touchdowns better than. If that's not a scathing indictment of Hootie Nutt's coaching "ability", I don't know what is.

Unless it's Peyton Hillis' comments after the game. When asked by reporters why the Hogs had so much trouble moving the ball last Saturday, Hillis replied: "we have D1 coaches making millions of dollars to figure that stuff out and we were hoping they would".

In an interview with 103.7 The Buzz out of Little Rock, Hootie denied he was resigning this afternoon, but the man has lied so much, particularly the last 2 years, who but the most ardent Hootie-phile can believe anything he says that cannot be confirmed?

He might try to pull a Jim Guy Tucker, resigning only to try to back out. Drama Queens are like that, you know and who is more of a drama Queen than the Hootster? He may only be holding out for a better job than Baylor or SMU. Good luck with that.

In my opinion, the Malzahn/Mustain Springdale fiasco has been bungled so badly by Nutt and his "posse" he has ruined any chances that he will ever coach a major college again. Thus, Hootie will be relegated to a Baylor type bottom feeder if he is able to land in a BCS conference at all. If not, SMU or a mid-major will be as good as it gets. Nuttcase has completely destroyed his reputation for ethics and integrity.

I don't know how he ever got that rep in the first place. Evidently, in his one year at Boise State, he managed to earn the label of "used car salesman" which has followed him ever since. It's actually kind of sad. The guy had potential but has squandered it in pursuit of the BBD. The bigger/better deal is all his monstrous ego will allow him to pursue. He seemed to think he was bulletproof, such was his attachment to Broyles, who was still planning on being AD into his 90's before he was forced out.

His attachment, was of course, that his lips were attached to Broyles' ass. Why else would he have lasted this long? No big-time football school in America would have tolerated his soap opera antics more than 4-5 years, but he lasted a decade here due to his slick talk and schmoozing the powers that be. The question is: could the PTB not see through his BS or did they just enjoy being schmoozed to the point of being satisfied with Nutt's mediocrity?

It's time to bust up the Good Ol'Boy Network at UA, which has come to stand for "Under-Achievers" in athletics. Matt Shanklin, "Darvocet" Dean Weber, Tim Cheney, Kevin "Baghdad Bob" Trainor, all need to go along with the Father and Son duo of Broyles and Nutt. It's long overdue actually, but we can't do anything about that now. Please Jeff Long. If you accomplish nothing else as the new AD, do a "Walking Tall" number on these clowns. Figuratively, I mean.

Hopefully for all concerned, tar and feathers and a rail won't be necessary. But if the GOBN refuses to go quietly into that good night, to borrow a phrase from Hootie, "don't let go of the rope".