The search on The Plains is officially over. Former Ole Miss and Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze will be the next head coach of the Auburn Tigers. New Auburn AD John Cohen, who led the search, had this to say following the official announcement:
“After a thoughtful, thorough, and well-vetted search, we ended where we started, with Hugh Freeze. 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.”
Hugh Freeze also made an official statement right after the hiring:
“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. 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 enough to witness how special Auburn is during my time as a head coach 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 resigned from Ole Miss in 2016 after a litany of recruiting and moral allegations came to light and two years later, became the head coach at Liberty where he has been ever since. He compiled a record of 34-15 in four seasons as the Flames head coach.
It seems like the fanbase and media is relatively split on the hiring of Freeze, but only time will tell how successful he will be. While the hiring can be debated, what cannot is the fact that he has a lot of work to do, and fast.
