Band

Band History

Prior to 1928, the Ole Miss Band was a small organization under the leadership of a selected student Director. In 1928, Chancellor Alfred Hume appointed Roy Coats as the first Director of Bands with faculty status at the University. Coats’ initial marching band used instruments, uniforms and equipment donated by the National Guard. Not until 1934 did the band own full dress uniforms, purchased by funds solicited by the general student body.

The Ole Miss Band performed at the 1958 World Music Festival in Kerkrade, Holland; where they won first place with distinction in both concert and marching competition. That same year, the band was invited by Jules Farber, U.S. Representative of the World’s Fair in Brussels, Belgium. The band traveled to Europe again in the summer of 1966 with the Concert Singers and selected theatre students. While on the Music Theatre Abroad program, they studied and performed at some of the world’s leading cultural centers.

The Ole Miss Band has performed numerous times on Regional and National Television and has officially represented the University of Mississippi at Gubernatorial and Presidential Inaugurations.

The University’s Wind Ensemble has performed on tour throughout Mississippi and were the guest performers of the Mississippi Bandmaster Association Clinics in 1988, 2002 and 2010. The Ole Miss Wind Ensemble was invited to perform at the College Band Directors National Association Southern Regional Conference in 1988.

In 2010 Ole Miss hosted the College Band Directors National Association Southern Regional Conference, where both the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Bands performed. Also in 2010, the Wind Ensemble performed at the Mississippi Bandmasters Association State Band Clinic in Natchez, MS

In 2014, the Pride of the South Marching Band reached its largest enrollment in school history at 315 members.

In March, 2015, the Ole Miss Basketball Band was asked to fill in for the University of Kentucky pep band at the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament in North Little Rock, Arkansas, after they were snowed in and could not attend the tournament.

On September 5th (Labor Day), 2016, the Pride of the South marched down Main Street leading the “Parade of Characters” at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

In addition to performing at all home football games and many away games, the marching band has attended numerous bowl games including the Sugar Bowl, the Gator Bowl, the Liberty Bowl, the Independence Bowl, the Peach Bowl, the Cotton Bowl, the Motor City Bowl in 1997, the Music City Bowl in 2000, the Independence Bowl in 1998, 1999 and 2002, and the Cotton Bowl in 2003, 2008 and 2009, and more recently the Compass Bowl in 2012, the Music City Bowl in 2013, the Peach Bowl in 2014, the Sugar Bowl in 2015 and 2021, and the Texas Bowl in 2022.