John Vaught stood on a practice field at Ole Miss one sweltering summer day, a glass of ice water in his hand. When one of his players wandered by and asked for a sip, Vaught thought for a moment and fired back a quick-witted response.

&#8220What will you give me for it?” Vaught said.

A quick bartering session landed Vaught three Ole Miss jerseys and the player one glass of water.

The impromptu trade was just one of many stories former Rebels around the state were swapping after learning of the death of the longtime Ole Miss football coach.

Vaught, who led the Rebels to six Southeastern Conference titles and 18 bowl appearances in 25 seasons as head coach, died Friday night at his assisted living facility in Oxford. He was 96.

On Saturday, his former players remembered Vaught as not just a coach but as a friend and father figure who was as quick with a joke as he was to conjure up a winning gameplan.

&#8220He felt like if you took the game out of the game, and the fun out of the game, then it wasn’t a game anymore,” said longtime Vicksburg resident and former Ole Miss star Kayo Dottley, who played for Vaught from 1947-50. &#8220He always said there was time for it to be a job after you made it to the pros.”

Richard Price, a Vicksburg native who starred at Ole Miss from 1958-60, was part of Vaught’s most successful teams and a good friend after his playing days were over. The Rebels went 29-3-1 in Price’s three seasons, and won two national championships.

Price recalled a game against Mississippi State in which the Rebels were winning big, but Vaught encouraged them to pour it on.

&#8220We told him, ‘Coach, some of those guys are our friends. We don’t need to beat them that bad,’” Price said. &#8220He said they’re good boys, but they need a good butt-whuppin.”

Vaught’s easygoing manner and fatherly attitudes led directly to the Rebels’ success, Price and Dottley said. Those attributes allowed the coach to get the most out of his players, and sometimes even more.

&#8220If you were down, he could tell it and he’d come and put his arm around you. After that, if he called on you, you would run through a wall or into a machine gun nest for him,” Dottley said. &#8220I don’t think there’s a guy who played for Coach Vaught who, when the chips were down, wanted to let down Johnny Vaught.”