Hugh Freeze reportedly has no job security with Auburn football despite dragging the Tigers into the 2024, 2025, and 2026 recruiting rankings into the top 10 nationally after Bryan Harsin essentially slowed recruiting to a halt in his two years in charge.
Lucy Rhoden revealed as much during the October 4 edition of the "Dan LeBatard Show with Stugotz" podcast.
"If you think that they're going to bat an eye at Hugh Freeze's $21 million buyout -- absolutely not. Because the way that Auburn is losing games is so unbelievably embarrassing," Rhoden prefaced before saying, "They out-gained both Oklahoma and Arkansas by 100 yards-plus. I think Arkansas they out-gained by like 200 yards -- and they lost those games. They are minus-9 in the turnover margin.
"They are losing these unbelievable, ridiculous games. And then Hugh Freeze will lose a game this way, go to the press conference and be like, 'It's because my players are f****** s***, and I hate those guys. They're the worst.' And so he's not even likable about it. He's not even someone you want to root for."
Hugh Freeze wouldn't get fired if Auburn football went 4-8
Auburn learned its lesson with buying out coaches -- firing Gus Malzahn right before the NIL era began and handicapping themselves financially.
They're not buying Freeze out two seasons into his tenure. The national media may want that because they detest his troubled past, but 247Sports' Nathan King confirmed on September 29 that Freeze wouldn't be fired even if Auburn went 4-8.
Maybe losses to ULM and Vanderbilt change that. So can mass recruiting losses. But it seems that Freeze sold recruits on the future, and enough fans have bought in to keep this thing going. The boosters seem to be in alignment with the majority of the fanbase for now.
Auburn is more likely to make Freeze the next Eli Drinkwitz at Missouri before making him another Harsin. AU is in no rush to pay a third buyout in four years.