Hugh Freeze at SEC Media Days: Timing of lawsuit 'ironic'

HOOVER, Ala. — A day after Houston Nutt filed a lawsuit against Ole Miss, Hugh Freeze will take questions from the media at SEC Media Days. 

Things were expected to be uncomfortable for Freeze and Ole Miss even before Nutt's lawsuit. That's because Rebel Rags had already filed a lawsuit against two Mississippi State players, Leo Lewis and Kobe Jones. Both responded on Wednesday. What's more, of course, Ole Miss self-imposed a bowl ban for this season in response to the second Notice of Allegations.

Freeze is scheduled to take his turn at the podium in the main room at 10:35 a.m.

Follow along here for live updates. 

• Freeze met with the local media at 8 a.m. this morning and here's some of the things he said about the Nutt lawsuit:  “I would love to share my opinions on it, but it’s a legal case and I just can’t comment on it. I’m not at liberty to do that.”
• What he said about the timing of the lawsuit: “It seems a bit ironic that the timing was what it was, but it is what it is.”
• On his relationship with Nutt: “I don’t think I’ve spoken to him since I’ve begged him to keep me. I did see him at a Chick-Fil-A Golf Tournament and I think a lot of Houston.”
• Freeze also spoke about being at SEC Media Days having to answer non-football related questions once again: “I keep waiting for the media day I can come here and we can just talk about our players and talk about the expectation of the season. For whatever reason, the journey we’ve been on, some our fault, has continued for a long time. I think this will be my sixth media day and if my memory serves me right, this will be the fifth time we’re talking about something other than our team. So I will be very excited to get to that day.”
• Freeze on what state of mind he's taken for NCAA situation: "We have taken responsibility for the things we've done all along ... we're talking double-digit scholarships, a bowl ban, millions of dollars lost, severe recruiting restrictions. We're at the stage we feel like we've taken responsibility.  Now it's time for us to get our day before the Committee on Infractions and have our fair outcome. Then be able to move forward."
• He also said there's very little he could discuss for off-field stuff, such as legal stuff or NCAA-related matters.
• Freeze was asked about his relationship with Barney Farrar, the former off-field staffer who was tied to multiple Level I violations in Ole Miss' notice of allegations: "I can't comment, again, on that. We're not having conversations right now. I love everybody that's ever been on our staff. I really do. Hopefully in time when everything shakes out, we can figure out what's what and why things were the way they were. Again, there's still a lot of things to be determined when we go before the Committee on Infractions."
• Freeze said he might need a couple of the freshmen, like C.J. Miller and Kam White, to play at safety. He mentioned Josh Clarke and Mohamed Sanogo as freshmen who might play at linebacker. He said he hopes to redshirt the newcomers on the offensive side.
• On the injury side, Freeze said Ken Webster and Eric Swinney have been cleared from major knee injuries they suffered last year. Javon Patterson was also cleared after having shoulder surgery.
• On if there's been a potential plan in case he faced a suspension: "We don't think (about that). I just think today about what I could do to help these kids."
• Freeze has now taken the podium at 10:35 a.m.
• He begins by saying that talking about other things beyond the football program over the last few years is not something he enjoys doing it. He listed the self-imposed penalties and added he looks forward to meeting in order to "put it behind them."
• Freeze calls this a "growing season" for Ole Miss because of the adversity. He said the players have been his biggest inspiration throughout the process. 
• Freeze moves on to on-field talk, and said he did a poor job of recapturing the confidence late in the season. He wants to be "relevant" in the SEC.
• Freeze is excited about Wesley McGriff because he has the ability to be demanding and yet players enjoy that.
• "We could not stop the run last year," Freeze said, adding the defense must be better.
• To manage a program at this level, Freeze said, he needed to take a step back from the offense and find a guy (Phil Longo) who is effective on downs where you need to run the football.
• Freeze talked about every coach on his staff and is going through the depth chart at each position now. He has spoken for 15 minutes in his opening statement so far.
• First question is about Houston Nutt's lawsuit. "I would love to share my opinion on it, but it's a legal case and I can't comment."
• Freeze is extremely confident that the University has his back, he said in response to a question about it. In regards to how the situation impacts his family, Freeze said that is the hardest part.
• "This has the potential to set our staff up to have its greatest hour," Freeze said in response to a question about how he intends to keep his players motivated despite not playing for a bowl this season.
• With a large portion of the Ole Miss people, "they know who I am," Freeze said in response to a question about his legacy. He adds that there is no question there is some negative in some people's eyes.
• Shea Patterson has to be the face of the Ole Miss program for locker room purposes, Freeze said. 
• Who is at fault most: We obviously created it in and around our program.