Hugh Freeze has now resigned as Ole Miss football coach, so here are five possible replacements for him.
After his only losing season as coach at Ole Miss, and under the microscope of an ongoing NCAA investigation, Hugh Freeze was on most any list of college football coaches on the hot seat heading into the 2017 season. A federal lawsuit against the school by former coach Houston Nutt also did not paint Freeze in a good light.
Pat Forde of Yahoo! Sports has done a lot or reporting on the NCAA investigation surrounding Ole Miss football, and he passed along an indication of “explosive new information” to come regarding Freeze’s status. USA Today had the specifics first, with a report of a phone call to a number associated with a female escort service. That phone record reportedly surfaced as part of the school’s legal back-and-forth with Nutt.
Freeze resigned effectively immediately on Thursday, with co-offensive coordinator/offensive line coach Matt Luke taking over as interim head coach.
Searching for a new football coach in July is not ideal, so the list of immediate replacements is thin. But that said, here are five potential replacements for Freeze at Ole Miss looking toward 2018.
5. Matt Luke
Luke has been promoted to interim head coach for the entire coming season. He can hit the ground running with the same systems, and familiarity with the players. With fall camp coming, and just over six weeks before the Sept. 2 season opener against South Alabama, continuity is at a premium right now.
Assuming Luke isn’t eventually directly implicated in the ongoing NCAA investigation, he could be a candidate for the head job long-term. It may not be an inspiring hire, but Ole Miss football could probably use some quieter times in the wake of Freeze’s departure.