According to USA Today, Nutt’s attorney, Thomas Mars, sent an email to Mississippi’s general counsel in which he referred to a “phone call Coach Freeze made that would be highly embarrassing for all of you and extremely difficult to explain.”
The NCAA is set to rule on 21 alleged infractions committed by the Rebels, including charges of charges of academic, booster, and recruiting misconduct. Former Ole Miss offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil confirmed during last year’s NFL draft that he had received impermissible benefits from a staffer for the program.
Nutt’s lawsuit accuses Freeze and other Ole Miss officials of attempting to blame many of the infractions on him, thus tarnishing his reputation and hampering his ability to find employment. Until Thursday, the school had shown staunch support for Freeze, and Bjork said that the coach spoke of his decision to resign in “raw, emotional, tough meetings” with players and staffers.
Bjork claimed that had Freeze not resigned, the school would have exercised a “moral turpitude” clause in the coach’s contract and fired him. “It’s a sad day,” Bjork said.
Taking over a Rebels program that gone 2-10 the previous season, and 1-15 in the SEC over the previous two seasons, under Nutt, Freeze went 7-6 his first season. He increased his win total by a game each year, cresting with a 10-3 season in 2015 and a Sugar Bowl win over Oklahoma State.
The Rebels tumbled to 5-7, 2-6 in the SEC, last season, leaving Freeze with a record of 39-25 overall, 19-21 in conference play.
