Auburn has fired Hugh Freeze as its head football coach after 34 games in charge of the Tigers, per multiple sources.
Freeze came into Year 3 of his tenure with high expectations, and for a while, it looked like he might deliver. The Tigers started the season with a quality road win at Baylor before defeating Ball State and South Alabama to begin 3-0. However, they started SEC play 0-4 for the third straight year, suffering losses to Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Georgia, and Missouri.
A win last Saturday at Arkansas helped stave off some hot-seat mention for Freeze, but the loss to the Wildcats, who came into the game winless in SEC play, plus the continuity of offensive ineptitude, was the final straw.
Chants of "Fire Hugh!" were evident throughout the waning minutes of the game from the student section, while the boo birds were out early as the Tigers continued to struggle on offense. Auburn is currently 110th in the FBS in total offense, averaging 329.6 yards per game, while they have scored just 15 points per game in their six SEC matchups.
Freeze's tenure was marked by close calls and frustrating losses, including the 31-10 home loss to New Mexico State in 2023 and the loss to California last season.
Barring an upset win at Vanderbilt or in the Iron Bowl, the Tigers are facing a fifth-straight losing season dating back to 2021, Bryan Harsin's first season on the Plains. Freeze finished a combined 0-5 against rivals Alabama and Georgia, while also losing 11 games in Jordan-Hare.
The move coming now is interesting due to the sheer number of open jobs already available, including what could be seen as more attractive openings at LSU and Florida. While Auburn is one of the top-15 programs historically, the Tigers still trail behind the Bayou Bengals, Gators and Penn State when it comes to popular opportunities.
So, who will John Cohen and Auburn go after? The popular choice among many is current Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall. He has experience coaching in the SEC, making stops at Kentucky and Ole Miss.
Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will take over as interim head coach for the final three games.