AL.com's Joseph Goodman confirmed what most already knew following Auburn football's 28-14 loss to Alabama in the 2024 Iron Bowl: Hugh Freeze will remain the head coach of the Tigers heading into 2025.
"Freeze’s employment status is safe for now. He’s holding one of the top recruiting classes in the country as an insurance policy and signing day is on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, this Iron Bowl is going to be a distant memory for Auburn fans — especially if Freeze can flip five-star Parker cornerback Na’eem Offord from Ohio State to the Tigers," Goodman wrote.
As Goodman pointed out, though, Freeze either turns the 2025 season around or there will be another coaching search this time next year. Goodman floated Deion Sanders as a potential replacement as he typically does.
"But this time next year? Auburn’s coach has bet everything on his third season on the Plains. If Freeze doesn’t win the Iron Bowl in 2025, then it might be time to start throwing money at Deion Sanders," Goodman wrote.
Coach Prime will never come to the Plains. He doesn't want to meet boosters and donors, and few programs across the country as proud as AU. It's a pipe dream that all Tiger beat writers should want considering how much interest "Prime Time" generates.
The more important issue is whether or not Freeze can turn things around quickly enough next year. He'll have young talent across his two-deep. Losing Deuce Knight would send the program into a panic, and we've seen how Freeze views portal-hunting for QBs.
Does 7-5 keep Freeze his job? Does 8-4? Tiger fans are sick of the losing, and Freeze can recruit but doesn't seem capable of making logical play-calls in key spots.
Turning this around will difficult, but what's even more difficult is gauging what level of turnaround constitues Freeze returning in 2026.