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Hugh Freeze resigns as head coach: report links him to escort service

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NCAA Football: SEC Media Days Adam Hagy-USA TODAY Sports

In a stunning turns of events, Hugh Freeze has resigned, effective immediately. Matt Luke will serve as interim head coach (almost certainly for the entire season). Just like you, our heads are spinning. We’ll obviously have much more coverage coming to you ASAP, but.... a few quick thoughts.

Dan Wolken is reporting this is related to a call Freeze made to a number tied to an escort service. If that’s the case, yikes. That’s a bad look for anyone, but especially someone who constantly tweeted bible verses and gave sermons at local churches.

  1. There must be something really, really damning. No administration sticks by someone through the NCAA stuff and then sees its coach “resign” for something small.
  2. The recruiting class was already terrible, but now... yikes. Yeah, it’s going to get ROUGH. Like, lose battles to Louisiana-Lafayette rough.
  3. I bet a lot of players will transfer. That’s wild conjecture on my part, but... if I’m a great player, I’m not sticking around for no chance at a bowl and nothing proven at head coach. No one is safe.
  4. Ole Miss has to make a great hire during a terrible time. With NCAA sanctions looming, they’ll almost certainly just treat this season as a wash, but beyond that, what do they have to sell a new coach on? A roster that will likely be gutted by transfers and two awful recruiting classes in a row? It’s going to be tough to find someone good that wants to step in and take this thing over.

More on this as it develops.