Report: Freeze asked Arkansas State official to back him during NCAA probe

Hugh Freeze asked an Arkansas State official to serve as a "character witness" for him early in 2016, when the NCAA was investigating possible recruiting violations at Ole Miss, sources told Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.

Freeze reportedly thought a character endorsement would soften the NCAA's eventual charges against him and the Rebels. It's believed the Arkansas State official refused Freeze's request, though, according to the report.

Freeze resigned from the Rebels last week after Ole Miss' administration became concerned by a disturbing pattern on his phone records.

Freeze, who turned in a 10-3 record at Arkansas State in 2011 before taking the Ole Miss job, was named in several Level I recruiting violations in the NCAA's notice of allegations against Ole Miss. The school is contesting some of the allegations listed in the notice.