A lawsuit filed by former Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt against the school alleging harm to his reputation in the wake of the athletic department's ongoing NCAA case is now a thing of the past. In a joint statement on Monday, both parties announced that a settlement had been reached in the suit.
"The lawyers who represent the University and Coach Nutt have communicated during the past few weeks to reach an agreement that would allow the parties to resolve Coach Nutt's claim while avoiding the costs and distractions associated with further litigation," a joint statement read. "The parties have reached such an agreement."
Nutt filed his suit in July alleging breach of contract via defamation of character. He sought punitive damages for what he called a "smear campaign" against him made by Ole Miss employees to media members ahead of the 2016 Notice of Allegations written by the NCAA. However, when the NOA was released, it was revealed that many of the allegations the program faced did not involve Nutt.
"Certain statements made by University employees in January 2016 appear to have contributed to misleading reports about Coach Nutt. To the extent any statements harmed Coach Nutt's reputation, the University apologizes, as this was not the intent," the school said." 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."
"I am pleased to put the lawsuit behind me," Nutt added. "Best wishes to the future of the Ole Miss Football program."
