Ole Miss Coach Sues Man He Allegedly Beat Up

↵Andy Kennedy’s alleged racist/unoriginal slurs and fisticuffs targeted at a Cincinnati cab driver haven’t cost the Ole Miss coach anything but some public face and a few hours in a cell as of yet. But Kennedy must be afraid the allegations will cost him a job or, I don’t know, Barbasol endorsement cash in the future. Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy reports the coach has sued the cabbie and a witness for defamation.↵↵⇥Named as defendents in [Kennedy’s] suit were cab driver Mohammed Oulf Jiddou and valet Michael Strother. [Kennedy’s lawyer Richard] Katz said he based the suit on comments the two men made to media outlets subsequent to Kennedy’s arrest early Thursday morning on misdemeanor assault charges. The suit asks for damages of more than $25,000 from each.
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↵⇥“AK is a great individual,” Katz said. “He has been made out as a terrible villain. Andy and I consulted and he decided to take charge of this.”↵↵Typically when you arrested for assault and the victim alleges you made racial slurs during the attack, you will be made out to be a villain. A terrible villain, even. And whether Kennedy committed the crime or not, it’s probably a net positive that assault and racism have become grounds for villainy.
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↵In the coach’s particular situation, it’s probably best just to beat the rap (if he did not commit the crime) and move on. If we’ve learned anything about college basketball, it is that coaches can get away with anything so long as they recruit studs and win. Unfortunately for Ole Miss, Kennedy is having problems there as well. The Rebels are only 7-4 after Thursday’s loss to Louisville, and the team has lost preseason all-SEC guard Chris Warren and preseason SEC all-frosh Trevor Haskins to season-ending injuries.↵