Hugh Freeze will have a significant hole on his coaching staff to fill when the curtains fall on the 2016 season.
In a press release Saturday afternoon, Ole Miss announced that defensive coordinator Dave Wommack has decided to retire from coaching at the end of year after nearly four decades in the profession. Wommack would remain with the Rebels through the bowl game, provided 5-6 Ole Miss wins the Egg Bowl this afternoon, before permanently stepping away.
“I’m grateful to God for more than 38 rewarding years as a college football coach,” Wommack said in a statement. “I worked alongside remarkable men to shape the lives of my players for the better. I’ll carry with me the relationships and lessons this game has given me as I look forward to enjoying this next chapter with my family.”
Wommack has spent the past five seasons at Ole Miss, the only coordinator on that side of the ball with Freeze at the helm. He’s also been a coordinator at FBS programs Georgia Tech, Arkansas, Southern Miss and UNLV.
“I am grateful to Dave for the outstanding leadership he provided our student-athletes and the positive influence he was for our staff,” Freeze said. “I learned so much from him about the coaching profession and will always appreciate his friendship.”