Report: Here's what Houston Nutt wants in proposed settlement with Ole Miss
Perhaps the biggest storyline of the college football offseason came from Oxford, where former Ole Miss coach sued his old employer for defamation, claiming recently resigned coach Hugh Freeze used him as a scapegoat in the ongoing NCAA investigation.
The ensuing lawsuit, led by Nutt’s attorney, Thomas Mars, uncovered wrongdoing by Freeze, leading to his resignation. Now, though, Nutt is ready to put the entire case behind him.
According to ESPN’s Mark Schlabach, Nutt doesn’t want any money in a settlement Mars presented to Ole Miss on Friday. Instead, he simply wants an apology and for the school to donate $500,000 to form a commission for integrity in Mississippi college sports.
Mars said his client feels vindicated by the recent revelations about Freeze’s wrongdoing and now only wants the school to issue a public apology to clear his name:
“The settlement proposal we presented to Ole Miss [on Friday] is focused on the apology Houston Nutt has consistently asked for and fully deserves,” Mars said. “After all, there’s no longer any doubt about what happened here.
“More than a few unbiased sports reporters have talked openly on the radio and in podcast in recent weeks about how Hugh Freeze ‘lied’ to the press in order to falsely portray Houston Nutt as the primary target of the NCAA’s investigation. What’s more, other journalists have come out of the woodwork since the lawsuit was filed to share with us their personal recollections of how they too were duped by Coach Freeze. If for no other reason, Ole Miss owes Houston an apology.”
Ole Miss has yet to accept Nutt’s settlement proposal, but it seems more than fair considering what Nutt could likely get in court.
If the school does accept the offer, it could help to quickly put this ugly chapter in the past.
So he feels vindicated by destroying Freeze’s personal life? Granted, it was all on Freeze. But how does that vindicate Nutt? It had nothing to do with the NCAA case and supposed defamation of character claims.
Nutt is trying to save face now that he realizes his lawsuit is without merit. He thought there was a clause in his contract that prevented Ole Miss from making any negative statements about his tenure there, but it has since been revealed that there was no such clause in his contract. Now he’s grasping at straws trying not to look even more like an idiot. He just paid one of the most high priced attorneys he could find just to get an apology? Either he’s that stupid or he has mental problems.
There doesn’t need to be a clause in a contract to prevent people from lying about someone. There is an actual crime for that, called defamation of character. Ole Miss is clearly guilty.
I might have missed some breaking news on this thing, but what exactly did Ole Miss lie about? Did some of the infractions happen under Nutt or not?
Some, but not near the majority like Freeze was saying. Freeze lied to save a recruiting class. Ole Miss knew he was lying. Nutt had been gone for years though, and that is what makes his case weak. Even before the lies, he wasn’t being hired.
Weak case? Nutt doesn’t care that his case is weak. The whole reason for the lawsuit is to embarrass Ole Miss and get a settlement of some sort. This is all a game of chicken and rarely does the party suing blink before the party being sued. Ole Miss will settle because in the long run it will be cheaper financially and will end the drama that is on top of the Freeze drama and the NCAA drama.
We are sorry Houston. Sorry we ever hired you. Sorry we paid you millions to sit on your butt when you drove the program into the ground.
Ole Missdial acting as if they were some amazing program that Houston drove into the ground.
Ole Missdial! HAHAHA You better Copyright that, my man. That’s good stuff.
Ole Miss may continue with the arrogant head in the sand and thumb their nose stance and reject this proposal. And if so, what’s in those phone records will cost them dearly.
Don’t expect an apology from Ole Miss. They’re going to stick to their guns in their response to the NCAA. If they apologize to Nutt, it’ll pretty much tarnish their defense – like Nutt really isn’t to blame. No, they won’t apologize. Anything by way of an apology would be something like, “We’re sorry we didn’t all come together and do things the right way.” Not, “Sorry, Nutt. You’re right. We were just kidding. None of what we blamed you for actually happened under your tenure.” The NCAA would be like, “Uh, what?”
The NCAA is fully aware of the charges and when they occurred. This won’t have much, if any impact on the NCAA.
Right, but Nutt is looking for his name to be cleared completely. If Ole Miss retracts their statements that point to Nutt by way of an apology, the NCAA is going to ask “So if you’re saying Nutt DIDN’T have anything to do with breaking the rules, then you’re saying you lied about Nutt?” As you said, the NCAA is fully aware of the charges and when they occurred. But if Ole Miss retracts their statements given to the NCAA about Nutt, then the NCAA won’t be fully aware anymore. That’s why Ole Miss isn’t going to give Nutt a heartfelt apology: OM is going to stick to their guns and whatever they said Nutt did, is what they’re going with.
What Ole Miss told the NCAA is one thing. What Freeze was telling reporters was completely different. The lies by Freeze is what has Nutt upset.
Oh, ok. I understand now.
He doesn’t have a case and he’s already ruined Freeze. Nothing else left to lose. Just make him keep paying that attorney and let him lose the case. Really no reason to settle now. As I mentioned we’ve got basically nothing left to lose. Make him pay and waste his time.
Please go away you Nutt!