Freeze is forced out at Ole Miss
Mississippi football coach Hugh Freeze resigned Thursday after university officials found a “pattern of personal misconduct” that they found unacceptable.
Freeze’s resignation brings a stunning end to a five-year tenure that saw a Sugar Bowl victory, but also a wideranging NCAA investigation into rules violations. His ultimate downfall came after school officials investigated Freeze’s phone records and found alleged misconduct.
“In our analysis, we discovered a pattern of conduct that is not consistent with our expectations as the leader of our football program,” athletic director Ross Bjork said. “As of yesterday, there appeared to be a concerning pattern.”
Bjork said the school’s investigation started last week after a Freedom of Information request revealed a concerning phone call that had lasted less than a minute. The school then looked into the rest of his phone records and found more problems. Bjork said Freeze “admitted the conduct” and that the coach offered his resignation Thursday afternoon. When pressed to explain Freeze’s conduct, Bjork said the school needed to “protect that information.”
Freeze’s university cellphone records obtained by the Associated Press show a one-minute call made on Jan. 19, 2016, to a Detroit-based number. An Internet search shows the number linked to a site that offers various escort services.
Co-offensive coordinator Matt Luke has been named the interim coach.
Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter and Bjork said Freeze’s resignation is strictly because of his personal conduct and not because of the ongoing NCAA investigation.
The Rebels had a quick rise under Freeze, 47, recruiting at a high level and reaching an apex with a Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma State following the 2015 season. But an NCAA investigation — alleging 21 charges of academic, booster, and recruiting misconduct — has overshadowed much of that success, especially over the last year. The school has already self-imposed several penalties, including a one-year postseason ban for the upcoming season.
Freeze had a 39-25 record over five seasons, including a 19-21 mark in the Southeastern Conference.