TideSports.com - Freeze aims to lay winning foundation in Oxford

July 19, 2012

Zackary Al-Khateeb
Special to TideSports.com

HOOVER| As soon Hugh Freeze was hired as the new head coach for the Ole Miss Rebels, he knew he had a difficult assignment on his hands.

He took over a team that hadn't been to a bowl game since 2009, a team that went 2-10 in 2011 and had zero wins in the Southeastern Conference.

"Our program is in a spot that none of us are happy with," Freeze said. "I get that. I'm very, very anxious about starting the process and journey of trying to get us of where we are to where we've been in years past."

And for Freeze, the first step of that journey begins with his team developing a winning mentality, something he said his team hasn't experienced in a while.

"I think they hear the consistent measures we give them about 'win the day,'" Freeze said. "I think that's what they're focused on. Their position coach and accountability coach is focused on how to win the day. Not talking about the negatives of where we are, but 'this is where we are.'"

Freeze said his team hasn't completely bought in yet, with about 60 percent of the team trusting in Freeze's system so far. Freeze's goal is to have 80 percent of the team buy in before the season starts.

Still, Freeze said leaders on his team have stepped up, including juniors Mike Marry and Charles Sawyer, linebacker and defensive back, respectively, and sophomore wide receiver Donte Moncrief.

Freeze said for his team to be successful, however, they would have to continue to develop leadership, especially on the offensive side of the ball.

"We definitely need to develop some leadership," Freeze said. "Our quarterbacks (Barry Brunetti and Bo Wallace) need to lead better. We need some offensive linemen to continue to improve and show some leadership there. Offensively, we have guys that need more."

Regardless of how the leadership on his team develops, Freeze said the goals for his team remain unchanged.

"(Our goal) is that we compete passionately for our great university for 60 minutes," Freeze said. "Whatever the scoreboard says, it says at the end.

"Outside of that, the goals I have are laying the foundational core: beliefs of who we are at Ole Miss, what we want to build our program on. It's very simple…. It takes all of us, the entire organization, to buy into those core values."

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