Jul. 15—When Gunter Brewer runs out of the tunnel at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sept. 6, he’ll be wearing Louisville red and white, not red and blue.
The son of former Ole Miss coach Billy Brewer will send out his rebuilt corps of wide receivers to challenge a rebuilding Ole Miss defense.
He’s one of two intriguing Ole Miss connections on the Louisville coaching staff. The other is former Corinth standout and Ole Miss player Bryan Brown, now the Cardinals’ defensive coordinator.
Rarely has Brewer worn red and blue. The Ole Miss time in his life is a cherished memory. Sometimes it’s a complicated memory, a mix of big wins for his dad’s teams but hard feelings at the end.
Gunter Brewer served as a graduate assistant on his dad’s staff in the late 80s, but a much-traveled career in coaching has led him back to Oxford for only 12 games — the unfortunate 2-10 season that closed with Houston Nutt’s dismissal in 2011.
Brewer should have been named interim coach at the end. Instead, Nutt was allowed to coach the final three games though his firing had already been announced.
The result was the three weakest displays of Ole Miss football that I’ve seen.
Now Brewer will try to help the Cards take the air out of high expectations for the Rebels in Year 2 under Lane Kiffin.
“It’s home,” says Brewer of Ole Miss. “It’s hard when you play home.”
Sometimes it’s hard just to be at home.
Brewer watched his dad, who died in the spring of 2018, field teams on shoestring budgets with sub-standard facilities and win games as underdogs at Alabama, LSU and Florida among others.
Two NCAA investigations on Billy Brewer’s watch ultimately led to a painful breakup with the school he loved.
Gunter Brewer watched that too. He believes people remember the wins more than the sanctions.
“Probably more now than before. Time heals wounds,” he said.
Brewer was in Oxford last week checking on the family home and visiting people from his past, one of them long-time Billy Brewer assistant coach Robert Youngblood.
“That’s the reason I go back,” he said.
Summer is about the only time he can make such visits.
Ole Miss wide receivers coach Derrick Nix was running backs coach with Brewer on that 2011 staff. Most other folks Brewer knows have moved on.
Often a summer visit to Oxford might mean stopping by the football office and comparing notes. That’s not the case when Brewer’s team and Ole Miss square off in the first game.
Two of Brewer’s receivers were NFL draft picks this spring including JuJu Atwell ,who went to the Rams in the second round.
He’s confident in the next crop.
“They haven’t had as much time or opportunity. Now’s their opportunity and their time.”
PARRISH ALFORD is the college sports editor and columnist for the Daily Journal. Contact him at parrish.alford@djournal.com.
PARRISH ALFORD is the college sports editor and columnist for the Daily Journal. Contact him at parrish.alford@djournal.com.