Ole Miss settles Nutt lawsuit, apologizes for defaming him

Ole Miss settled a lawsuit Monday brought against it by former head coach Houston Nutt, who accused the of school spreading misinformation about him as the Rebels were under investigation for recruiting violations.

"Certain statements made by University employees in January 2016 appear to have contributed to misleading media reports about Coach Nutt," reads a statement from Ole Mis. "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 to suggest otherwise."

Nutt initially filed his lawsuit in federal court, but it was dismissed due to a lack of jurisdiction. He refiled it in state court Oct. 11.

"I am pleased to put the lawsuit behind me," he said. "Best wishes to the future of the Ole Miss Football program."

Nutt's lawsuit alleged several Ole Miss officials, including athletic director Ross Bjork and former head coach Hugh Freeze, of putting the program's infactions on him in off-the-record conversations with journalists and recruits. The NCAA's investigation absolved Nutt of fault in the recruiting scandal, and instead revealed Freeze as a primary culprit.

Nutt had been adamant about receiving an apology from Ole Miss. The 60-year-old has been out of coaching since leaving the Rebels at the end of the 2011 season. He went 24-26 at Ole Miss, but 6-18 over his final two years.