Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze is being criticized as a barrier to the program’s long-term success—a label previously applied to Gus Malzahn, who was fired in 2020 and succeeded by Bryan Harsin.
Ronald Evans of Bama Hammer argues that Freeze has overly fixated on the state of the team he inherited from Harsin and believes his recent remarks about reaching a bowl game may be more about job preservation heading into 2026.
“None of this bodes well for Alabama Football. Like Malzahn before him, Freeze is an obstacle to Auburn’s ability to build lasting success,” Evans wrote. “While Freeze is capable on the recruiting trail, and the 2025 roster is improved, he no longer carries the reputation of being an offensive mastermind. Worse than Malzahn, Freeze seems to blame everyone but himself for Auburn’s shortcomings.”
Freeze recently explained the team’s struggles by claiming he took over a program without a single top-25 recruiting class in the previous four years. However, recruiting outlets disagree: Auburn ranked No. 16 in 2022, No. 19 in 2021, No. 7 in 2020, and No. 12 in 2019.
In the transfer portal era, rebuilding a roster typically takes two to three years. By Year 3, Freeze should have the personnel to compete at the top of the SEC. Instead, Evans argues, Freeze appears to be downplaying expectations for 2025 to protect his future.
Freeze has faced criticism for his public comments throughout his Auburn tenure, often blaming assistants or players—behavior that echoed Malzahn’s infamous “successful season” quote after a 6-4 finish in 2020.
While Freeze’s recruiting efforts are promising, if he continues deflecting blame, setting the bar low, and losing more than he wins, Evans’ take could prove prescient by the end of 2025.
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