Miami Press on The Rebs

(Miami Herald)OXFORD, Miss. - Art Kehoe stands along the third-base line of a baseball park in this small, Mississippi college town. Dressed in a University of Mississippi golf shirt with a baseball cap pulled down low, he generally is minding his own business.
Yet, one after another, people ask to shake his hand, thanking him for coming here to coach their football team.
Kehoe sounds sincere with his reply.
''No, thank you,'' he says. ``It's great to be here. I love it.''
MISSISSIPPI CANES
At Mississippi, there is much hope because of two former UM coaches. Former Miami assistant Ed Orgeron (3-8 last season) is in his second year at Mississippi, and brought two of his friends to Oxford to help change some attitudes.''When I go to South Florida now, I see Ole Miss stuff,'' said Orgeron, who was Miami's defensive line coach from 1989-92 and won two championships as an assistant with Southern Cal. ``I never saw that before. We have a very strong presence now. We've brought in a new attitude here.''Mississippi has had 13 winning seasons since 1978, and has been to 11 bowl games -- none in the BCS -- in that span. In 2003, the Rebels and quarterback Eli Manning earned a share of the SEC West title and went on to beat Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl. The Rebels went 4-7 in 2004, and coach David Cutcliffe was fired to make room for Orgeron.
''When I interviewed for this job, I didn't look at last year or the year before that,'' the 47-year-old Werner said. ``I looked down the road. This is a great little town, and we have great facilities. I think things are heading up.''
MR. MIAMI
Kehoe came to UM in 1979 as a junior college transfer eager to play for Howard Schnellenberger. Kehoe played on UM's Peach Bowl team in 1980, and never left. He became an assistant coach, and is the only coach to be part of all five of Miami's national titles.
''He bleeds orange and green,'' former UM offensive lineman Vernon Carey said. ``He always talked about how much being a Hurricane meant to him.'' A popular figure at Miami -- one who led pep rallies with colorful language regarding certain rivals -- Kehoe has become a key figure in Oxford. With five championship rings to his credit, folks hope he can bring a little magic to a program that could use it.''I didn't know what to expect when I got here,'' said Kehoe, sitting in his new office in the Rebels' $18 million football facility. ``We have a beautiful campus, and the people have been great. They are as passionate about their football team as any place in the country.''Kehoe, 49, refused to talk on the record about what happened at Miami, citing an ongoing lawsuit against the school seeking lost compensation.
He will admit to giving away almost all of the Miami clothing he accumulated over the years. After more than a quarter century in Coral Gables, Kehoe had quite the collection of UM gear, and it was the only clothes he wore.
Now most of his old Miami clothing is being worn by his family and friends. His new wardrobe suits him just fine.''When I was packing my stuff in Miami, I probably had 100 pounds of clothing,'' Kehoe said. ``I only wear red and blue now, and you know what? It's kind of patriotic. But I'll never root against the Hurricanes. I'm a Rebel now, and I'm excited about it. I can't wait for this season to get going. It's been a long time coming.''