Auburn Tigers head coach hot board: Hugh Freeze sounds like man who knows he’s about to be fired
Auburn Tigers have several good candidates to choose from when and if Hugh Freeze is fired
The Auburn Tigers have lost four games in a row and the fan base is growing restless. There have been dozens of “hot boards” and “head coach candidate lists” published this past week trying to predict who will replace Hugh Freeze when and if he is fired by Auburn. Unfortunately, many of them have been absolute garbage.
Some media members want to see names like Jimbo Fisher or Jon Gruden (for some reason) considered. Others want retreads or sequels like Gus Malzahn or Gene Chizik. Even more wild, some have dropped names like Ed Orgeron, Dabo Swinney, and Brian Kelly. None of those are happening. However, based on Hugh Freeze’s comments this week, it does seem that he knows his days are numbered. Let’s talk through the top names that are actually getting floated out there via verified sourcing and a couple that just make too much sense.
Who will replace Hugh Freeze as head coach of the Auburn Tigers?
First off, in case you missed it, Hugh Freeze came off like he was begging to keep his job this week. When asked about the comments from other programs (like Wisconsin especially), who have come out in support of their head coaches this week, coach Freeze had this to say:
“It would be huge. That would make everyone feel a lot better, for sure. I haven’t talked to John [Cohen]. But John has been so supportive ever since I was hired. I don’t get too much into that. They have a job to do. Certainly he has people he has to answer to. I know how close we are. I know I can get this fixed. We’re too dang close, and we’ve got to get a little bit better play, and a little bit better coaching in a few spots. I want a chance to fix this. I’ve totally gotten off social media, so I’m not sure what exactly was said in those other cases, but that’s got to be reassuring to those people in there that they believe they can get it fixed.”
Hugh Freeze is still the head coach of the Auburn Tigers right now, but if he loses to Arkansas, he might not get his chance to fix this, no matter how “close” he thinks that his team is at this point. A 14-18 record with Auburn, three 0-4 starts in SEC play in a row, and constant “we’re so close” excuses are getting old.
Who will inevitably replace coach Freeze? The good news is that Auburn certainly has some great choices (that aren’t just bad retreads, sequels, has-beens, or nonsensical long shots). Let’s talk through the best five options, from worst to first.
5. Dan Mullen, Current UNLV Head Coach
The Auburn Tigers have struggled to score points under Hugh Freeze, despite his reputation as an “offensive” coach. If Auburn athletic director John Cohen (and the boosters that matter most) want to fix the offense, going with Dan Mullen would make sense. Many fans might have the fake “anti-recruiting” narrative that left with him as he was forced out at Florida years ago, but that’s not really who he is. Mullen always got the most of out his programs from a recruiting standpoint with the exception of a small blip at Florida. He now has UNLV at 6-1 this season, averaging nearly 40 points a game. Would he be perfect? Probably not, but if he can get the right defensive minds to come along with him, Mullen could overachieve at Auburn.
4. Lane Kiffin, Current Ole Miss Head Coach
Okay, yes, Lane Kiffin has already spurned Auburn once before. And yes, there is a loud buzz in favor of Kiffin going to Florida. However, the unfortunate truth here is that he’s likely not leaving Ole Miss at all. If he was, Kiffin should actually be priority number one. His ability to win in the Transfer Portal and maximize the high school recruiting potential at Ole Miss has been phenomenal. When you add the talent acquisition abilities with his offensive play-calling and quarterback development (what Auburn’s lacked sorely as of late) you get the most no-brainer “go all in for this guy” play in the country. But again, Kiffin has what he apparently wants at Ole Miss already based on what every source (outside of Gainesville) is saying and suggesting.
3. James Franklin, Fired as Penn State Head Coach
Hiring James Franklin might not sound like the sexy move to Auburn fans, but he would be the top “program builder” play. Franklin quickly turned around a Vanderbilt team that had won just four games in the previous two years combined prior to his tenure, leading them on to back to back 9-4 seasons with bowl wins. Then he took a Penn State team still freshly removed from scandal and won 10+ games six times in a nine-year span. It’s been three coaches and nearly a decade since Auburn had a 10-win season. Franklin could reintroduce some stability and has a proven track record of winning–despite those wins not always coming against the elite programs in the country.
2. Alex Golesh, Current USF Head Coach
Alex Golesh is becoming one of the most highly coveted rising offensive minds in the country. He quickly turned around a South Florida program, winning 20 games in just two and a half seasons with the program so far. He has USF sitting with a 6-1 record, potentially on pace to make the College Football Playoff. He has experience as a recruiting coordinator in three stops. Offensive coordinator experience. Impressive head coach experience, albeit just three seasons. He could be the do-it-all guy who can call plays or hand that off with a big splash offensive coordinator hire, perhaps.
1. Jon Sumrall, Current Tulane Head Coach
Jon Sumrall should be the number one priority among options that Auburn almost certainly has available to them. He has a 38-10 record as a head coach. He has never finished below nine wins in a season and certainly won’t this year either with Tulane currently sitting at 6-1. Sumrall won the Sun Belt twice with Troy, an unbelievably difficult feat. He even had Troy ranked back in 2022. He has the SEC experience already with coaching stops at Ole Miss and Kentucky. He played linebacker in the SEC for Kentucky. He’s been the immediate program building “do-more-with-less” guy who’s already spent significant time coaching in Alabama, living near Auburn, and almost assuredly isn’t looking to leave the south. The only thing that may lead Auburn to go elsewhere is that he’s primarily a defensive mind, the one area that hasn’t been an issue for the Tigers. If he could bring in a strong offensive mind with him, this would be a no-brainer. He might not be a power conference coach (yet), but he’s not Bryan Harsin. Sumrall could be the perfect fit.
We’ll be back with more Auburn Tigers coverage here at A to Z Sports soon! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!
