1960 Football National Championship
The NCAA has not always named a definitive national champion. Decades ago, it left this job to the numerous polls that surrounded college football at the time.
Once Johnny Vaught was hired as the head coach for the Rebels in 1947, Ole Miss became a powerhouse for the next two decades. Under Vaught, the Rebels posted a .745 winning percentage and became perennial contenders.
Although Ole Miss claimed national titles in 1959, 1960 and 1962, the only one of these that is officially recognized by the NCAA today is the 1960 title. After being ranked behind the Minnesota Golden Gophers at season’s end, Ole Miss claimed a Sugar Bowl victory against Rice, while the Gophers fell to Washington in the Rose Bowl. Due to this, several of the polls at the time and later the NCAA recognized Ole Miss as college football’s best team that season.
This remarkable season is the highlight of what are the golden years of Ole Miss Football. With an official national title under the team’s belt, Vaught’s teams were enshrined as legends of Ole Miss athletics.
2022 College World Series Championship
What a magical run. After finishing the regular season with a 32-21 record and losing to Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament, Ole Miss was one of the last teams let into the men’s baseball tournament. Hardly any Rebel fans could have predicted what would come next.
Ole Miss would rally in unbelievable fashion, winning 10 of its next 11 postseason games en route to claiming the National Championship against the Oklahoma Sooners.
Fan favorite senior Tim Elko had tried to warn the world during the season as he coined the phrase, “Don’t let the Rebs get hot!” He was right. When this team got hot, there was no stopping it.
This postseason run is by far the most important moment in Ole Miss Baseball history, as well as the greatest feat the school’s modern athletic department has seen. From being the last team in the tournament to winning it all, Ole Miss fans will never forget this season.
2013 Men’s Basketball Tournament
The Ole Miss Men’s Basketball program does not have the most prestigious history. Since the founding of the NCAA tournament in 1939, Ole Miss has made an appearance a mere nine times, resulting in a combined record of 5-9 in tournament play. However, the 2013 season offered fans some rare excitement for the men’s team.
After a strong regular season led by junior guard Marshall Henderson, the Rebels found themselves in the first round of the tournament matched against a formidable No. 5 Wisconsin team. While this was the best team that Ole Miss had rostered in quite some time, history indicated another deflating end to the season.
After being down 22-25 at the half, Henderson rallied out of a 1-13 shooting slump as he scored 17 points in the second half. This spark allowed the Rebels to pull away in the closing moments of the game and claim a 57-46 victory.
While Ole Miss would be knocked out in the next round of the tournament, the thrill of upsetting the No. 5-seeded Badgers, combined with the history of struggle in the program, cemented this game as one that was truly special.
