Fansided

Best college football coach in history from each state

By Nathaniel Reeves

TUSCALOOSA, AL - CIRCA 1958-1982: Paul Bryant, head coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team observes the play during a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Alabama) (Photo by University of Alabama/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
TUSCALOOSA, AL - CIRCA 1958-1982: Paul Bryant, head coach of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football team observes the play during a game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Photo by Alabama) (Photo by University of Alabama/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /
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OXFORD, MS – CIRCA 1947-1970: Johnny Vaught, head coach of the University of Mississippi Rebels football team rides on the shoulders of his players after a game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by University of Mississippi/Collegiate Images/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MS – CIRCA 1947-1970: Johnny Vaught, head coach of the University of Mississippi Rebels football team rides on the shoulders of his players after a game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by University of Mississippi/Collegiate Images/Getty Images) /

Mississippi: John Vaught

Mississippi football has enjoyed a resurgence of late, but Vaught remains the best coach in the history of The Magnolia State thanks to an incredible run in the early 1960s.

After spending his childhood in Fort Worth, Vaught starred as a guard with TCU, earning All-American status in 1932. Vaught spent five years as a line coach at North Carolina before serving in World War II and took the head coaching job at Ole Miss quickly upon his return stateside in 1947.

The Rebels were sliding in the 1940s but went 9-2 with a berth in the Delta Bowl in Vaught’s debut campaign. Ole Miss would finish in the top 10 three times over the next decade, including a 9-1-1 season with a Sugar Bowl victory in 1957.

Vaught and Rebels took things to a new level in 1959, when the Rebels went 10-1 to begin a run of four straight finishes in the AP top two while claiming the first national title in school history. One year later, Ole Miss had its best season ever at 10-0-1 to earn another championship and finally achieved a perfect campaign in 1962.

While the Rebels wouldn’t be quite as strong leading up to Vaught’s retirement in 1970, he had just one losing season during his lengthy tenure and finished with a career record of 190-60-12. Ole Miss hasn’t won a national title since and Vaught remains the only coach in school history to win a SEC championship despite current coach Hugh Freeze bringing in a number of loaded recruiting classes.

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