Ole Miss and former head coach Houston Nutt have avoided further litigation and the University has issued a public apology saying that they never meant to hurt Nutt’s reputation.
Nutt’s lawsuit against Ole Miss, its athletic foundation, and the board of trustees claimed that the University ran a smear campaign against him to distance the then-current coaching staff from the NCAA allegations levied against the program.
The University’s full statement can be read below.
Certain statements made by University employees in January 2016 appear to have contributed to misleading media reports about Coach Nutt. To the extent any such statements harmed Coach Nutt’s reputation, the University apologizes, as this was not the intent.The NCAA’s Notice of Allegations dated January 22, 2016, did not name or implicate Coach Nutt in any misconduct, and it would have been inappropriate for any University employee to suggest otherwise.
Nutt issued an a statement as well saying “I am pleased to put the lawsuit behind me. Best wishes to the future of the Ole Miss Football program.”
