Heading into the 2023 season, the Auburn football team will be coached by a completely new staff—with the exception of Zac Etheridge and Cadillac Williams, of course. Coming off a tumultuous season that culminated in Williams becoming the Interim Head Coach after the dismissal of Bryan Harsin, there is a new energy and sense of hope surrounding the program this year.
Despite some blowback that was received at the announcement of the hiring of Hugh Freeze as the Tigers’ next coach, Freeze has so far done nothing but prove himself to be the best hire. From recruitment to interviews to community involvement, he has already taken big steps to ingratiate himself in the Auburn family in the short time he’s been on the Plains.
In a video posted by Auburn Undercover, Williams talked about his excitement for what is to come and praised Hugh Freeze for his leadership of the coaching staff so far:
"“It’s different, but look, I am excited. We haven’t had much time together as a whole staff, but the time we have been together it just gelled, meshes well. I think that’s come from the top, that comes from Coach Freeze’s leadership and his vision, not only for the team but for us coaches.”"
Williams went on to talk about how much he is looking forward to learning from the other coaches—Coach Montgomery, Coach Freeze, Coach Thornton—and his excitement to reunite with wide receivers coach Marcus Davis, who worked with Williams on Gus Malzahn’s Auburn football coaching staff back in 2019.
On the whole, it seems that a new sense of unity has taken hold within the program, something that has been missing for the past few years. If the strong leadership continues, the only place for the Auburn Tigers to go from here is up.