Ole Miss AD: We would have fired him for personal misconduct

Embattled Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze resigned on Thursday night in a move that shocked the college football world.

The resignation came after reports about calls made from Freeze’s university-issued phone to an escort service in Tampa.

Though Freeze technically resigned, in a press conference on Thursday night, Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork confirmed that Freeze would have been fired if he didn’t offer his resignation:

Ole Miss officials confirm Hugh Freeze would have been "terminated" if he hadn't resigned.

— Kelvin Reynolds (@Fox6Kelvin) July 21, 2017

That is due in large part to what Bjork called a “pattern of personal misconduct.” Bjork said the call to an escort service didn’t appear to be a one-time thing for Freeze:

“We proactively looked into the rest of (Freeze’s) phone records and found a concerning pattern,” he said in the press conference.

Because Freeze resigned due to personal misconduct, he will not be eligible for a buyout or a settlement, according to Bjork:

Hugh Freeze will not receive a settlement. “No buyout,” Ole Miss AD Ross Bjork said. Freeze was to make nearly $5 million this year

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) July 21, 2017

Though Freeze was also under investigation for a slew of NCAA violations that caused Ole Miss to self-impose a bowl ban for 2017, Bjork made it clear the new scandal was not related to the NCAA investigation:

"The conduct was just not something we could continue with him as head coach." Bjork

— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) July 21, 2017

What happens with the NCAA investigation now that Freeze is out on unrelated misconduct issues remains to be seen. For now, former assistant Matt Luke has been promoted to interim head coach and will try to keep the Rebels from completely falling apart ahead of the 2017 season.