Houston Nutt, who rose to prominence as the head football coach at Arkansas and Ole Miss, announced Wednesday that he is stepping away from CBS Sports Network, ending his 11-year career in broadcasting, at least for now.
The 65-year-old said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that he’s stepping away to spend more time with his grandchildren and his family.
“After 11 incredible years, I have decided to say goodbye to my CBS Sports team to spend more time being grandpa (“Pappy”) and with family,” Nutt wrote. “I sincerely appreciate the opportunity to work along such a talented team. I have greatly cherished my time with CBS Sports Network and all the announcers I was fortunate to sit alongside. Thank you all for the incredible memories. I will miss you all!”
— Houston Nutt (@Coach_HNutt) August 16, 2023
CBS Sports Network hired Nutt in 2012, alongside former Florida and Illinois coach Ron Zook, to work their studio show.
CBS Sports had announced their 2023 college football broadcasting lineup earlier in the day, noting that their live weekend studio coverage would be anchored by Brent Stover along with analysts Kevin Carter and Danny Kanell. Nutt was not mentioned.
Nutt was coming off a four-year stint at Ole Miss that started well with back-to-back 9-4 seasons but ended poorly with a 2-10 finish in 2011. Prior to that, he had spent 10 seasons at Arkansas, compiling a 75-38 record. He was named SEC Coach of the Year three times, won 3 SEC Western Division crowns, and took his teams to 10 bowl games, including five Cotton Bowls.
Nutt infamously sued Ole Miss in 2017, claiming that the school had conducted a smear campaign to pin Ole Miss’ NCAA violations on him. They later settled.
The former Razorbacks coach will be inducted into the University of Arkansas Sports Hall of Honor on September 8.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.