I don’t know who among Ole Miss representatives thought it would be wise to lie to multiple members of the national media about an NCAA investigation, the details of which would eventually become public. But I know why they did.
When the NOA was received, 2016 National Signing Day, the day when college football recruits announce what school they will be attending, was two weeks away. It seems likely that Ole Miss sources lied because the program was trying to hold onto its recruiting class.
It doesn’t matter who authored this strategy inside Ole Miss — the athletic department, the coaching staff or some mix thereof. It would end up being a massive gaffe for everyone at the university. Not only did it hurt the program’s credibility among the media when they’d later make valid claims against the NCAA, Mississippi State and other parties, but it created a new enemy in Houston Nutt.
Making an enemy of Houston Nutt would end up costing Hugh Freeze his job in the most embarrassing way possible.
Since his 2011 firing, Nutt had failed to secure another head coaching job despite multiple attempts. His coaching career was, for all intents and purposes, over. But Ole Miss’ sourced claims in media reports, including SB Nation, gave Nutt new life to assert his career ended not because his own lack of success on the field but a conspiracy against his good name.
Making an enemy of Nutt would end up costing Hugh Freeze his job in the most embarrassing way possible. We’ll get there. Hang on.