No matter how you slice it, you just cannot get away with chalking up Rachel Kieckhaefer as a "Title IX" inclusion in the Rebel of the Decade discussion. She is a two-time All-SEC selection, who led the Rebel volleyball team to both of the NCAA appearances in program history. She finished with 3,801 assists in her career and was captain of the Lady Rebels team for her last three season. Kieckhaefer was the most important player for the Rebels during a period where they had unparalleled success in program history.
Meanwhile, Houston Nutt is the person most responsible for the resurgence of the Rebels on the gridiron. The names of the players who have risen to prominence under Nutt - Oher, Jerry, Wallace, Hodge, Snead, McCluster - are big names, many of whom are now making big money. He took a bunch of deflated Rebels without any confidence and took them to two straight January bowl games. Along the way, he accomplished feats of personal affirmation - beating Arkansas, hauling in back-to-back top 20 recruiting classes.