Former Ole Miss head coach David Cutcliffe retiring from college football

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OXFORD – David Cutcliffe – the former Ole Miss coach who won 121 games over his head coaching career – is retiring from college football, the SEC announced Tuesday morning.

Cutcliffe, who has been the SEC’s Special Assistant to the Commissioner for Football Relations since 2022, spent 20 full seasons as a head college head coach at Ole Miss and Duke. He will officially retire March 31.

“I leave this game with a full heart and a deep sense of gratitude, especially for the young men I’ve had the privilege to coach,” Cutcliffe in a statement. “The players have always been the reason and the reward. Watching them grow, not just as players, but as students, leaders, sons, husbands, and fathers, has been the greatest joy of my career.”

Cutcliffe first made his mark in college football as an offensive assistant at Tennessee before getting the head coaching job at Ole Miss. He went 44-29 over six full seasons as the Rebels’ head coach and was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2003.

Following his career at Ole Miss, Cutcliffe coached at Duke for 14 seasons. He was named Walter Camp Coach of the Year in 2013 after leading the Blue Devils’ to their first and only 10-win season and went 77-97 overall as Duke’s head coach. Among the most notable players he coached as an assistant and head coach were a trio of quarterbacks selected in the first round of the NFL Draft – Peyton Manning (Tennessee), Eli Manning (Ole Miss) and Daniel Jones (Duke).

Cutcliffe’s son, Chris, is the head football coach at Oxford High School.

“David Cutcliffe has devoted more than four decades to shaping young men and strengthening the game of football, and his influence reaches far beyond wins and championships,” SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “Throughout his career as a coach, mentor, and most recently as a special assistant in our SEC office, David has served college football with wisdom, integrity, and a genuine care for people. He is a teacher at heart and someone whose counsel and friendship have meant a great deal to many of us across the conference and throughout the game. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and the example he has set.”

“I’m equally thankful for the outstanding coaches, staff members, and administrators who worked alongside me, but it’s the relationships with our players that I will treasure most,” Cutcliffe said. “They taught me as much as I ever taught them. College football has given me a lifetime of memories and friendships, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to be part of so many young lives.”

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