BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Former Mississippi and Duke coach and Tennessee assistant David Cutcliffe is retiring as the Southeastern Conference’s special assistant to the commissioner for football relations.

The 71-year-old Cutcliffe announced Tuesday he will end his 40-year career in college football when his retirement becomes effective on March 31.

Cutcliffe’s retirement comes four years after he joined the SEC office as the special assistant to commissioner Greg Sankey.

“I leave this game with a full heart and a deep sense of gratitude, especially for the young men I’ve had the privilege to coach,” Cutcliffe said in a statement released by the SEC. “The players have always been the reason and the reward. Watching them grow, not just as players, but as students, leaders, sons, husbands, and fathers, has been the greatest joy of my career.

“I’m equally thankful for the outstanding coaches, staff members, and administrators who worked alongside me, but it’s the relationships with our players that I will treasure most. They taught me as much as I ever taught them. College football has given me a lifetime of memories and friendships, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to be part of so many young lives.”

Cutcliffe’s 14-year tenure at Duke ended after the 2021 season under what the school described as a mutual agreement. He was the head coach at Ole Miss from 1998-2004.

Cutcliffe served as an assistant at Tennessee from 1982 through 1998 and again from 2006 to 2007. He coached eight quarterbacks who played in the NFL, including Peyton Manning, Eli Manning, Heath Shuler and Tee Martin.

“David Cutcliffe has devoted more than four decades to shaping young men strengthening the game of football, and his influence reaches far beyond wins and championships,” Sankey said in a statement. “Throughout his career as a coach, mentor, and most recently as a special assistant in our SEC office, David has served college football with wisdom, integrity, and a genuine care for people. He is a teacher at heart and someone whose counsel and friendship have meant a great deal to many of us across the conference and throughout the game. We are deeply grateful for his leadership and the example he has set.”

Cutcliffe was named SEC coach of the year in 2003 after leading Ole Miss to a share of the SEC Western Division title and a Cotton Bowl win for the Rebels’ first 10-win season in 32 years.

He led Duke to six bowl appearances and led the Blue Devils to a 10-win season in 2013, when he was named national coach of the year.

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