FAYETTEVILLE — Coach Hugh Freeze said he owes a lot of his success at Arkansas State and Ole Miss to Dave Wommack.
A former Arkansas assistant, Wommack is in his sixth season with Freeze as defensive coordinator. Arkansas State won the 2011 Sun Belt Conference championship with the pair, and Ole Miss has gone 37-19.
"Dave's been incredible for me personally and professionally," Freeze said. "I don't think that I'd have had the success in the programs I've been in without him. He's a really good balance for me. Very calm. I'm more emotional sometimes, and he's just a great planner."
Ole Miss ranks ninth in the SEC in total defense [387.5 yards per game] and is tied for eighth in scoring defense [22.8 points].
"We've had some struggles this year," Freeze said. "Some of it has to do with youth and not making plays. Some of it has to do with we may have to make some adjustments and change some of our schemes. But it's not anything Dave hasn't faced before. I expect him to stay the course and continue to provide good leadership for us on the defensive side."
Wommack began his coaching career as an Arkansas graduate assistant in 1979. He was the Razorbacks' defensive backs coach in 2001 and defensive coordinator from 2002-04.