The Ole Miss Coach-Player Sex Scandal Is Over

The Ole Miss Title IX office announced this week that the coach-player sex scandal that supposedly included bribes and inappropriate behavior is over and all parties have been cleared in the matter. And with that, the Ole Miss softball team can get back to the business at hand - crushing balls and flashing the leather. The Title IX office says they can't find evidence of any shenanigans.

"Following a comprehensive investigation by the university’s Title IX office, the anonymous allegations of inappropriate behavior by the softball staff are unsubstantiated. In addition, other anonymous allegations involving the culture of the softball program have been thoroughly reviewed by Athletics Compliance staff and were determined not to be in violation of any policies," Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter said via a statement.

The whole sex scandal hinged on a letter sent to Carter that described a relationship between assistant coach Katie Rietkovich Browder and a player on the team. The Ole Miss player accused of having a sexual relationship with Browder is reportedly dating another member of the softball team.

Katie Rietkovich Browder:

USA Today reports the Title IX investigation started when "one of the players took screenshots of text messages between her girlfriend and the assistant coach, printed the screenshots and then taped them to the coach’s office computer."

At the end of the day, the Ole Miss investigation didn't turn up anything that would result in people losing their jobs or any issues with the NCAA, which is useless these days. Head coach Jamie Trachsel, who was brought into the mix via questions of bribery in which players were allegedly told to stay quiet if they wanted scholarship money, appears to have skated by unscathed here.

Now it's back to getting down & dirty on the diamond where the Rebels made it to the regionals before losing to Arizona.