New D-Backs Special Team Coach

Ole Miss head coach Ed Orgeron announced Wednesday the addition of Chris Rippon to his football staff as special teams coordinator and defensive back coach. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
Rippon comes to Ole Miss after spending the last 12 years at Syracuse University, including the final year as assistant head coach, special teams coordinator, and safeties coach.
"Chris Rippon is an excellent football coach with great experience in the area of special teams," Orgeron said. "He also has past experience as a defensive coordinator. We worked together three years at Syracuse and I trust he will do a great job with our special teams and with our defensive backs."
The addition of Rippon has resulted in an assignment change for Orgeron's staff as assistant head coach Shawn Slocum will shift from coaching the secondary to coaching the linebackers.
Rippon led the Syracuse special teams unit in 2004, a position he also held for the Orange from 1995 to 1998 when they were nationally ranked in several categories. In addition, Rippon coached the safeties for the last
In 2003, Rippon's first season working with the safeties, strong safety Diamond Ferri set the Syracuse single-season record for solo tackles by a defensive back (75) and free safety Anthony Smith recorded five interceptions. Smith's theft total was the most by an SU player since 1999.
From 1999 to 2003, Rippon served as Syracuse's defensive coordinator. His 1999 unit was one of the nation's top-15 defenses throughout the season. The following year Syracuse ranked in the top 25 nationally in a number of defensive categories. The 2001 defense accumulated 40 quarterback sacks, the second most in SU history, and 30 turnovers, the most takeaways during the tenure of head coach Paul Pasqualoni.