Hugh Freeze makes first comments since Ole Miss resignation

Hugh Freeze has made his first comments since he resigned as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels

It’s been almost a week since Hugh Freeze was basically run out of Oxford, and the former Rebels head coach has now issued the first public remarks since his resignation.

In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, Freeze depicted himself as a man of faith, relying on the Lord and his family to get him through what he calls “difficult times.”

“God is good, even in difficult times,” he said.

Freeze found himself in a precarious position when records surfaced that indicated he had used a university-issued phone to place a one-minute phone call to an escort service back in January. Ultimately, the embattled ball coach resigned in the wake of these revelations.

In spite of the nature of his alleged offenses, Freeze claims that his wife and family have continued to support him. And they’re not the only ones. He’s also earned the support of Michael Catt, a Georgia pastor and a close friend of Freeze. “All of us stumble and fall,” Catt said, “That’s why we need Jesus to pick us up and friends to love us when we do stumble and fall.”

Freeze said he plans to use this sabbatical to make up on lost time with some old friends from Memphis, where he was the coach of Briarcrest High School. Briarcrest is best known for being the alma mater of The Blindside‘s Michael Oher.

“I got some good friends,” he said.

He also says he plans to watch his daughters play volleyball and meet with his pastor. A godly, family man, indeed.

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He said nothing of his career plans moving forward, and will likely have to take a page from Bobby Petrino’s book and lay low before making a return to coaching.  He was coming off a 5-7 season in which the Rebels went 2-6 in SEC play, both the worst marks in his five years in Oxford. They also failed to secure a bowl bid.

It looks like 2017 will be the second year in a row that Coach Freeze stays home for bowl season.