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Auburn will soon be begging this ACC coach to replace Hugh Freeze
The Auburn Tigers have been nothing short of a trainwreck thus far, and fans aren’t happy. Here’s the coach they’ll want to replace Hugh Freeze with.
By Andrew Boardwine | Oct 23, 2024
Arkansas v Auburn
Arkansas v Auburn / Michael Chang/GettyImages
Hugh Freeze has only been in Auburn not even two full seasons, and there is a growing contingent of fans who have said they’ve seen enough.
That being said, Auburn football is in a unique position as head coach Hugh Freeze appears to have more job security than most in the competitive SEC. Despite the possibility of finishing the 2024 season with a disappointing 4-8 record, reports suggest that Freeze will not only survive this season but also the 2025 and 2026 seasons, regardless of how his team performs.
This extended grace period stems from the belief that Freeze inherited a challenging situation and is actively working to turn the program around, especially with his recruiting efforts. Auburn’s administration is reportedly “all in” on Freeze, confident that he will eventually bring the Tigers back to prominence.
As we pointed out earlier this week, Freeze’s buyout is not astronomical — sitting around $20 million — but the Tigers would be hardpressed to find another coach who’d come take over the program after seeing a head coach fired after two seasons.
Of course, that doesn’t mean things will magically turn around in 2025 and 2026 for the Tigers. They’re still having to compete against programs like Alabama and Georgia for recruits and Freeze is will still be listed as one of the coaches with the hottest seats heading into 2025 if he can’t get the ship going in the right direction.
Ultimately, if that doesn’t happen, we think we know who might be the top candidate by then, and it’s a name that might surprise you.