Ole Miss and Houston Nutt Reach Settlement On Lawsuit

Hoston Nutt and Ole Miss have agreed to settle the lawsuit between the school and its former football coach.

Ole Miss has agreed to settle its lawsuit with former coach Houston Nutt, the school and Nutt announced Monday.

In a joint statement, the parties explained how they came to an agreement although the details were not disclosed. Ole Miss didd provide an official apology to Nutt saying:

"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 had sued his former employer in July for allegedly defaming his character in connection to an NCAA investigation into the program. Nutt's initial lawsuit was dismissed in August because it was filed in Federal Court, and the lawsuit named the school and Board of Trustees for the Institutes of Higher Learning, which are not citizens, meaning the suit would have to be filed at the state level instead.

It was Nutt’s lawsuit that included former Rebels coach Hugh Freeze’s phone records, which were eventually shown to include calls to an escort service. 

• Mississippi State Fan Played Key Role In Hugh Freeze Resigning From Ole Miss

It was reported that Nutt was seeking an apology and $500,000 to help fund a commission on integrity in Mississippi college sports.

Nutt coached Ole Miss from 2008 through 2011. In his statement, Nutt said he is happy the lawsuit is behind him and wishes the best for Ole Miss and its football program.