Writer who gathered anti-Bryan Harsin quote: 'Last person to do Hugh Freeze a favor'

Ole Miss v Auburn
Ole Miss v Auburn | Michael Chang/GettyImages

Split Zone Duo's Steven Godfrey sent a scathing rebuttal to Bryan Harsin's insinuation that AthlonSports made up a quote from an anonymous head coach that revealed he'd never do such a thing because of how much he dislikes Hugh Freeze.

"No. 1, I was in charge of the scouting report, which was a combo of multiple sources in the league," Godfrey wrote in response to Harsin. "No. 2, Coaches have been gossiping about each other for as long as I've been doing this. No. 3 I'm the last person on God's earth to do Hugh Freeze a favor. No. 4, They cooked you, Hars."

Godfrey is an Ole Miss alum, so his disgust in Freeze may be felt on a personal level considering the circumstances of his Oxford (MS) exit.

Harsin proclaimed that coaches wouldn't hide behind an "anonymous" label and swipe other coaches in response to a quote merely pointing out that Freeze's receivers and offensive line are better than the Boise native's were in 2021 and 2022. Godfrey was clearly having none of it.

Hugh Freeze revealed that there was an SEC chat with every football coach

Maybe Harsin's understanding of how SEC coaches operate has to do with the SEC football coaches' group chat that Freeze revealed exists and that Harsin was in for less than two years.

Then again, he never understood the south. Everyone plays nice when others are watching. Behind closed doors? Different story.

It's absolutely believable someone would give Freeze credit while knocking Harsin. There's some coaches who have been on their teams long enough to talk about the talent level of both. While a big name like Lane Kiffin or Kirby Smart was probably the originator of that quote, someone who's been steadily employed in the conference for at least the last three years probably is.

And there is, as the coach said, considerable differences between Harsin's rosters and the current group in Freeze's second year.