OT: A closer look at Hugh Freeze

Submitted by MGoVoldemort on

Hugh Freeze has managed to reel in the greatest recruiting class in the history of Ole Miss Football.  This is an undeniable truth that the country is still trying to wrap its head around. Like everyone else, I want to know how a recruiting coup like this happened to a program seemingly headed no where.

A quick glance at Hugh Freeze's coaching record screams mediocrity, and a coach that hardly seems to be qualified to coach in the sec. Now, overall record isn't everything, because Brady Hoke's overall record before coming to Michigan wasn't world beating, but they were of course extenuating circumstances. (see taking over a horrid ball state program) His coaching resume includes a fairly successful high school program, Lambuth (yes Lambuth), Arkansas State, and various titles at Ole Miss. Nothing against those "fine" institutions, but they hardly seem like the type of schools on the resume of a coach who could bring in a class of this magnitude.

A closer glance at his High School program, could give us his credibility among certain recruits. As some, or most of you may know, he was the high school coach of Michael Oher, and was depicted in the book/ movie "The Blind Side". While seemingly unimportant to the MgoBlog community, that could resonate with a lot of kids, and a lot of parents in the recruiting circles. 

Still, his fame not withstanding, it would hardly seem to validate his ability to pull this kind of class down to a school like Ole Miss. Not to mention a highly publicized racial incident after the election this past November, and the flood of top recruits to Ole Miss seems crazy. I'm trying to look at this with a impartial viewpoint, but this top rated class at Ole Miss just doesn't add up. 

 

Does this guy look like a coach that screams great recruiter?

burtcomma

February 6th, 2013 at 11:40 PM ^

Just accusations of a coach who was one of his rivals and has seen him go on to have success.  Either provide proof of something he has done, or stop the attempt at innuendo.  This is the same kind of stuff thrown at all successful coaches at recruiting, whether it be Lou Holtz or Brian Kelly or Jimmy Johnson or Brady Hoke at Ball State or San Diego State or Bill Snyder at Kansas State....If there is something going on, we will find out sooner or later, until then, you may be entitled to your opinion, but you have yet to provide any verifiable facts to back that opinion up.  What do you expect a football coach at a place where there is no tradition since the late 1960's to do, except to sell and sell hard the assets he sees and what he can do in the future?

GoBluePhil

February 6th, 2013 at 10:02 PM ^

what goes on at Ole Miss. They have a mess to clean up and until they get their own house taken care of the cheating schools will have a field day. The only good side of this is that 18 and 19 year old kids won't be able to keep their mouths shut or won't know how to keep from showing off their new found fortune.

The NCAA is so demented right now it will be 3 or 4 years before they hammer anyone. Even Miami is going to get off from all I am reading. So Ole Miss is taking the best shot they can at the most opportune time. I can't wait to find out what is going on though.

burtcomma

February 6th, 2013 at 11:31 PM ^

I have, vry nice school about the size of a MAC school in terms of number of students in a stunning beautiful locale in the south that has places like Baton Rouge and Tuscaloosa and Auburn and Fayetteville and Knoxville beat all to hell with the absolutely best looking and sweetest young coeds in America.....If you have never been there, never been to the Grove, and never experienced the whole Ole Miss experience, you will never get why it is a perfect fit for some athletes and students...Not everyone wants to be at a huge B1G school with 40K to 60 K students in a place like A2 or Columbus or Madison....Ole Miss, where they redshirt Miss America's!

 

 

UofM626

February 7th, 2013 at 11:47 AM ^

The Sleeze....reminds me of Nolte in blue chips. He finally succumbs to the nasty secrets of recruiting. Everyone knows that he was behind the stuff going on w Oher and the Other family Tuheys or whatever you say there name is. Ole Miss is the Bible Belt and there is some shady stuff going down there. I know for a FACT of a certain player who said there is some wild shit happening there and he played 5 yrs there as well.

ca_prophet

February 7th, 2013 at 11:39 PM ^

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130207/hugh-fr… Staples essentially concludes they had a unique opportunity, went for broke and got their guys. They are clearly hoping to parlay this into success on the field and in further recruiting, and if they can this kind of question will die off. And good riddance - I personally dislike the default assumption that someone is cheating when something good happens to/for them.

Seth

February 8th, 2013 at 9:44 AM ^

Just hypothetically, if a lot of journalists were privy to some circumstantial evidence that cooberates an accusation of some underhanded dealings involving a specific player in that class, what would be the best way to intimate that to readers so they'll know they're justified in their skepticism?