Legendary Ole Miss football coach Billy Brewer passed away this weekend in Memphis. The Rebels confirmed the news of Brewer’s death early Sunday morning. Brewer coached Ole Miss for 11 seasons and won eight Egg Bowl rivalry games over Mississippi State during that time. He had an overall record of 67-56-3, with wins in the Liberty Bowl and Independence Bowl.
As a coach and player, Billy Brewer shared a love for Ole Miss that was unparalleled,” Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke said in a statement released by the program. “He was greatly admired by his players and his teammates and will forever be engrained in the history of Rebel Football. Our prayers go out to the Brewer family and all of Rebel Nation during this time.”
The current information on Brewer’s cause of death can be seen below.
Billy Brewer Cause of Death: x
Brewer reportedly passed away in Memphis following a brief illness. According to a family friend, Brewer had been in poor health the past few months after suffering a stroke earlier this year. The family friend, Chuck Rounsaville, confirmed the news to ESPN.com.
Details were announced for a memorial service that will be held next weekend the day before his funeral:
A memorial service is scheduled at the Pavilion at Ole Miss on Saturday, May 19, at 1 p.m. A private family service will be held at Gunter-Peel Funeral Home in Columbus, Mississippi, on Sunday, May 20. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Palmer Home in Columbus, Mississippi, Oxford-University United Methodist Church, or the M-Club Scholarship fund at the University of Mississippi.
About Billy Brewer
Brewer was born October 8, 1935, and began his coaching career at Lee High School in Columbus, Mississippi. He then joined Heritage Academy, an all-white school, before coaching defensive backs at Southeastern Louisiana. Brewer was ultimately promoted to head coach where he earned a 38-24-2 record. He then moved to Louisiana Tech from 1980-1982, winning the Southland Championship in his final year with the Bulldogs.
He then went on to his most successful stop at Ole Miss though his career came to an unfortunate end when NCAA alleged Ole Miss officials knowingly allowed violations to occur and demonstrated a lack of institutional control. That led to the resignation of athletic director Warner Alford and let to Brewer’s firing.
Despite the NCAA issues, Brewer remains a legendary figure in Ole Miss football history and is beloved by the fans.