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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) Hugh Freeze said his program's breakthrough season is proof that Mississippi can be competitive in the Southeastern Conference and a program to be reckoned with on a national level.
Now he wants to prove this year was no fluke - and he'll do it with a brand new contract in hand.
Freeze and the school announced they had reached an agreement on a new contract Tuesday. Ole Miss athletic director Ross Bjork did not immediately disclose terms of the contract, but in November said both sides were working on a deal that would pay about $4 million per year.
''I was pretty much blown away when (Bjork) came to me with this contract,'' Freeze said on Tuesday night. ''It's humbling and I'm honored and I'm glad that it happened fast.''
Freeze - whose agent is Jimmy Sexton - was previously on the first year of a four-year contract that paid $3 million annually.
Bjork said part of the new agreement includes more money for Freeze's assistant coaches and that terms of the contract would be disclosed when details were finalized. Mississippi law limits state contracts to four years.
The 45-year-old Freeze has led Ole Miss to a 24-14 record, including an 11-13 mark in the Southeastern Conference, over three seasons. The 13th-ranked Rebels (No. 12 CFP) have a 9-3 record this season and beat No. 4 Mississippi State 31-17 on Saturday in the Egg Bowl.
Freeze has engineered a quick turnaround at Ole Miss, taking over after a 2-10 season in 2011 that ended with the dismissal of coach Houston Nutt. The Rebels finished 7-6 in 2012 and 8-5 in 2013 before briefly emerging into the national championship discussion earlier this season with seven straight victories.
Ole Miss lost three straight conference games over a four-week stretch in October and November to fall from College Football Playoff consideration, but bounced back with an emotional victory over Mississippi State on Saturday.
''It's a difficult task in this league, but I think we've proven that we can be competitive and relevant,'' Freeze said.
Freeze has a reputation as an outstanding recruiter and his 2013 class was regarded as one of the nation's best. Those players are now sophomores, and many of them - like defensive tackle Robert Nkemdiche, left tackle Laremy Tunsil and receiver Laquon Treadwell - have already turned into stars.
Freeze's quick success, offensive reputation and relative youth helped make his name a popular one for high-profile openings around the country like Florida. But Freeze is a Mississippi native and has said repeatedly that he is comfortable at Ole Miss.
He would not say if he was contacted by the Gators about their opening.
''I never make it a habit of discussing other people's searches,'' Freeze said. ''I'm extremely happy with this job and happy that it moved fast and we were able to get something done here.''
Freeze was a high school coach for more than a decade in Memphis, Tennessee, before joining the Ole Miss coaching staff under Ed Orgeron in 2005. He led Arkansas State to a Sun Belt Conference championship in 2011 before taking the Ole Miss job.
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Follow David Brandt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/davidbrandtAP
