Though the NCAA didn’t appear to find much from that particular exchange, the governing body did reopen its investigation, sending a second NOA earlier this year that expanded the case to 21 allegations, including 17 that are Level I.įreeze, a north Mississippi native, had an unlikely rise to major college coaching, spending about a decade as a successful high school coach in Memphis, Tennessee, before landing a job at Ole Miss in the mid-2000s under Ed Orgeron. There was also a post on Tunsil’s Instagram account showing an alleged text conversation with a football staff member about arranging payment for bills. The first alleged 13 rules violations, including nine that were classified as Level I, which the governing body deems the most serious.īut the case expanded in April 2016 after Tunsil became the story of the NFL draft after a bizarre video of him smoking from a gas mask-bong contraption was posted on his Twitter account just before the selections began. The school has received two Notice of Allegations letters from the NCAA over the past two years. They helped push the program to eight wins in 2013, nine in `14 and a 10-3 record in `15.īut Ole Miss’ newfound ability to recruit at a high level drew the attention of the NCAA, which was already investigating the school for a handful of violations that occurred during Nutt’s tenure. They signed some of the nation’s top recruits in 2013, including defensive lineman Robert Nkemdiche, receiver Laquon Treadwell and offensive lineman Laremy Tunsil. The Rebels continued to surge on the field and on the recruiting trail over the next several seasons. Ole Miss immediately improved under Freeze, finishing 7-6 in 2012 and winning the Birmingham Bowl. The 47-year-old Freeze’s shocking exit - just a few weeks before preseason camp begins - completes a stunning fall for a coach considered one of the profession’s rising stars a few years ago.įreeze took over after Houston Nutt was fired during a miserable 2011 season that ended with a 2-10 record. Bjork said that Freeze will receive no buyout on his contract. The school has already self-imposed several penalties, including a one-year postseason ban for the upcoming season.įreeze - who was making more than $5 million per year - had a 39-25 record over five seasons, including a 19-21 mark in the Southeastern Conference. ![]() The Rebels had a quick rise under Freeze, recruiting at a high level and reaching an apex with a Sugar Bowl victory over Oklahoma State following the 2015 season.īut an NCAA investigation - alleging 21 charges of academic, booster, and recruiting misconduct - has overshadowed much of that success, especially over the past year. Vitter and Bjork both said Freeze’s resignation is strictly because of his personal conduct and not because of the ongoing NCAA investigation. When pressed to explain Freeze’s conduct, Bjork said the school needed to “protect that information.” ![]() The school then looked into the rest of his phone records and found more problems.ījork said Freeze “admitted the conduct” and that the coach offered his resignation Thursday afternoon. ![]() USA Today reported the call was to a number tied to a female escort service. “As of yesterday, there appeared to be a concerning pattern.”ījork said the school’s investigation started last week after a Freedom of Information request revealed a concerning phone call that lasted less than a minute. “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. His ultimate downfall came after school officials investigated Freeze’s phone records and found misconduct. Mississippi football coach Hugh Freeze resigned Thursday after university officials found a “pattern of personal misconduct” that they found unacceptable.įreeze’s resignation brings a stunning end to a five-year tenure that saw a Sugar Bowl victory, but also a wide-ranging NCAA investigation into rules violations.
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