re: Houston Nutt never wanted an "apology"

The suit is not for defamation. The suit is for breach of contract. It is not clear that the statements were even defamatory, since there apparently were violations during Nutt's time and the reported statements did not say that he was personally responsible, although one could infer that he was responsible, at least because he was the head of the program. But that there were violations while Nutt was coach is a substantially true statement, so that the characterization of those charges as the major part of the NOA probably doesn't rise to the level of defamation.