HOOVER, Ala. - Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said he would "love" to share his opinion on the lawsuit filed by Houston Nutt and the ongoing NCAA investigation into his program, but that he would not because they are ongoing legal matters.
That didn't stop Freeze from speaking indirectly about both matters, though.
Freeze chose not to comment on Nutt, who accused him and the university of orchestrating a smear campaign against him, but said that he was "disappointed by the timing of it" coming one day before he and his players arrived in Hoover, Alabama, for SEC media days.
"This is the fifth year in a row I've been here and I can't talk about our players," Freeze said, wanting to turn the focus away from off-field issues.
Freeze said he took responsibility for the ongoing NCAA investigation into the program, pointing out how the school self-imposed scholarship limitations and a bowl ban.
"It's a lot we inherited and caused in some cases," Freeze said, alluding to the previous coaching staff.
On the one hand, Freeze said he was in a situation that he failed to stop. But on the other hand, he said that people could "sit and debate" the length of the investigation, which has been going on for more than four years.
"We look forward to our meeting with the committee on infractions and putting this behind us," he said.