Auburn football coaching changes deemed positive for program

The offseason coaching changes made to the Auburn football program have not been a negative, as most pundits would have you believe, but have actually been necessary according to Rivals' Bryan Matthews.

"You might view the upheaval on Auburn’s coaching staff over the past week as a negative," Matthews prefaced before saying, "You’d be wrong. It’s exactly what I expected and what Hugh Freeze needs to do moving forward.

"I think Freeze has an extra year before things could potentially heat up, but I don’t think he’ll need it.
One of Freeze’s greatest strengths is being able to see things for how they are. That ability to self-assess and make adjustments is vital for Freeze to navigate through all the current and coming changes in college football. He’s had the opportunity to learn a lot over the last 13 and a half months. Those lessons should pay dividends in the months and years to come."

Hugh Freeze not responsible for Cadillac Williams, Zac Etheridge Auburn football departures

There was chatter that Freeze wanted Cadillac Williams gone from his staff, but in the end, it was a decision made by the higher-ups to dismiss both the running backs coach and safeties/secondary coach Zac Etheridge. Not by Freeze.

What exactly happened is to be determined by those collecting evidence, but it is believed that one of the departures was more sudden, whereas the other happened as a result of an ongoing conduct issue. There should be more clarity on these situations in the months to come. Or, there won't be, and ways will have quietly been parted already by all parties.

Either way, the search for their replacements is underway. Derrick Nix is a name to watch for the running backs coach/offensive coordinator role after the losses of Cadillac and Philip Montgomery; the latter of whom was let go by Freeze personally.