Report: Here’s what Houston Nutt wants in proposed settlement with Ole Miss
By Adam Spencer
Published:
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.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
