Tag: Hugh Freeze

The race for Deion Sanders rumored to be down to two programs

Does Auburn still have a chance to land the services of Coach Prime?

Jackson State head coach [autotag]Deion Sanders[/autotag] was one of three names that received the most steam when it came to the Auburn head coach opening, joining Ole Miss head coach [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag] and Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag].

Sanders, who has led Jackson State to 23 wins over the last three seasons, has received endorsements from Auburn legends [autotag]Bo Jackson[/autotag], as well as [autotag]Charles Barkley[/autotag], due to his ability to recruit, and the charisma that he exhibits.

In recent days, Kiffin has emerged as the front-runner for the Auburn job, which has led to reports that Sanders could be the top choice for other vacancies around the FBS level. According to Carl Reed of 247Sports, Sanders has been in contact with Colorado and South Florida in regard to the open positions within their respective programs.

South Florida fired head coach Jeff Scott on Nov. 6 after recording a 4-26 record in three seasons in Tampa. Since the job has been vacant for the least amount of time, Sanders is one of the first names that has gained attention for the opening. The South Florida job appears to be a good fit for Sanders, as he has the potential to recruit top talent within the state of Florida.

As for the Colorado opening, Sanders joins a list that includes Bronco Mendenhall, Tom Herman, and Gary Patterson as top candidates for the job. The state of Colorado is not as well known for producing top football talent, but the Buffaloes have had success in recruiting talent from Texas and California and could benefit from having Sanders expand its’ footprint.

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College Football expert Mike Farrell shares new top pick for Auburn job

“The Godfather of College Football recruiting” says that there is only one sure candidate for the vacant head coaching position on the Plains.

Earlier this month, College Football expert Mike Farrell released a list that exhibited his top-10 candidates for the open Auburn job. In the list, he placed Ole Miss head coach [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag] at the top, one spot above Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag].

This week, his tune has changed.

In a recent tweet, “the Godfather of College Football recruiting” shared that he thought the hire of Lane Kiffin would be “iffy.” He then went on to show support for Freeze, saying that Auburn should “go get that man.”

In his list that was released on Nov. 8, Farrell said that he did not feel confident in Kiffin leaving his position at Ole Miss for Auburn despite placing Kiffin at No. 1. When it came to Freeze, who checked in at No. 2 in the initial list, Farrell said that he loved the fit that Auburn and Freeze would create.

Over the last week, Kiffin has been the most popular name in the coaching search. Although no offer has been made, there have been rumblings that Auburn and Kiffin’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, have had conversations.

Freeze’s name has faded in recent days, but he has mentioned on two occasions that he may be interested in the Auburn job, most recently hinting at his possible attraction to the opening following Liberty’s win at Arkansas on Nov. 15.

Others on Farrell’s initial list included Oregon‘s Dan Lanning, Jackson State’s Deion Sanders, and Auburn interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag].

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Coaching search: How to watch Auburn head coaching candidates in week 12

Here’s a guide to watching your favorite head coaching candidate in week 12.

Auburn Football’s head coaching search is reaching the final stages of week three.

Last week was an interesting week in the world of Auburn head coaching candidates, as several of the most popular names for the opening suffered a loss with their respective teams. [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag] and the Ole Miss Rebels fell to Alabama, Oregon and head coach [autotag]Dan Lanning[/autotag] took an upset loss at home to Washington, and the Liberty Flames, led by [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag], succumbed to a letdown loss to UConn.

One candidate, however, improved his stock. Auburn interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] earned his first win last Saturday in front of the home crowd at Jordan-Hare Stadium, defeating Texas A&M. Auburn fans flocked to campus to see Williams’ home debut, and were treated to an electrifying win.

Lane Kiffin has been at the forefront of this week’s news cycle, as reports claim that he may be the front-runner for the open job. The mutual interest between Kiffin and Auburn appears to be growing. As a result, Ole Miss has reportedly offered Kiffin a substantial raise.

Another name was reported this week as a potential target, Alabama native and current Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney. The potential of Swinney leaving Clemson for Auburn seems to be a long shot, but the prospect of Swinney returning to his home state was entertained nonetheless.

As game day approaches, here is a guide to watching your favorite head coaching candidate this weekend.

Is Auburn on Lane Kiffin’s mind? One analyst says yes

The smoke brewing between Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and the vacant Auburn job does not appear to be simmering.

Over the last two weeks, only two coaches have publically shut down rumors that they would be leaving their current program for Auburn, or any other coaching vacancy.

Following Jackson State’s 41-14 win over Texas Southern on Nov. 5, head coach Deion Sanders shared with his team that he would miss the following practices on Tuesday and Wednesday due to personal matters, not to meet with other programs about open positions.

“I’m keeping it 100 with y’all. That’s not happening,” Sanders told his team. “So that’s what it is. I’m going to see you again Tuesday evening or Wednesday.”

Oregon’s [autotag]Dan Lanning[/autotag] shut down rumors last week of mutual interest between him and Auburn during his midweek press conference.

“The grass is not always greener,” Lanning said Monday of the Auburn rumors. “The grass is damn green in Eugene. I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me. This is a destination, not just for me but for elite players.”

There is one candidate, however, that has not publicly stated interest in the Auburn job, but has not silenced the rumors, either. That would be Ole Miss head coach, [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag].

Kiffin, who is known to poke fun at certain situations that arise throughout the SEC, has not tweeted about the Auburn opening, in either a positive or a negative fashion. Could there be a reason for that? One SEC football expert believes so.

Paul Finebaum, SEC Network analyst and radio show host joined the Monday edition of “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning” on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham to recap the week that was in SEC football. Among those topics, was Lane Kiffin’s potential interest in the vacant Auburn head coaching position. Based on a recent conversation, Finebaum feels that Kiffin has thought strongly about pursuing the opportunity.

“It’s just my observation that Lane Kiffin is thinking about it,” Finebaum said Monday. “The subject came up in one circumstance that I was in. He just kind of nodded his head and shook his head as Lane likes to do. He’s been very careful not to say anything about it. I don’t think there’s any doubt that it’s on his mind.”

Kiffin joins Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] as an outside name that has gotten the most attention since Bryan Harsin’s firing on Oct. 31. However, interim coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] has quickly become a favorite amongst current and former Tiger players. The sweepstakes appears to be an open book until the end of the month.

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How Auburn head coaching candidates performed in week 11

Overall, it was a rough weekend for Auburn’s top candidates.

Another weekend of college football is behind us.

With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, that means that John Cohen’s 58-step plan is becoming tighter and that Auburn Football will soon name its new head coach.

Under interim head coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag], Auburn was able to snap a five-game losing streak by taking down Texas A&M, 13-10, and Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers looked strong defensively, and running backs Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter were able to go over 100 yards respectively for the first time all season.

Williams’ win may have helped his stock grow, as many other candidates seen as viable options were exposed in week 11.

Outside of Williams, the biggest name in Auburn’s coaching search is Ole Miss head coach, [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag]. The Rebels started strong in their game against Alabama on Saturday by outgaining the Tide, 403-317 in the yardage department, but would go on to lose the game. Despite the Rebels having a great day offensively, Kiffin openly shared that he was not satisfied with his team’s performance.

Another hot name is Liberty’s [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. He was a popular name last week after he led the Flames to an upset win over Arkansas in Fayetteville. Following the game, he told Brandon Marcello of 247Sports that “I have won everywhere I’ve been and my staff and kids have turned programs fast” when asked about his potential interest in Auburn. Well, his program did a complete 180-degree spin on Saturday, by dropping a game at UConn, 36-33.

Finally, the third most popular name of the last week is Oregon’s [autotag]Dan Lanning[/autotag]. Lanning spoke out against a rumor surfacing that implied that there was mutual interest between him and Auburn by saying that “I want to be here in Eugene for as long as Eugene will have me.” On Saturday, his team fell to Washington at home, 37-34.

It was a wild week for potential Auburn head coaching candidates. Here is a review of how each coach performed with his respective squad in week 11.

Coaching search: How to watch Auburn head coaching candidates in week 11

Every potential candidate for the vacant head coaching job at Auburn will be in action this weekend. Here is a guide on how to watch your favorite target.

Week two post-Bryan Harsin is officially here.

The Auburn Tigers return to Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday to face the Texas A&M Aggies in front of a sold-out crowd. Tiger fans felt hopeful last week despite a 39-33 loss to Mississippi State. Auburn played with energy and even adjusted in the 2nd half to outscore the Bulldogs 27-9 in the second half to force overtime.

The game was a great audition for interim coach [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag]. He prepared his team to play despite not having adequate time to do so, and he was also humble in defeat. He exhibited what it means to be a perfect fit for Auburn.

What about other names that are seen as potential candidates? Here is a brief update:

The most popular names this week have been Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and Oregon head coach [autotag]Dan Lanning[/autotag].

Following Liberty’s upset win at Arkansas last Saturday, Freeze told 247Sports’ Brandon Marcello that “the proof is in the pudding” when asked about his success being attractive to Auburn.

As for Lanning, his name gained steam this week following a report that cited mutual interest between him and the Tigers. However, he quickly shut those rumors down during his weekly press conference, saying that he enjoyed the shade of green that the grass in Eugene portrays.

Auburn Wire has made a list of every coach that has been mentioned in some sort of fashion as a target for the Auburn opening and has created a guide of their week 11 schedule in an effort to allow you the opportunity to watch them coach with your own eyes.

Here is how and where to watch your favorite head coaching target this weekend:

Is Hugh Freeze campaigning for the Auburn job?

Freeze was asked about the Auburn opening after Liberty’s win at Arkansas last Saturday. His response appeared to a pitch to John Cohen.

The Liberty Flames continued their successful run last Saturday by defeating Arkansas on the road, 21-19.

Liberty head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has been a popular name among potential candidates to become the next head coach at Auburn, even before the opening was announced.

Following the game, Freeze was asked by Brandon Marcello of 247Sports to share his thoughts on the opening. Freeze’s response surprisingly sounded like a sales pitch to newly hired athletic director John Cohen.

“I don’t know that Auburn wants me. I have no clue,” Freeze tells Brandon Marcello. “I know this: I have won everywhere I’ve been and my staff and kids have turned programs fast. It’s our culture that we instill. I know we do that and the proof is in the pudding.”

His answer provides more fuel to the fire that he may be interested in the vacant head coaching position at Auburn. Last week in an interview with Aaron Torres of FOX Sports, Freeze says that he has a ‘list in mind’ of programs that he would entertain a call from. He then provided an interesting description of what his ideal location for a potential move would be.

“We are a small, college-town family. I’m not a big-city guy, I don’t belong there,” Freeze said in a recent episode of ‘The Aaron Torres Podcast.’ “If that select few, I do have a list in mind that if they ever were to have an interest, it would be something that we certainly would listen to.”

Freeze also told Torres that he is happy with his situation at Liberty, and doubled down on that statement with Marcello.

“I am as happy as I can be (at Liberty),” Freeze said. “I’ve told my administration and I’ve told my players as straight as I can be: if something interests me, I’ll tell them. To this point, nothing has (interested me) that has called — and I’m not saying the ones who called wanted me. They just call (agent Jimmy Sexton) and I say that really doesn’t fit me, Jill and the kids. But if one does, you have to sit down and have a conversation. That hasn’t happened yet.”

As of Saturday, no contact has been made between Auburn, Freeze, and Freeze’s agent Jimmy Sexton according to Marcello.

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TCU cracks top five in latest AP Top 25

The TCU Horned Frogs finally cracked the top five in the latest AP Poll. From @bendackiw

After weeks of stagnance at the top of the AP Poll, we finally have movement; lots of it.

Georgia and Ohio State held on to the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the country with Michigan right behind them at No. 3. After losing to Georgia, Tennessee fell out of the top four and are now at No. 5.

There is a new member in their place: the TCU Horned Frogs. With yet another win against Texas Tech, the Frogs are now 9-0 on the season. TCU is the Big 12’s last hope to get a team into the College Football Playoff this season.

Down South, Alabama took a bit of a tumble. The Crimson Tide fell four spots, all the way down to No. 10 after losing at LSU. Meanwhile, LSU jumped eight spots to the No. 8 ranking.

The bottom half of the top ten holds three teams from the Pac-12: Oregon at No. 6, USC at No. 8 and UCLA at No. 9.

There were a few big falls in the rankings this week. Kansas State fell ten spots after their loss to Texas. Clemson and Illinois both fell seven spots.

The Liberty Flames continue to work their way up the rankings. After beating Arkansas, Liberty moved up four places, all the way up to No. 19. Hugh Freeze will be an interesting name to watch during this year’s coaching carousel.

Georgia scooped up every first-place vote except for one. Ohio State claimed that one. Their does appear to be a near-unanimous best team in the country heading into week 11.

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Is Lane Kiffin Auburn’s top target? Bruce Feldman weighs in

FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman shared insight on College Football’s hottest head coaching candidates during a segment on “Big Noon Kickoff” on Saturday Morning.

Auburn Football’s head coaching vacancy was heavily discussed during the Saturday morning college football preview shows, as it has been one of the hottest topics of the previous week.

During FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff”, reporter Bruce Feldman shared potential targets for the openings at Auburn and Nebraska. While discussing the Auburn job, he shared three names that Auburn fans should keep an eye on.

“The names to know there: [autotag]Deion Sanders[/autotag] – unbeaten at Jackson State. But would the big-money people there feel totally comfortable with him running the show at Auburn?”  Feldman said. “A few other guys: [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] proved that he could beat Nick Saban multiple times, but he definitely has some baggage from his Ole Miss days, and ex-Panthers coach [autotag]Matt Rhule[/autotag], would he be a good fit in the SEC?”

While those three names have been popular around Auburn, Feldman says that the Tigers’ top target resides elsewhere in the SEC West.

“The name to really keep an eye on, I’m told, is [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag],” Feldman said. “He’s 18-4 in his last two years at Ole Miss. He has really evolved and grown into this position and has really proved that he can really win in the SEC. Also, they just hired at Auburn, [autotag]John Cohen[/autotag], the AD from Mississippi State, who had really shown that he can give his old head coach, Mike Leach, a lot of flexibility, which would probably be attractive to Lane Kiffin if he did take this job, which also has a ton of resources.”

Rhule is also a strong candidate for the Nebraska opening according to Feldman, as well as Army head coach Jeff Monken, Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, and former TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who currently serves as an assistant at Texas.

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Is Lane Kiffin Auburn’s top target? Bruce Feldman weighs in

FOX Sports’ Bruce Feldman shared insight on College Football’s hottest head coaching candidates during a segment on “Big Noon Kickoff” on Saturday Morning.

Auburn Football’s head coaching vacancy was heavily discussed during the Saturday morning college football preview shows, as it has been one of the hottest topics of the previous week.

During FOX Sports’ “Big Noon Kickoff”, reporter Bruce Feldman shared potential targets for the openings at Auburn and Nebraska. While discussing the Auburn job, he shared three names that Auburn fans should keep an eye on.

“The names to know there: [autotag]Deion Sanders[/autotag] – unbeaten at Jackson State. But would the big-money people there feel totally comfortable with him running the show at Auburn?”  Feldman said. “A few other guys: [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] proved that he could beat Nick Saban multiple times, but he definitely has some baggage from his Ole Miss days, and ex-Panthers coach [autotag]Matt Rhule[/autotag], would he be a good fit in the SEC?”

While those three names have been popular around Auburn, Feldman says that the Tigers’ top target resides elsewhere in the SEC West.

“The name to really keep an eye on, I’m told, is [autotag]Lane Kiffin[/autotag],” Feldman said. “He’s 18-4 in his last two years at Ole Miss. He has really evolved and grown into this position and has really proved that he can really win in the SEC. Also, they just hired at Auburn, [autotag]John Cohen[/autotag], the AD from Mississippi State, who had really shown that he can give his old head coach, Mike Leach, a lot of flexibility, which would probably be attractive to Lane Kiffin if he did take this job, which also has a ton of resources.”

Rhule is also a strong candidate for the Nebraska opening according to Feldman, as well as Army head coach Jeff Monken, Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien, and former TCU head coach Gary Patterson, who currently serves as an assistant at Texas.

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