Now with ESPN, Tommy Tuberville is set for another return trip to Ole Miss

OXFORD — As Auburn's coach, Tommy Tuberville coached five games at Ole Miss, the program he left for the Tigers, and compiled a 4-1 record at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.

So it's not like he hasn't been back in Oxford since he left the Rebels 19 years ago. Ole Miss' game against Texas A&M Saturday (6 p.m., ESPN2), though, will be the first time he's back in town in his current role as an ESPN analyst.

"It'll be fun. I'll get the chance to see a lot of my old players working around there and a lot of old friends," said Tuberville, who's getting into town Thursday. "I get to see some guys that actually worked with me at Ole Miss, Noel Mazzone and Terry Price. They're at Texas A&M so it's a little reunion there."

When the ESPN2 crew, which included Tuberville, was announced Monday, the Ole Miss football Twitter account tweeted: "Word is they're traveling to Oxford via pine box."

Of course, that's in reference to Tuberville's statement of: "They'll have to carry me out of here in a pine box," which came about when he was the Rebels' coach.

Tuberville laughed when he was asked about the Tweet Tuesday and said the pine box quote is still brought up to him several times a year.

"I need to call (Paul) Finebaum because he made a living off that, playing that 'You'll have to take me out of here in a pine box.' It's amazing how that's remembered," Tuberville said. "Of course, at that time it was a little more serious than now. Of course, that's one part of it. Spent four great years there. A lot of good people."

Tuberville resigned as Cincinnati's coach last December after four seasons and a 29-22 record. Then he moved to his current role as an ESPN analyst, which he said gives him a chance to see places he's never seen and be shocked by some of the facilities programs have.

And like his coaching days, there's still plenty of time dedicated to watching film.

"I've got this app ESPN supplies to you and you can go watch games from the past seven or eight years. I start on Sunday and watch film all week long," Tuberville said. "There's a few different things, I watch it in a different light. I look to see how people play each other, different things they're doing and it's fun. ... It gives me a chance to stay abreast of new coaches and what they're doing."

So that's given him plenty of time to evaluate Ole Miss and Matt Luke, whose four years playing center for the Rebels coincided with Tuberville's four years coaching in Oxford.

"He's doing a great job. ... I thought the win at Kentucky was absolutely amazing," said Tuberville. "They were outmanned on the road, especially their defense ... but the kids made plays and they're playing for Matt."

SOURCE:  Antonio Morales. Clarion Ledger. Published 11:12 a.m. CT Nov. 15, 2017. Updated 8:31 a.m. CT Nov. 16, 2017. http://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/ole-miss/2017/11/15/now-espn-tommy-tuberville-set-another-return-trip-ole-miss/865332001/