Hugh Freeze and Liberty Are a Perfect Match

Hugh Freeze was once a rising star among the coaching ranks, collecting insane recruiting classes at Ole Miss and knocking off Alabama twice. He fashioned himself as a pious molder of men, laying the trope on thicker than most. Then came the fall.

Those magical recruiting fields weren’t on the up-and-up. And the man who moralized was found out to have an affinity for dialing escort services. Freeze lost his job. Now, perhaps predictably, he’s found a new home at Liberty University.

He’ll fit in perfectly among a group that pays lip service to doing the right thing while doing the wrong thing. The proudly Christian school is now a halfway house for those seeking to rehabilitate their image. Perhaps that’s not the right word, since rehabilitation usually comes with at least some sort of acknowledgement of wrongdoing. Or contrition. Or an acceptance of penance.

Liberty hired Ian McCaw, the man who ran Baylor’s athletic department during the sexual assault scandal. They actively defend him.

“Ian’s success really speaks for itself,” Liberty President Jerry Falwell said while announcing the hire. “You look at what Baylor was able to do during his tenure, it fits perfectly with where we see our sports programs going. This is an exciting time for us.”

He said those words out loud and in public. Who knows what he’ll say when Freeze is announced this afternoon.

Sure, the Baylor and Ole Miss situations are not congruent. Freeze can do whatever he wants to in his free time. It’s none of my business. But how do these people conduct themselves in this manner without busting into a fire of hypocrisy and shame? Doesn’t it, on some level, feel dirty? Where is the self-awareness.

On some level, one appreciates how little Liberty cares for the optics. The commitment to poor decision-making is impressive. Gross, but impressive.

Freeze and Liberty are a perfect fit. In no way is that a compliment.