SEC commissioner Greg Sankey sent out a memo to conference presidents, chancellors and athletic directors to inform them of Hugh Freeze's "status with respect to the conference."
Freeze is the new head football coach at auburn.
While Sankey's memo did not prohibit schools from hiring Freeze, it was a stern reminder of the conditions and restrictions related to Freeze if an SEC school chose to hire him at that time. Freeze would have faced a suspension for the first two conference games of the year, but only as a head coach.
Following his dismissal from Ole Miss, Freeze was considered for an assistant coaching and/or coordinators role by several schools.
The head coach at Ole Miss from 2012 to 2016 was out of coaching for two years after violating NCAA rules. He was the head coach at Liberty for four years before getting the chance to be the head coach at auburn.
After rebuilding Ole Miss' program to a Top 25 level, Freeze resigned. He used his university-issued cell phone to make a number of calls to a female escort service. The NCAA was investigating Ole Miss. Ross Bjork said he would have fired Freeze if he hadn't resigned.
Ole Miss was banned from playing in a bowl game for two years for violating NCAA rules under Freeze. The NCAA Division I Committee on Infractions found Freeze guilty of failing to adequately monitor his football staff and its interaction with boosters.
Sankey said a number of institutions inquired about what happened at Ole Miss and if there was any conference accountability. The letter was written to make sure that all of our institutions were on the same page.
According to sources, Sankey didn't tell anyone that he was blocking the hiring of Freeze. Sankey told Freeze that it was his preference that he leave the SEC and then come back to the SEC if he had a chance.
Sankey said that he and Freeze talked on the phone earlier this week, and that Sankey wished Freeze good fortune in his new job.
I look towards the future. Sankey said that he and Freeze have had many phone conversations over the past five years. I appreciated the way he responded during his press conference, and I respected the fact that he and I could have candid and honest conversations over the next few years.
When asked about reports that Sankey blocked him from being hired in the league, Freeze said, "I'm not sure that's accurate."
Freeze said that Sankey has never done anything but tell him what he thinks is best for the conference. A man that treats you like that is appreciated.
SEC schools make their own decisions on who they want to hire, but those decisions must meet the expectations of SEC Bylaw 19.8.1.2, which requires institutions to contact the NCAA and SEC offices regarding a potential hire's compliance background.
Sankey wrote in his memo that the Committee on Infractions described Ole Miss' violations as cutting against and subverting core principles of the collegiate model. Freeze was involved in a number of the less serious violations.
Sankey outlined some of the conditions and restrictions regarding Freeze should he be hired by an SEC school.
The conditions were included.
The president or chancellor would have to consult with Sankey before giving Freeze a job because he had been found guilty of a Level I violation.
Within 30 days of Freeze's hiring, the school's president, faculty athletics representative, athletic director, head coach and Freeze had to meet with Sankey. The school would provide Sankey with a written plan explaining its complete compliance oversight of Freeze and that plan would have to be approved by the school's president or chancellor.
Freeze would have to stay for at least two days at an NCAA Regional Rules meeting.
The freeze would be in effect until August 1, 2019.
Freeze would be subject to additional scrutiny for any future violations of NCAA rules.
Sankey sent out a revised version of Bylaw 19.8.1.2 to presidents, chancellors and athletic directors that did not mention Freeze by name, but it included stipulations about the hiring of any coaches in the SEC that had previous NCAA issues
SEC institutions were required to thoroughly evaluate every candidate's rules compliance record prior to offering employment, including asking the candidate directly and communicating with the NCAA and SEC regarding the candidate's compliance record.
Sankey said in the 2020 memo that a school's president or chancellor was expected to contact him directly to discuss any coaching candidate being considered for employment that had engaged in unethical conduct or participated in activity that resulted or may result in Level I, Level II or major violations.
Several SEC schools have inquired about the status of several assistant coaches over the past few years, and Sankey expects these inquiries to continue.
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