After firing head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] after going 68-35 in eight seasons, Auburn felt that [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] would be an acceptable alternative.
The decision seemed to backfire, as Auburn fired Harsin just 21 games into his tenure. He finished 9-12 after a solid start which saw Auburn reach 6-2 in 2021. Harsin would lose the final five games of that season, and would only manage to win three games in 2022 before getting the can.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly pointed out that six of the preceding head coaches following the [autotag]Shug Jordan[/autotag] era had at least one top-15 finish and a run of success before being fired. That streak ended with Harsin.
Now it is time for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] to lead the program. How long will it take for him to turn things around? Connelly weighs in.
Connelly believes that Auburn made the right move by hiring Freeze due to his success against Auburn’s main rivals, Alabama and Georgia, during his time at Ole Miss. Not only that, but he has a proven track record of producing explosive offenses and winning recruiting battles.
While there is no accurate way to forecast Freeze’s overall success, Connelly believes that he will be off to a great start in 2023.
A soft nonconference slate should assure bowl eligibility or something close, but it’s still hard to tell how many games Auburn might win in Freeze’s first season. The roster had to be spackled together after imbalance and attrition issues. Auburn’s 2022 offense could only run, so Freeze brought in Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne and five receiver transfers. The offensive line lost six of last year’s top seven, so he inked four transfers there. The run defense was dreadful, so he signed nine defensive line and linebacker transfers.
Freeze is one of two first-year head coaches that will navigate the SEC this season. Mississippi State named defensive coordinator Zach Arnett as its permanent head coach following the unfortunate passing of head coach Mike Leach.
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