Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze joined ESPN’s Mike & Mike radio show on Wednesday morning to discuss the NCAA’s decision to ban satellite camps, but he was also asked to respond to Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh’s criticism that coaches against the camps didn’t want to work as hard.
“You’ve got a guy sitting in a big house, making $5 million a year, saying he does not want to sacrifice his time,” Harbaugh said in an interview with SI.com. “That is not a kindred spirit to me. What most of these coaches are saying is they don’t want to work harder.”
Freeze, who opposed the camps, had previously said coaches wanted some free time with their family.
That hasn’t changed.
“I probably should’ve said that a little differently, but I’ll never apologize for wanting to be a father and a husband,” Freeze said when asked about vacation time. “I miss enough volleyball games (and other things), that is a priority for me. … I think we work very hard, I don’t think working hard is an issue.
“If you’re asking me if I want to add more nights away from my wife and kids, I do not,” he added. “That window is closing for me to be a husband and a father and I think the kids that play in our system need to see me in that role an awful lot.”
As for Jim Harbaugh? Kill ’em with kindness.
“I’ve been very complimentary of coach Harbaugh and him thinking out of the box,” said Freeze. “But we’re probably not a kindred spirit in regards to making comments toward other coaches in our great profession in public forums like he has done. We’re not real kindred in that regard. But I have great respect for the way he challenges and thinks outside the box. He’s done some neat things.”
Freeze also mentioned that he and Ohio State coach Urban Meyer had a long discussion over how this particular ban hurts Group of 5 schools, and Freeze understood it.
He also said coaches are hopeful to change that sometime in the near future.
“We’re certainly trying to work that. We’re not certain the exact route that it has to go, but I’m afraid it may not be enough time for this summer,” Freeze said. “I do have confidence that makes sense to most people and we can hopefully make that proposal in our spring meetings and get it on the table. I really think that’s the perfect fit. There may be some other adjustments without saturating some of these cities.”
Tyler Waddell is a member of the Saturday Down South news team. He brings over five years of professional journalism experience and is closing in on a Bachelor's in sports management. Follow him on Twitter (@Tyler_Waddell).
