Update: Former Rebel Coach Billy Brewer No Longer in ICU

Former Ole Miss football coach Billy Brewer was moved from ICU to a med-surge room last week, according to Brewer’s son, Brett.

“He has improved,” Brett said. “They did a couple of procedures last week. We are looking like we are making some progress. It is a slow process a lot of times when you are dealing with a stroke as you have to go back and relearn and retrain your brain to tell your body to do certain things … that’s where he is.”
Brett praised the hospital staff claiming they’ve “done a great job.”
“We are just going day by day to see if we can make some daily improvements and get him stronger,” Brett said. “There are some good signs right now. Strokes are a touch and go thing; you never know what you are dealing with. We are encouraged by the progress that he has made over the last few days.”
“His vision was affected by this stroke,” Brett added. “So that’s the one area that we always have to worry about … that he doesn’t have his vision as well as he did. If things continue to work out, we hope to move him to a rehab facility in the near future.”

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Billy Brewer is “fighting the good fight” in the intensive care unit of Baptist Hospital-North Mississippi in Oxford encouraged by signs he used to motivate Rebel players years ago. His granddaughter, Bailey, and his close friend Carol hung the signs in his hospital room.

“Our daughter Bailey put up signs that say ‘Attitude’. ‘Work Ethic’ and ‘Discipline’ the themes he used through his coach career,” said Brett Brewer, Bill’s son.
Brett said Coach Brewer had a mild stroke that affected his vision and balance a week ago and a slight heart condition. He has been moved to ICU for close observation.
“Dad is 83 and in great condition for his age. He is a fighter and is not going to give up. We are so grateful for the love, prayers and support of the Rebel Nation,” Brett said.
Brett is a journalism graduate of Ole Miss and his son, Brogan, will enroll in the Meek School of journalism and New media this Fall.

Brewer played quarterback at Ole Miss under coach Johnny Vaught from 1957 – 1960. He began his head coaching college career in 1974 at Southeastern Louisiana after spending two seasons there as an assistant. In 1980, went to coach at Louisiana Tech for three seasons.

He got the call to come coach the Ole Miss Rebels in 1983 to replace Steve Solan who went 20-34-1 in five seasons at the helm. In his first season, he guided the Rebels to an Independence Bowl berth against Air Force. It marked the first regular season winning mark since the 1977 season.
Brewer was at the helm of the Rebels for ten seasons and guided the team to five postseason bowls. The Rebels won three of those games.

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