Auburn needs a new football coach, and Hugh Freeze’s name is flying all over the place.
The Tigers sent shockwaves through the world of college football Sunday when the program fired head coach Gus Malzahn. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Auburn Director of Athletics Allen Greene announced Sunday a leadership change for Auburn football as Gus Malzahn will no longer direct the program.
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 13, 2020
Now, it’s time for Auburn to get to work on finding a new leader of the program, and the Liberty head coach seems to be at the top of everyone’s list.
Hugh Freeze gave Nick Saban such fits (including two Ls) it caused him to rethink his entire approach to offense.
Of course Auburn is gonna hire Hugh Freeze.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) December 13, 2020
The main names that Auburn sources have mentioned at this point as being of interest to at least some of the behind the scenes power players there (in no particular order): Steve Sarkisian, Mario Cristobal, Hugh Freeze, Lane Kiffin
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 13, 2020
Hugh Freeze to Auburn is my prediction.
— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) December 13, 2020
Per source, Auburn search is focused on two people…Hugh Freeze and Mario Cristobal.
List may expand, but several power people are divided among those two.@JOXRoundtable— Jim Dunaway (@jimdunaway) December 13, 2020
Hugh Freeze going to Auburn honestly makes almost too much sense. Before Freeze was run out of Oxford, he was a major problem for Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide.
He seemed to be the one coach in the SEC who had Saban’s number. Now, he never attained the same level of success as Saban, but he beat him twice.
There’s no question at all the Freeze is a hell of a football coach, and he’s moved past getting pushed out at Ole Miss.
He’s primed and ready to return to the big stage, and Auburn seems like the perfect landing spot.
Right now, I’d put Freeze as the favorite to go to Auburn, and I’m not sure there’s a close second. It seems like it’s his job if he wants it.