The Ole Miss community is anxiously awaiting the announcement of a new head football coach, following the firing of Houston Nutt over three weeks ago.

Tuesday, Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones and the football search committee met with members of the Rebel football squad as part of a special team meeting.

The meeting was closed to the public and media.

Led by co-chairs Archie Manning and Mike Glenn, the committee provided players background on the search process and answered any questions. Other search committee members include Richard Noble, Ronald Rychlak and Ethel Young-Minor, all of which are also members of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee.

“We are determining their next leader, so we felt it was important that the players are as involved and as comfortable with the process as possible,” Manning said.

To ensure a seamless transition, the meeting also provided an opportunity for academics and strength staffs to discuss plans for the final weeks of the fall semester and the holiday break.

No news about the coaching search has been forthcoming since this news release went to the media Tuesday afternoon.

Many names are being thrown out as possible coaches and many rumors have surfaced on who has been interviewed. However, no official word has confirmed any of the rumors.

Though one supporter did tell this newspaper fans are anxious for a new coach to be named, they are confident that Manning will be instrumental in finding the best person for the job.

The process is very confidential and none of the major media outlets are mentioning any names associated with the search.

Myra Bean contributed to this article.