Auburn has a short list of Hugh Freeze replacements that they should consider heavily, including a couple wildcard candidates
Top Auburn head coaching candidates to know following the firing of Hugh Freeze.
The Auburn Tigers are in an interesting spot right now following the dismissal of head coach Hugh Freeze. It was a really underwhelming tenure under Freeze, finishing his time with the Tigers with a 15-19 overall record. Now, Auburn is going to be forced to find its next head coach and kick off a hopefully better era for a proud organization. At least that is the hope.
There are going to be a lot of coaching candidates to pop up, and some will be more legitimate than others. Folks around Auburn seem to be casting a wide net and seeing how much interest is out there. Here are some of the top candidates to know via myself and fellow A to Z Sports analyst Joe DeLeone, including a couple of wildcard candidates. It promises to be a hectic hiring process.
Top coaching candidates
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State
“Dillingham is an Arizona State alum, so it is going to be difficult to try and get him to leave Tempe, but that doesn’t mean that programs aren’t going to try. After taking over a struggling program with the Sun Devils, he has turned them around, and very quickly. In three seasons, Dillingham has managed a 20-15 overall record. That comes after a tough first season, proceeding to go 17-6 during the past two years so far. That includes a Big 12 championship and College Football Playoff berth last season. Still only 35 years old, Dillingham has an impressive background as an offensive coordinator, including stops at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State, and Oregon. That familiarity with Auburn, although only for one season, could pay huge dividends.” – Roberts
Brent Key, Georgia Tech
“When Coach Key was elevated to the permanent head coach after serving as the interim, most didn’t feel great about the long-term future for the Yellow Jackets. Key parlayed a 4-4 record as an interim and has been thriving since then. We have seen progress over the last three seasons for Georgia Tech, especially in 2025, where they currently sit with an 8-1 record on the season. That has pushed Key’s record to 26-17 overall, and it appears that the arrow continues to point upward for him. Prior to his time with Georgia Tech, Key spent time with UCF and Alabama as an offensive line coach. Like Dillingham, Key is an alum for his program, and it’ll be interesting to see if Auburn can make a compelling pitch to leave.” – Roberts
Jon Sumrall, Tulane
“The name at the top of Auburn’s list for this job has to be Sumrall. He checks every box that schools look for in a candidate, specific to their program’s needs. He’s from Huntsville, Alabama, and has already held a head coaching job in the state of Alabama when he was at Troy. He was an SEC linebacker at Kentucky and has held multiple coaching roles at SEC programs. Most importantly, he’s a winner and he’s a builder. Auburn has been a mess because they’ve lacked the foundation needed to build a consistent football program. He rapidly transformed Troy into a winner, holding a 23-4 record, and has maintained Tulane’s consistency with a 15-7 record in a year and a half. Lastly, one aspect of Sumrall that is often overlooked is his messaging and demeanor, which are very Dan Lanning-esque. It’s one of those indescribable traits that just feels like he gets it whenever you listen to him speak. If there is a coach built to rebuild the Auburn football program, it’s Sumrall.” – DeLeone
Alex Golesh, USF
“Golesh is another name that will come up in every coaching search, not only because he’s produced success at South Florida but also because he’s highly regarded in the coaching world. Goleh has the requisite ties to coaching in the SEC, having served as Tennessee’s offensive coordinator from 2021 to 2022. He’s transformed USF into a likely College Football Playoff team as the G5 representative. USF’s victory over Florida this season was an eye-opening result that caught the attention of many college football fans across the country who weren’t aware of his rise in the coaching ranks. If he were hired, Auburn fans can expect a high-flying, explosive offense, as USF ranks seventh in the country in total offense. Golesh appears to be one of those coaches that teams will be kicking themselves for passing on the first time around. Auburn shouldn’t make that mistake.” – DeLeone
Wildcard coaching candidates
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis
“We have seen Silverfield’s name mentioned a good bit so far in this coaching carousel, although more as a secondary option. Depending on how things go with those at the top of the list, there could end up being a push for the Memphis head coach. He has been with the Tigers since 2016, taking over as head coach in 2020. Silverfield has gone 50-22 as a head coach and has a background as an offensive coordinator and offensive line coach.” – Roberts
Fran Brown, Syracuse
“It has been a down year for Syracuse, but there is some context to consider. This team had a nice outing earlier in the season against Clemson and appeared to be turning a corner, but then quarterback Steve Angeli got hurt. Since then, the offense has been really poor. We saw great promise from Brown and the Orange in 2024, where they won 10 games in his first season. With deep ties in the Southeast, Brown would be able to recruit with anyone with the Auburn support behind him.” – Roberts
Auburn Tigers News
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