Archie Manning speaks on Hugh Freeze’s resignation: ‘I’m sorry what’s happened’
Published 9:42 pm Monday, July 31, 2017
- Former Ole Miss and New Orleans Saints quarterback Archie Manning will be presented the Michael L. Slive Distinguished Service Award. (Bruce Newman)
One of Ole Miss’ legends on Monday gave his thoughts on the recent resignation of Hugh Freeze.
In Biloxi as a guest speaker at the meeting of the Southern Legislative Conference, Archie Manning spoke with WLOX-TV and expressed disappointment but maintained support for Freeze, who abruptly resigned July 20 after five seasons as the Rebels’ football coach after school officials discovered calls made from Freeze’s university-issued cell phone to numbers tied to escort services.
“I’m sorry what’s happened,” Manning told the Biloxi TV station. “Hugh is a friend of mine. He’ll continue to be a friend of mine. We’re going to move on.”
Manning, who quarterbacked the Rebels from 1968-70, was co-chairman of the school’s search committee that hired Freeze in December 2011. Freeze, who went 39-25 during his time with the Rebels, also leaves behind an NCAA investigation that has the program facing 21 alleged rules violations, 15 of them Level I charges.
Manning also voiced support for Freeze’s former assistant, Matt Luke, who will be the interim coach this season.
“Matt Luke is a great young man,” Manning said. “He’s going to do a good job for us. It’s football time. We’re going to get going.”
Archie Manning spoke for the first time since the #OleMiss coaching change. Read more from #18 here (H/T: @WLOX): https://t.co/C3ssdBJt7K pic.twitter.com/ewNe51ypnX
— Chris Hudgison (@ChrisHudgison) August 1, 2017