Auburn’s Hugh Freeze Recognized as Head Coach with Most to Prove
For Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze, the pressure is on to deliver results, and he likely has just one more year to prove he can turn things around.
As the 2025 season approaches, Freeze has been named one of the head coaches with the most to prove, coming in at No. 2 in On3’s rankings, behind Florida’s Billy Napier. Freeze’s need to prove himself goes beyond just on-field performance at Auburn.
“Whether people like it or not, Freeze came to Auburn with a shorter leash than most coaches,” On3’s Ari Wasserman wrote. “This is because Auburn had to overlook his past—and the public’s general opinion of him—in order to give him a chance to build a winner.”
Freeze’s history includes an NCAA scandal while he was head coach at Ole Miss, involving recruiting violations, which led to his resignation after the 2016 season. The Rebels also had to vacate 33 FBS wins. Now, with that baggage, Freeze is getting a second shot at coaching in the SEC, but winning is the only way to silence critics.
Auburn has had back-to-back losing seasons since Freeze took over, and in his second year, the Tigers missed a bowl game. While recruiting has been strong, it ultimately needs to lead to victories.
Freeze has made significant changes at the quarterback position, bringing in Jackson Arnold and Ashton Daniels through the transfer portal, along with high school prospect Deuce Knight. The potential for improvement is there, but if these moves don’t yield results, Freeze’s job will be in jeopardy.
Getting a third season after two losing years is already a notable achievement for Freeze, making him the first head coach since Doug Barfield in 1977 to be granted such a chance. Barfield was fired after a third losing season in 1980. Freeze has already broken a nearly 50-year precedent, but it’s unlikely he will get a fourth season if he can’t turn things around.
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