Tag: Hugh Freeze

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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Auburn names Hugh Freeze head football coach

Auburn has hired Hugh Freeze as its head football coach

Hugh Freeze had the perfect resume for Auburn. He coached one season at Arkansas State, and that seems to be what qualifies you to run the Tigers football program.

The trifecta goes: Gus Malzahn>Bryan Harsin>Hugh Freeze

Freeze was named Auburn’s football coach on Monday.

Per Auburntigers.com:

The head coach at Liberty from 2019-22, Freeze led the Flames to four bowl games and a 34-15 record. …

“After a thoughtful, thorough, and well-vetted search, we ended where we started, with Hugh Freeze,” Cohen said. “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.”

Freeze has experienced similar success at each of his head coaching stops prior to Liberty that include Lambuth University (2008-09), Arkansas State (2011) and Ole Miss (2012-16).

Freeze credited Cadillac Williams, who was the interim coach after Harsin was fired during the 2022 season.

“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.

Freeze’s first run in the SEC ended in scandal, as chronicled by The Auburn Plainsman:

Beginning Dec. 5, 2011, he served as the head coach of Ole Miss, during which time the Rebels went 6-6. By his third season, the team improved to a 9-3 regular season record.

In January 2016, the NCAA charged the University of Mississippi with multiple recruiting violations and upon a reopening of the investigation, it was discovered that players were receiving “impermissible benefits,” not monitoring assistants, not properly controlling the program and, most egregiously, soliciting female escorts on his work phone.

In July 2017, Freeze was given an ultimatum to either resign or be fired for violations of the ethics clause of his contract. In February 2019, the NCAA passed down its ruling on the program and vacated 27 of the team’s wins under Freeze.

 

LOOK: Twitter reacts to Auburn hiring Hugh Freeze as its head football coach

See what fans are saying about Auburn hiring former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze

Just two days after [autotag]Nick Saban[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated interim head coach Cadillac Williams and the Auburn Tigers in the annual Iron Bowl, Auburn has officially its their new head football coach.

It was announced on Monday afternoon that the Tigers would be hiring Liberty head coach Huge Freeze to take over the Auburn program.

Freeze is familiar with the SEC West as he was the Ole Miss Rebels head coach from 2012-2016 where he accumulated a 39-25 record including a 19-21 record within the SEC.

Freeze committed various recruiting violations at Ole Miss before resigning after officials learned that he used a university cell phone to call escort services.

The hiring of Freeze has folks from all around buzzing on social media and Twitter did not hold anything back.

Cadillac Williams is expected to remain on staff at Auburn

According to a report, Auburn legend and interim head coach Cadillac Williams will be a part of Hugh Freeze’s staff.

After a 28-day search, Auburn has reportedly hired its next head coach.

Ex-Ole Miss and Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has agreed to become the next head coach at Auburn according to sources, replacing [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] who was relieved of his duties on Oct. 31 after posting a 9-12 record in a season and a half on the Plains.

Interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] led Auburn to a 2-2 record during his four-game stint as the coach. Although he was not the ultimate choice to remain head coach, he is expected to be retained on staff.

Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover says that Williams is a priority to remain on staff for Freeze, and has an offer for a “much larger role” than his original duty as running backs coach.

Auburn improved offensively under Williams’ direction, as two players rushed for over 100 yards in three-straight games for the first time in program history, and the Tigers posted 318 yards rushing against Alabama in the Iron Bowl, which is the most that the Crimson Tide has allowed under Nick Saban.

Auburn has also received two commitments under Williams’ watch, four-star DL Darron Reed and three-star DL Brenton Williams.

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BREAKING: Auburn reportedly set to hire Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze

All reports indicate that Hugh Freeze to Auburn is a done deal.

The Auburn Tigers may have found their next leading man.

Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated reported on Monday that the Tigers are expected to hire Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. Freeze was reportedly on Auburn’s radar after Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin reportedly backed off on his interest in recent days.

Freeze has been successful at Liberty, and would finish with a 34-15 record should he be hired by Auburn in the coming days. Freeze has dropped his last three games with the Flames, however, with his most recent loss coming against New Mexico State 49-14.

The SEC experience Freeze brings could potentially be a factor in Auburn’s interest. Freeze coached Ole Miss from 2012-16 and finished with an on-field record of 39-25 — officially, that record stands at 12-25 due to NCAA violations stripping him of 27 wins across his tenure. Freeze’s biggest claim to fame during his tenure is perhaps his two victories over Nick Saban’s Alabama Crimson Tide.

Freeze, should he be hired, would serve as the Tigers’ 28th head coach in the program’s history.

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Five takeaways from Auburn’s final game of the season against Alabama

Here are five takeaways from Auburn’s final game of the season:

The Tigers will go no further after a 49-27 loss to their greatest rival.

Auburn dropped the Iron Bowl to the Alabama Crimson Tide for the third year in a row. The Tigers end the year at 5-7, meaning that they will not be bowl eligible and won’t be participating in postseason play like other teams who finished with six wins or greater. The game caps off an inspiring 2-2 run from interim coach Cadillac Williams, whose tenure is certain to be remembered by Auburn fans after the firing of coach Bryan Harsin.

Here are five takeaways from Auburn’s performance in their rivalry matchup:

Liberty clobbered as buzz surrounds Hugh Freeze heading to Auburn

Liberty didn’t respond well on the field to the buzz Hugh Freeze is heading to Auburn

You could consider this a team giving up on its coach before said coach gives up and leaves the school for another job.

Hugh Freeze is reported to be deep in negotiations that will make him Auburn’s next football coach.

On Saturday, his Flames were torched in a home game by New Mexico State, 49-14.

Liberty came in 8-3 and the Aggies were 4-6.

Diego Pavia accounted for 6 touchdowns as New Mexico State reached 5 wins for the second time since 2005.

Freeze evaded the Auburn question better than his players dodged Aggies.

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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Coaching search: The 11th hour update

Auburn is expected to announce its next coach any day now. Here is the latest update ahead of Saturday’s Iron Bowl.

It is Iron Bowl Saturday, which means that the search for the next head coach at Auburn has reached its final stretch.

Saturday morning has provided plenty of updates regarding the search, so let’s take a dive into the latest buzz.

The plan remains that Auburn does not plan to extend an offer to anyone until after Saturday’s Iron Bowl. According to a report by Jason Caldwell from Auburn Undercover, the method for waiting is to show respect to interim head coach Cadillac Williams. I’m sure it will also keep the player’s focus on the game, and not on who the next coach will be for a few hours at least.

The race is reportedly down to two candidates, Ole Miss head coach [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag], and Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger confirmed that news this morning via Twitter, saying that Auburn has been in contact with both coaches.

However, ESPN’s Chris Low and Pete Thamel believe that the race is down to one person.

Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin doubled down on his plans to stay in Oxford on Thursday following the Rebels’ loss to Mississippi State. According to Low and Thamel, the talk between Auburn and Kiffin has cooled drastically within the last 24 hours, which now shifts focus over to Freeze.

According to Low, Kiffin has told his team, as well as his staff and officials at Ole Miss, that he plans to remain the Rebels head coach. A big reason for Kiffin wanting to stay in Oxford is his family’s unwilling to relocate.  This is fair, considering that Kiffin has not stayed in one spot for longer than four years. He just concluded his third season at Ole Miss.

Thamel then reported on College Gameday that Freeze is now the leading candidate, and could be named the head coach at Auburn within days.

“Sources tell me that no offer has been made to Freeze yet, but nothing will happen formally until after the Iron Bowl. But the expectation is that Hugh Freeze is going to be Auburn’s next coach,” Thamel said on College Gameday Saturday. “Within the last seven days, the sides have talked generally about contractual terms. But again, there has been no formal offer, but Hugh Freeze is the top candidate to become Auburn’s next head coach.”

Since taking over the head coaching job at Liberty in 2019, Freeze has won eight games in all four seasons and has won all three bowls that Liberty has competed in during that time. He led the Flames to 10 wins in 2020, and a win in the Cure Bowl.

During his time at Ole Miss, Freeze posted a 39-25 record and beat Alabama twice during his five-year tenure.

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Two prime candidates remain in the hunt for the Auburn opening

ESPN insiders Chris Low and Adam Rittenberg say that only two candidates remain serious contenders to become the next head coach at Auburn.

As we head into “rivalry week” in College Football, Auburn athletic director John Cohen is believed to be in the final stages of naming Auburn Football’s next head coach.

Rumors have run fierce since the dismissal of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] on Oct. 31, but now it seems as if there are three serious candidates remaining in the pursuit of the vacant position.

ESPN insiders Chris Low and Adam Rittenberg recently shared their insight into every vacant head coaching position within College Football, as well as several jobs that could open within the next several days.

Auburn was the first opening that was discussed in the article. Both agreed that there are two genuine candidates for the job, Ole Miss’ [autotag] Lane Kiffin[/autotag] as the front runner, with Liberty’s [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] being seen as an equivalent.

Both Kiffin and Freeze are riding two-game losing streaks currently, but Low and Rittenberg say that two weeks are not going to trump what each has done in their coaching careers.

Ultimately, the past few weeks aren’t going to outweigh otherwise stellar bodies of work by Kiffin and Freeze. Most college football insiders feel the ball is in Kiffin’s court. One of the big factors is name, image and likeness, according to sources, as Auburn has built up its NIL program to an elite level and will be better positioned to add talent, both through high school recruiting and the portal, and also be better equipped to hold onto talented players and keep them from entering the portal. Ole Miss can pay Kiffin what he wants, so salary won’t be a dealbreaker. But the Rebels figure to have a difficult time keeping up with Auburn in the NIL game.

Low and Rittenberg believe that if Kiffin does not take the job, Auburn would be just as confident in Freeze’s ability to lead the program. The insiders cite Freeze’s ability to develop quarterbacks, recruit successfully in SEC territory, and lead offenses to high rankings every season.

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