Jan. 19, 2011

OXFORD, Miss. - Having coached three Biletnikoff Award finalists and with strong Rebel ties, Gunter Brewer was announced today by Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt as the latest addition to his staff, assuming the position of associate head coach and serving as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.

The son of former Rebel player and head coach Billy Brewer,  Gunter joins the Ole Miss staff for the second time in his career, having served in graduate assistant positions 1988-90 under his father. The appointment is pending approval of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.

"Gunter has coached and recruited names like Randy Moss, Dez Bryant and Justin Blackmon, and it's exciting to have him on our staff," Nutt said. "He is an outstanding recruiter, and what he has done in the passing game in recent years is remarkable."

Brewer returns to Oxford after a successful six-year run at Oklahoma State where he served in various capacities during his tenure, including as co-offensive coordinator, passing game coordinator, receivers coach and quarterbacks coach. His term in Stillwater included five bowl appearances and the program's first Big 12 South Championship in 2010.

This year, Brewer served as the position coach for Blackmon, a unanimous first-team All-American who won the Biletnikoff Award presented to the nation's top receiver. Blackmon finished the season as the national leader in receiving yards per game and was second in receptions per game. His 1,782 receiving yards were the most ever for a sophomore in NCAA history, and he set another NCAA record with 12 consecutive games with at least 100 yards receiving and a touchdown.

Blackmon is the third Biletnikoff Award finalist Brewer has coached, joining Moss (1997 winner) and Bryant (2008 runner-up). Moss and Bryant are also among 16 Brewer pupils that have gone on to professional football careers.

Brewer's work with the Cowboy wide receivers was key in OSU finishing the 2010 season ranked second in the nation in passing offense and third in the nation in both total offense and scoring offense.

With Brewer as co-offensive coordinator, the Cowboys offense produced a pair of first-team All-Americans in Bryant and running back Kendall Hunter, to go with first-round NFL Draft picks in lineman Russell Okung and tight end Brandon Pettigrew.

In 2008, Brewer's offensive unit finished top-10 nationally in rushing, total offense, scoring and pass efficiency. He was also the position coach for quarterback Zac Robinson, who was a finalist for the Manning Award and ranked fifth nationally in pass efficiency and 18th nationally in total offense.

Brewer coached receiver Adarius Bowman to consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2006 and 2007, while D'Juan Woods was a 2005 all-Big 12 pick and ended his career as OSU's third all-time leading receiver in both receptions and yards.

Brewer's stint at Oklahoma State was preceded by a five-year period at North Carolina (2000-04), where he coached three receivers who rank among the top 20 in UNC history in Sam Aiken, Chesley Borders and Jaworski Pollock.

As the associate offensive coordinator and receivers coach at Marshall from 1996-99, Brewer coached Moss to stardom while helping the Thundering Herd to a 50-4 record over that time, including a perfect 13-0 mark and No. 10 final national ranking in 1999.

Brewer's other career stops include Wake Forest, East Tennessee State and Northeast Mississippi Community College, where he served as head coach in 1995.

Brewer was a two-year letterwinner as a receiver at Wake Forest, where he earned his degree in science and health sports in 1987. In 1989, he was awarded a master's in education with a specialization in exercise physiology from Ole Miss.

A native of Columbus, Miss., Brewer and his wife, Rhonda, have a son, Keaton, and a daughter, Lauren.

It was also announced Wednesday that assistant coach Ron Dickerson, Jr., is leaving the Ole Miss football staff.

"I really appreciate the work Ron has done for Ole Miss," Nutt said. "We wish him the very best in his future pursuits."