Its Official

Ole Miss head football coach Ed Orgeron announced Wednesday that he has promoted Ryan Nielsen from graduate assistant defensive coach to the full time position of defensive line coach."Ryan really started preparing to be a coach when he was a player for us at Southern California," Orgeron said. "He has worked hard to earn this position and knows our schemes. We've hired a good one in Ryan Nielsen."Nielsen, who joined Orgeron's first Ole Miss staff as the defensive graduate assistant, spent the 2004 season as an administrative assistant coach at the University of Idaho.Prior to working with the Vandals, Nielsen spent the 2002 season as a volunteer assistant coach at his alma mater, Southern California, where he worked with the defensive line.He started 30 games at defensive tackle, earning four letters with the USC football team, and was voted team Defensive Lineman of the Year in 1999. Nielsen recorded 107 career tackles at USC, including a career-high 39 during the 1999 season.Nielsen spent time as a free agent with the Philadelphia Eagles during the summer of 2002 and played arena football for the Los Angeles Avengers during the 2004 season.He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in public policy from the University of Southern California in 2002