Category: Auburn News

ESPN lists Ron Roberts among most interesting coordinator hires

Hugh Freeze refers to Roberts as “the mad scientist.”

Auburn has a historic reputation as a strong defensive team. However, that was one of the many aspects of the team that struggled under [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag].

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] wanted to hire a coordinator capable of lifting Auburn back to its expected level of defensive play and is confident [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] is the man for the job.

Roberts previously served as the defensive coordinator of the Baylor Bears.

An article from ESPN by Adam Rittenberg discusses the most interesting coordinator hires in college football heading into the 2023 season and Roberts made the cut.

The article included quotes about Roberts that Freeze told ESPN’s Heather Dinch.

“The mad scientist,” Freeze said. “He truthfully is probably the most knowledgeable coordinator out there that has trained pretty much everybody in this conference right now that’s doing [the
system]. That was the value I was looking for.”

According to Freeze, Roberts is excited about improving the Auburn defense.

“The biggest challenge I have with Ron is, ‘Let’s don’t do everything in Year 1. Let’s just do what we can do,'” Freeze said. “But I love his maturity and his wisdom.”

Roberts will have his work cut out for him but seems excited about his journey on the Plains.

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How does the Hugh Freeze hire compare to other Power Five hires?

Mike Farrell feels that Hugh Freeze will be “wiser and more effective” in his second tenure as an SEC head coach.

Auburn made a statement in December when it decided to go with [autotag]Hugh Freeze [/autotag] as the next head coach of its football program.

The response has been divisive, but if Freeze can restore Auburn to being a perennial contender most fans of the Tigers will be on board.

Mike Farrell graded the first-year Power Five coach hires and Freeze was one of four coaches to earn an “A” grade.

Farrell’s take on Freeze: “Auburn needs someone who has experienced the SEC West battles from a recruiting standpoint and on the field and Freeze is perfect for that. He made Ole Miss very dangerous before he ran afoul of the NCAA and this time he’ll be wiser and more effective.”

The other hires to receive an A were Matt Rhule from Nebraska, Luke Fickell from Wisconsin, and Jeff Brohm from Louisville.

The only other new coach hire in the SEC was Zach Arnett from Mississippi State who earned a C.

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Jordan-Hare is once again expected to be one of the loudest venues in the country

If Auburn shows signs of improvement this season, the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium will be one of the most electric atmospheres in the country.

Jordan-Hare Stadium has gained a reputation as one of the most intimidating places for visiting teams to play in college football.

The combination of a loud atmosphere and miraculous moments such as the “Kick-6” against Alabama in 2013 have cemented Jordan-Hare’s spot at the top.

The hiring of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] introduces a new era and excitement is once again through the roof.

In a 247Sports article written by Brad Crawford, the loudest stadiums for the 2023 season are predicted. Jordan-Hare placed third on the list for its November game against Alabama.

Crawford’s take: The Iron Bowl always holds significance. On the decibels scale, few places are louder than Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium when the Tigers are a national power. Part of the reason Auburn hired former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze to lead the program is due to his personal success against Nick Saban’s Alabama and he gets another crack at the greatest coach of all time in 2023. If the Tigers still have a heartbeat when this one’s played, The Plains will be extremely loud and boisterous when the Crimson Tide come to town.

Auburn fans are eager to produce one of college football’s best environments again this season.

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10 Auburn soccer names to look out for in 2023

As Auburn soccer prepares for the 2023 season, here are ten players to keep an eye on.

After a 2022 campaign that did not go as planned, Auburn soccer is looking to bounce back in 2023.

The Tigers ended last season with a 6-6-6 campaign, with a record of 2-6-2 against SEC foes. This season, top players such as goalkeeper Maddie Prohaska and midfielder Anna Haddock return to lead the Tigers into the 2023 campaign which begins Aug. 17 against Samford.

[autotag]Karen Hoppa[/autotag], who has been leading the program since 1999, is ready for yet another season on the Plains.

Here are 10 Auburn players to look out for this season:

Mike Bello will be transferring to an in-state school

Bello hit .229 with 30 hits and 15 RBI in two seasons on the Plains.

Auburn outfielder [autotag]Mike Bello[/autotag] has announced that he will be transferring from Auburn and joining the Troy Trojans.

Bello announced his transfer destination on Twitter Monday.

The Oak Ridge, New Jersey native saw a lot more playing time in 2022 than he did in 2023. In 2022 Bello played in 43 games and started 27 opposed to playing in 16 games and starting five in 2023.

During his two seasons with the program, Bello slashed .229/.316/.282 with 30 hits and 15 RBI. His career fielding percentage with the Tigers was .981.

Bello’s biggest game of the 2023 season came against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets on March 14th when he went 2-4 with one RBI. He ended the season with five hits and three RBI while recording an average of .156 in 16 appearances.

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Joseph Gonzalez to play another year with Tigers

After only making one appearance for the Tigers due to injury in 2023, Joseph Gonzalez is coming back for the 2024 season.

After only making one appearance for the Tigers due to injury in 2023, [autotag]Joseph Gonzalez[/autotag] is coming back in 2024.

In an Auburn Undercover interview with Jason Caldwell, Gonzalez explained his decision.

“I love Auburn and the last three years have been great,” Gonzalez tells said. “I felt like if they didn’t give me the money I was looking for, I had no problems coming back. It was simple. If they don’t offer me the money it was easy to come back to Auburn for another year.”

Gonzalez is confident that he will be healthy all season and be a difference-maker for Auburn.

“I feel like I can prove who I am and how good I am at baseball,” Gonzalez said. “That’s another reason I decided not to take the money and go back to Auburn again. I feel like I can enjoy the whole year instead of being hurt like I was last year.”

Gonzalez will return to Auburn in hopes of settling into the role of the ace in the Tigers’ weekend rotation. In just over two seasons at Auburn, Gonzalez is 10-7 with an ERA of 4.08. He has 85 strikeouts with just 25 walks in 125.2 innings of work.

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Joseph Phillips shuts down his recruitment

Phillips, like so many others in the 2024 class, is honoring his commitment to Auburn by focusing solely on the Tigers going forward.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has been determined to boost Auburn’s recruiting since taking over the program.

[autotag]Joseph Phillips[/autotag] is the latest Auburn commitment to shut down his recruitment. In an Auburn Undercover article written by Christian Clemente, Phillips explained what went into his decision.

“It’s going good,” Phillips said on Auburn’s recruiting. “I feel like with me committing and then you’ve got other big-time people committed, everybody now is like ‘Auburn is the move.’ It’s not like they ain’t have no 4- or 5-stars committed. Now they’ve got the dogs committed, everybody else is trying to come.”

Big Cat Weekend, one of Auburn’s biggest recruiting events is coming up and Phillips is thinking it will go well.

“I feel like Big Cat Weekend they going to really put their best foot forward,” Phillips said. “Like you said, there’s going to be a lot of big-time people in so I feel like it’s going to be one of the best experiences I had just going up there. You’ve got a chance to chill, talk with the players and coaches and get other people that ain’t committed a chance to see what that’s like behind the scenes.”

Phillips is a four-star recruit with a 0.9421 composite rating according to 247Sports. He is the No. 132 player nationally, the No. 9 edge rusher, and the No. 8 player in the state of Alabama. He joins fellow commits such as [autotag]Walker White[/autotag], [autotag]A’Mon Lane[/autotag], and [autotag]J’Marion Burnette[/autotag] in shutting down his recruitment.

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Four star PF Nic Codie lists Auburn among top choices

Auburn is in the running to land the No. 6 power forward from the 2024 class.

[autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] might be on his way to signing another top recruit.

[autotag]Nic Codie[/autotag], a 6-foot-8 forward from Carrollton, Texas, listed Auburn among his top choices.

Other than Auburn, Houston, LSU, Miami, TCU, Texas, and Virginia Tech are in the running.

In an interview with On3’s Joe Tipton, Codie says that he wants to go to a program that can develop him, as well as provide a family atmosphere.

“I want a coach that is going to develop me and let me know,” Codie said. I don’t want to play in a system that just focuses on one part of my game, I want to grow and develop my entire game. Early playing time is something that I’m looking at. I want to be at a place I can compete for early minutes.”

Codie is a four-star recruit according to On3. He is the No. 37 player in the class of 2024, the No. 6 power forward, and the No. 2 player in the state of Texas.

He would join five-star guard [autotag]Tahaad Pettitford[/autotag] in Auburn’s 2024 class if he were to choose the Tigers.

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Most crucial Auburn volleyball players to watch in 2023

The Tigers look to repeat its 2022 success, and will rely heavily on these ten players.

Auburn volleyball is gearing up for another big year after a historic season in 2022. The Tigers finished last season with a 22-9 record and won a postseason match for just the second time in program history. Their postseason win over Creighton was the program’s first over a No. 1 seed.

Head coach [autotag]Brent Crouch[/autotag] received a contract extension during the offseason, some changes were made to the coaching staff, and new talent was added to the team so it will be interesting to see if Auburn can match last season’s success.

Here are the top 10 Auburn volleyball players to keep an eye on in 2023:

Chase Isbell signs deal with Kansas City Royals

Isbell was the lone pitcher from Auburn’s bullpen to be selected in the 2023 MLB Draft.

Three Auburn players, [autotag]Cole Foster[/autotag], [autotag]Bryson Ware[/autotag] and [autotag]Chase Isbell[/autotag], heard their names called in the MLB Draft. One player, [autotag]Nate LaRue[/autotag] was picked up as a free agent.

Additionally, five players who were signed with the Tigers were drafted.

The Royals selected Isbell in the 15th round with the 439th overall pick. Isbell received a signing bonus worth $150,000. Greg Walker of Royals Review believes that Isbell’s command will allow him to find a place in a professional bullpen.

At 6’3”, 210, Isbell served as a power righty out of the Auburn bullpen and frequently worked multiple innings. He has a fastball at 93-96 that he’ll throw at the top of the zone. He pairs that with a tight, late-breaking slider at 86-88. The slider is a true out pitch so with better overall command, Isbell could find a role in a major league bullpen.

In two seasons with the Tigers, Isbell posted a 5.54 ERA, a 4-2 record, two saves and 65 strikeouts to 31 walks in 52 innings of work.

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