| Wins against Kentucky - 2 | Losses against Kentucky - 2 |
Alma Mater: Rutgers [1925]
Date Born: June 2, 1895
Date Died: February 3, 1968
Overall Record: 54-32 [5 Seasons]
| Date | Matchup | UK Result | Score | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2/23/1929 | Mississippi at Kentucky | W | 32 - 24 | - |
| 2/22/1929 | Mississippi at Kentucky | W | 35 - 30 | - |
| 2/27/1928 | Kentucky vs. Mississippi | L | 28 - 41 | Southern Conference Tournament (at Atlanta, GA) |
| 2/11/1927 | Mississippi at Kentucky | L | 17 - 37 | - |
Obituary - Jackson (MS) Clarion Ledger (February 5, 1968)
Former Reb Coach Dies
Ole Miss' Homer Hazel Dies in Surgery at 70
UNIVERSIYT - With the death Saturday night of Homer Hazel, Ole Miss lost one of the early pillars of its present day football prominence.
Hazel, who was 70, died Saturday night while undergoing surgery in a Marshall, Michigan hospital. He coached at Ole Miss in 1925-29.
Hazel, a giant of a man, played at Rutgers in 1916. Then, in 1923, and again in 1924, at end. Those were the Walter Camp All-Americas, the originals.
Ole Miss had known a decade of indifferent results and support in athletics when Hazel took over as head football coach and director of athletics in 1925.
FIRST ACT
His first act in riding the Rebels of a losing complex was to end 15 years of Mississippi A&M dominance in football. He broke a 13-game victory drought in 1962 in the famous 7-6 battle in Starkville. His five year record against substantial opposition was 23-22-3. He had only one losing season, 1929, when his last OM team went 3-5-1.
C.M. (Tad) Smith, Ole Miss athletic director, who started at halfback for Hazel in 1926-27-28, was inserted as backfield coach in 1929. He said Sunday that "Homer was a great one - a great man, coach, and athlete. He could have made any pro team ever assembled."
Jeff K. Hamm, now athletic business manager emeritus, had been made alumni secretary in the 1924 re-organization of the Alumni Association which led to the hiring of Hazel. He was associated with Hazel as Athletic Association and noted that Hazel made a great contribution to Ole Miss athletics.
HAZEL'S CAPTAINS
John (Bat) Mustin in 1925, Webb Burke in 1926, Austin Applewhite in 1927, Thad (Pie) Vann, head coach at Southern Mississippi, in 1928 and W.D. (Dump) Burnett in 1929 served as captains of Hazel's five OM teams.
Hazel coached basketball as well as football and guided the 1928 OM team to the championship of the old Southern Conference.
Hazel's two sons, Homer Larry and Bill, played Ole Miss football under Harry Mehre in 1939-41. Homer at guard was All-Southeastern and co-captain in 1941. He was killed less than a year later in a training accident in Naval Aviation. Bill was a tackle.
Homer lived in Marshall from 1930. He was a member of the National Football Hall of Fame. Mrs. Hazel died several years ago. He is survived by his son, Bill, of Marshall, and a daughter of Battle Creek, Mich. Funeral services have been set for Tuesday, Kelsor Funeral Home in charge.
