Tag: Coaching Search

Williams ‘not upset’ about interim tag not being removed

Interim head coach Cadillac Williams says that he interviewed for the head coaching job at his alma mater, but is not bitter about the result.

By the end of the 2022 season, a bulk of Auburn’s fan base rallied for [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] to become the permanent head coach of the Tiger’s football program.

It is easy to see why. Williams led Auburn to a 2-2 record over the final four games. He brought energy to an exhausted roster, and developed Auburn’s running game to a new level. Auburn closed the season with two 100-yard rushers in each of its last three games. The Tigers rushed for 318 yards in the loss to Alabama, which is the most the Crimson Tide has allowed in the Nick Saban era.

Once the regular season concluded, athletic director [autotag]John Cohen[/autotag] and Auburn University President [autotag]Dr. Christopher Roberts[/autotag] elected to go with experience by hiring Hugh Freeze as Auburn football’s 31st head coach. Freeze is a 10-year head coaching veteran with stops at Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty.

Following Freeze’s introductory press conference on Tuesday, Williams told reporters he interviewed for the open position with Cohen, but the job went to [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. Williams said he was miffed to learn he had been passed over for Freeze, but that he welcomes the idea of working alongside Auburn’s newest head coach.

“Like I told them whenever they brought me the news, honestly, they looked more disappointed than me,” Williams said Tuesday. “They were like, ‘I’m sorry.’ But I’m like, I’m disappointed, (but) I’m not upset; like, I was at peace about it. I had the opportunity to talk to coach Freeze last night, and I was sold, to be honest with you.”

Williams received good news on Monday night. He was named associate head coach in addition to his role as running backs coach. He is believed to be Freeze’s first hire. Freeze said Tuesday he was impressed with the way Williams led Auburn during the final four games of the season.

“What I witnessed was what I thought was one of the most outstanding jobs of leadership that I have ever witnessed in college football,” Freeze said. “Being in this profession, I know how hard it is to finish seasons, even when you are doing well, even when you are bowl eligible. Much less finishing a season with enthusiasm and passion and desire and excitement and having fun like I witnessed when I turned on the Auburn football games. To me, it was a direct reflection of Cadillac, his leadership, and how he led the staff, and those young men, I thought, was a brilliant job.”

Williams said in a “thank you note” Tuesday that his intent was to remain at Auburn and to play a key role on the next staff. After meeting with Freeze on Monday, Williams is buying into what Freeze brings to the program.

“I’m here to serve,” Williams said. “Like I said before, my seat doesn’t dictate my service, so I am looking forward to this opportunity. I’m excited about it, and I back coach Freeze and Auburn 100%.”

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Photo Gallery: Hugh Freeze introduced as Auburn’s head coach

Take a look at Auburn’s newest head coach.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is officially in charge of the Auburn Tigers.

The Tigers announced his hiring Monday night and on Tuesday he was introduced as the head coach.

Freeze has spent over 10 years as head coach of FBS programs, spending time at Arkansas State, Ole Miss, and Liberty.

“Before I start my comments,” Freeze said at his press conference. “I’d also like to just take a few minutes too. I’m so glad that the schedule for me at the end of the year married up with being able to witness your final few games here. Because what I witnessed, I thought, was one of the most outstanding jobs of leadership that I’ve ever witnessed in college football. Being in this profession, I know how hard it is to finish seasons even when you’re doing well, even when you’re bowl eligible much less finishing a season playing with enthusiasm and passion and desire and excitement and having fun like what I witnessed when I turned on the Auburn football games. To me, it was a direct reflection of Cadillac (Williams) and his leadership and how he led the staff and those young men.”

One of the first things Freeze did was announce that not only was he retaining [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag], but he was also giving him a promotion. He is now an associate head coach as well as running backs coach.

Here are the top photos from the press conference.

Gus Malzahn welcomes Hugh Freeze to Auburn

Gus Malzahn wasted no time in welcoming his friend to Auburn.

Former Auburn head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] was one of the first people to welcome new Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] to the Plains after the move was officially announced.

“Happy for my friend @CoachHughFreeze for getting the Auburn job,” Malzahn tweeted Monday night. That’s a special place, you’re going to love it! I’ve also got a couple old sweater vests laying around if you ever need them.”

Malzahn, who is currently the head coach at UCF, spent eight seasons at Auburn before being fired shortly after the end of the 2020 season.

The two have been friends since they were both high school coaches and have had similar career paths. Both had decorated high school careers before becoming college assistants, then Group of Five head coaches, and eventually running SEC programs.

The two both spent time at Arkansas State with Malzahn actually replacing Freeze as head coach when he left to take over Ole Miss in 2011.

Freeze responded in kind, writing “You’re a dear friend. Thank you so much. I’ll take your visors but pass on the sweater vests. Lol.”

 

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Social media reacts to Auburn’s hiring of Hugh Freeze

Here is what current players, recruits, and fellow coaches are saying about the hiring of Hugh Freeze.

Auburn has found its next head coach.

Athletic Director John Cohen elected to go the “SEC experience” route by hiring Hugh Freeze, the former Ole Miss head coach. Freeze won 39 games as the Rebels’ head coach from 2012-16 before a series of recruiting violations resulted in his resignation from the Ole Miss program.

He has since gotten back into coaching, as he led Liberty’s football program for four seasons prior to accepting the Auburn job. In four seasons in Lynchburg, Freeze built a record of 34-15, winning eight or more games in all four seasons.

After the announcement of Freeze’s hiring, those close to Freeze and the Auburn program shared their thoughts on Twitter.

Here are the top social media reactions to the hire from current and former Auburn players, commits, and fellow coaches.

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Contract details emerge for Auburn’s new head coach

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that Hugh Freeze is set to make more than his predecessor, Bryan Harsin.

After a 28-day search, Auburn athletics director [autotag]John Cohen[/autotag] has found his guy.

Auburn University officially announced the hiring of Hugh Freeze on Monday, replacing [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag], who went 9-12 during a season and a half on the Plains.

Now that the hire has been made, one of the many questions that cross Auburn fans’ minds is “how much will Freeze make?” That question appears to have been answered by ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Thamel reports that Freeze is set to make $6.5 million per season over six years, which is an increase from what his predecessor, [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] made for the same contract length, which was $5.3 million per season.

Due to Liberty being a private institution, his contract details with his previous program are not open for public knowledge. However, Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reports that Freeze’s buyout from Liberty will only set Auburn back $3 million.

As for Harsin, Auburn is set to play 70% of his remaining contract, which is approximately $15.8 million. Half of that is set to be paid before Nov. 30, and the remainder will be paid in four installments according to Brandon Marcello of 247Sports. Marcello also says that Auburn is still paying Gus Malzahn’s $21.5 million buyout following his dismissal in 2020.

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Freeze is ready to bring championships to the Plains

Now that the hire of Hugh Freeze has been made official by Auburn University, Freeze says that he is ready to get to work.

Reports began surfacing Monday afternoon that Auburn had found its’ next head coach. By Monday evening around 5:23 p.m. CT, the news had become official that Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze was indeed named the head coach of the Tigers program.

Auburn University officially announced the hire of Freeze Monday after a 28-day search led by athletic director John Cohen. Cohen on Monday says that he landed his top target.

“After a thoughtful, thorough, and well-vetted search, we ended where we started, with Hugh Freeze,” Cohen said in a press release. “Of all the candidates we considered, Hugh was the best fit. Fit has several meanings, but the most important factors were student-athlete development, football strategy, recruiting, and SEC experience.”

As an FBS head coach at Arkansas State, Ole Miss, and Liberty, Freeze has built a record of 83-43, including a 34-15 record at Liberty, his most recent stop. His success both on the field, as well as in player development, is an important factor to Auburn University President Dr. Christopher Roberts.

“I’m pleased that our Athletics Director John Cohen conducted a detailed and thorough national search process, and I look forward to welcoming Hugh and Jill Freeze to the Plains,” Roberts said. “I am impressed with Coach Freeze’s focus on player development and his on-the-field success at multiple universities and at multiple levels.”

Interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] led Auburn to a 2-2 record during its’ time of transition. Due to that, it is expected that Williams will remain on Freeze’s staff. Although his new role with the staff has not been announced, Freeze took the time to thank Williams for his leadership. Freeze also says that he is ready to lead the Tigers to championships.

“First, I want to acknowledge Cadillac Williams for the incredible job he did as interim head coach. The impact he made is immeasurable and cannot be overstated,” Freeze said. “Secondly, Auburn is one of the preeminent programs in college football and I’m very appreciative of President Roberts and John Cohen for this opportunity at Auburn. I’ve been fortunate to witness first-hand how special Auburn is during my time as a head coach in the SEC and while visiting my daughter, Jordan, who attended Auburn and currently lives in the community. I can’t wait to work with our student-athletes and the Auburn family to bring championships back to the Plains.”

Freeze replaces Bryan Harsin, who was dismissed on Oct. 31 after building a 9-12 record since the start of the 2021 season. He becomes the third former Arkansas State head coach to lead Auburn’s program, following Harsin and his friend, [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag].

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Rhule, Fickell hirings and Notre Dame thoughts to pair

A year into the Freeman Era we’re happy things worked out how they did as the ceiling is now higher.

When I started here at Fighting Irish Wire in the fall of 2019, I used to do a weekly “Nick’s Notre Dame Mailbag” feature. Yeah, I spent all night thinking of the name, but I was thinking back to it for two main reasons over the last couple of days.

  1. We’re going to bring the mailbag premise back this offseason via comments to posts or responses to social media questions.
  2. More significantly – one of my old mailbags played right into the news on the college football field this weekend.

Back in November 2019, Peter in Cary, Illinois, asked: “Who would be the top-three realistic candidates to replace Brian Kelly, IF, he decided to take an NFL job or leave for something else?”

My top two choices at the time:

  1. Matt Rhule – Baylor
  2. Luke Fickell – Cincinnati

I can’t tell you how much I think Nebraska nailed their head coach selection, and I don’t think Wisconsin is very far behind in theirs, either. However, just over three years after I originally wrote that post I can’t help being ecstatic that things ended up the way they did for Notre Dame.

If the program needed rebuilding then these two would have been great selections. Notre Dame is well-established, however, and needed someone to get it over the hump. I’m not sure Rhule or Fickell’s recruiting abilities would get them there. Trust me, I think the Irish would have been more of the same as they were under Kelly (which was really good relatively speaking), but the closing of the talent gap would still need significant addressing.

It’s not just recruiting with Freeman, who has shown a solid ability so far in hiring assistant coaches. Brian Mason is a star as the special teams coordinator, and Chansi Stuckey at the receivers post is doing things recruiting-wise in Texas that Notre Dame hasn’t done in decades. It’s only a matter of time until that group is developing talent like the running back group is.

I still think either Rhule or Fickell would have been safe, solid hires as they come with proven collegiate success. However, the ceiling is the highest with Freeman, something we saw flashes of over the last 12 games.

Now if you’d like to laugh please know my third choice was Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson. Nothing against him but upon further review, Wake Forest has gone 23-19 since my original post.

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Former Auburn OC expected to be named head coach at Arizona State

One of College Football’s youngest offensive minds is reportedly getting his chance to lead a Power Five program.

One day after Nebraska announced the hiring of former Carolina Panthers head coach Matt Rhule, it appears that another Power Five job has been secured.

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated has reported that Arizona State is in the process of hiring Oregon offensive coordinator [autotag]Kenny Dillingham[/autotag] as its’ next head coach. The news comes after Oregon’s 38-34 loss to rival Oregon State on Saturday.

Dillingham, 32, is set to become the youngest head coach in the Power Five as he returns to his alma mater. According to Michelle Gardner of the Arizona Republic, Dillingham has been the rumored frontrunner for the job following the program’s dismissal of Herm Edwards on Sept. 17.

Dillingham served as Auburn’s offensive coordinator under [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] in 2019. The Tigers ranked No. 28 in the nation in scoring that season, posting 33.2 points per game. It was also the first time that he worked with Bo Nix. During Nix’s freshman season in 2019, he threw for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns, while rushing for 313 yards and an additional seven touchdowns.

After his lone season at Auburn, Dillingham left for Florida State to serve as offensive coordinator under head coach Mike Norvell, whom he coached under at Memphis from 2016-18.

After a two-year stint in Tallahassee, Dillingham returned to the west coast to coach under first-year head coach, Dan Lanning. In 2022, he reunited with Nix in Oregon. So far in 2022, Nix has passed for 3,062 yards and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 513 yards and 14 scores.

Now that Nebraska and Arizona State have named their next head coach, is Auburn next? At the last report, Hugh Freeze is expected to be named the next head coach at Auburn, although no formal offer has been extended to anyone.

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Report: Hugh Freeze has informed Liberty he’s ‘in conversations’ with Auburn

Auburn’s coaching search will be coming to a close soon.

Lane Kiffin was consistently seen as Auburn’s top candidate to become the Tiger’s next head coach. With news breaking that Kiffin is staying at Ole Miss, Auburn has pivoted to [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] as their new top choice.

According to a report from Brett McMurphy of the Action Network, Freeze has told Liberty officials that he is talking with Auburn officials but has not yet decided if he’s leaving.

Despite the fact that he has not yet informed them of his decision the school is preparing to search for their next head coach McMurphy reported.

Freeze has been the head coach at Liberty since 2019 and has a 34-15 record. The Flames have made a bowl in each of the past three seasons. Prior to that, he was the head coach at Ole Miss from 2012-16 and had a 39-25 record before he resigned.

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Lane Kiffin comments on Auburn speculation following Egg Bowl loss

Kiffin spoke about the recent conjecture surrounding the Auburn job at length Thursday night. Here’s what he did (and didn’t) say.

The Ole Miss Rebels dropped its third-straight game on Thursday night, losing 24-22 to arch-rival Mississippi State in the famously named “Egg Bowl.”

The Rebels held a 16-7 lead, but Mississippi State scored 13 unanswered points to take the 24-16 lead with 7:58 remaining in the game. Ole Miss cut the lead down to two points on a Jaxson Dart touchdown pass to receiver Dayton Wade with 1:25 left in the game. However, a failed two-point conversion sealed the win for the Bulldogs.

Following the game, Ole Miss head coach [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag] was asked about the recent speculation surrounding his tie to the vacant head coaching position at Auburn.

He was asked if he anticipated being the head coach at Ole Miss next season, to which he casually responded “yes, I do.”

He then was asked if the distraction of this week’s report by WCBI sports reporter Jon Sokoloff played a factor in his team’s performance on Thursday night. Kiffin took time to fire back at Sokoloff, who was in the room during Kiffin’s postgame press conference:

“I think that when it was falsely reported by Jon (Sokoloff), who is now famous, congratulations, that you can just write whatever you want. I would do it, too, I think. Because you are never held accountable and you get to become famous, and maybe you will be right. Jon did it, so then I had to have a team meeting to say that his article was wrong. I would love (to know) these unnamed sources from Jon. So, yes, I had to deal with… I had to have a team meeting because of that. When there is other stuff in chat rooms and all that… but when a reporter writes it, it changes the game.”

Amid the Auburn rumors, Ole Miss has reportedly offered a contract extension to Kiffin. Does he plan on signing the new deal? If so, when does he plan on getting it done? Again, Kiffin responded with an open-ended answer.

“I’ve signed three (contracts). Does the fourth one mean you’re never leaving? I don’t know,” Kiffin said. “I’m much more focused and worried about the game than whether I sign another contract. I’m not acting ungrateful for that. But everybody thinks you sign a contract, well, a year ago you said the same thing, and here we are again.”

In his words regarding his status with Ole Miss, he never mentioned publically that he has turned down an offer from Auburn, or is even considering leaving Ole Miss for Auburn, or any other open job within college football. Kiffin appears to still be the top candidate for the Auburn job, so the next several days will be the most important to follow in the coaching search saga.

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