Auburn football coaching hot board: Same names, different circumstances

With Lane Kiffin off the board, things have opened back up for Auburn.

Auburn did not land Lane Kiffin, and as predicted, the coaching search (in the eyes of the media) has taken an odd turn.

Auburn Daily, along with numerous other outlets, reported that if Kiffin were not the hire Auburn made, there was no telling who would be next up or where John Cohen would look first.

Hugh Freeze was the first name out of the bin following Kiffin's rejection of the job, and the proposition was met with immediate pushback from a section of Auburn's online fanbase.

Freeze is still a candidate for the opening, but things have definitely cooled off in his corner following the fan comments on social media yesterday.

Here are some of the candidates the Tigers are currently looking at, and an update on their bios and notes:

Hugh Freeze - Liberty Flames

© Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

Record at Liberty: 34-14

Overall Record: 75-46

Head coaching experience: Lambuth, Arkansas State, Ole Miss, Liberty

Other experience: Ole Miss (TE), Arkansas State (OC)

According to multiple reports on Saturday morning, Auburn was preparing to make an offer to Liberty's Hugh Freeze to become Auburn's next head football coach.

"For that to come out, and I haven't been offered a job, but it was certainly hard to refute that report," Freeze said following Liberty's loss to New Mexico State on Saturday. "Is the job everyone is talking about one that I would have an interest in talking with? Sure. That doesn't mean they have offered me a job... The part that is false is that there has been no offer made to me, nor have I accepted anything."

After losing his last three games to inferior opponents, the hype around Freeze as a second option has died down - and it was essentially shot down by social media following the initial report.

Fans do not seem to be enthused by the thought of hiring Freeze based the baggage he carries with him.

Dabo Swinney - Clemson Tigers

Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

Record at Clemson: 160-38

Overall Record: 160-38

Head coaching experience: Clemson

Other experience: Alabama (GA, WR, TE), Clemson (WR, AHC, OC)

Several outlets have confirmed that Dabo Swinney is on John Cohen's target list. Rumors about Swinney's representatives having conversations with Auburn circulated a couple of weeks ago.

Those rumors have now been brought to light.

Whether or not Swinney is genuinely interested in the job is yet to be seen. Auburn would be taking a massive swing if this hire were to occur.

There's not enough here yet for us to really take a dive into this as a serious possibility. Also, note that if Cohen were to poach Swinney from Clemson, (likely) no announcement would be made until following the ACC Championship game.

James Franklin - Penn State Nittany Lions

Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Record at Penn State: 77-36

Overall Record: 101-51

Head coaching experience: Vanderbilt, Penn State

Other experience: Kutztown (WR), East Stroudsburg (DB), Rosklide Kings (OC), James Madison (WR), Washington State (TE), Idaho State (WR), Maryland (WR), Green Bay Packers (WR), Kansas State (OC, QB), Maryland (AHC, OC, QB)

Franklin has been rumored to be Cohen's big mystery candidate, but considering his name has been out of the bag for so long now, it's hard to imagine he's the biggest fish the Tigers are pursuing.

However, just because he isn't the biggest name on the list does not mean he wouldn't be a solid hire.

Would it be a surprise to see Franklin step out of Pennsylvania and back into the SEC landscape?

Cadillac Williams - Auburn Tigers

Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers

Record at Auburn: 2-2

Overall Record: 2-2

Head coaching experience: Auburn

Other experience: West Georgia (GA), Birmingham Iron (RB), Auburn (RB)

Cadillac has given something Auburn fans haven't truly felt since the end of the 2021-22 men's basketball season: Happiness.

There is arguably no one better to fill the role of head coach that perfectly describes the Tigers' need for a good "culture fit."

Let it be known that culture fit is not the only thing Auburn is in search of. There seem to be no reports indicating that Cohen or the university is seriously considering Williams for the head job, but Cadillac has done everything he could short of winning the Iron Bowl to put himself in a decent position for the job if the Tigers' search does not go as planned.

He may not end up being the head coach now, but what some fans are advocating for is for Williams to go and get more head coaching experience elsewhere and return to the Tigers in the future.

He is, and would be beloved by all fans. The support would be insane.

Brian Johnson - Philadelphia Eagles

© Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

Overall Record: 0-0

Other experience: Utah, (QB, OC), Mississippi State (QB), Houston (QB, OC), Florida (QB, OC), Philadelphia Eagles (QB)

Johnson has yet to step into a head-coaching role. However, he was credited by Dan Mullen as his best recruiter on staff during Mullen's time at Florida and has developed a solid line of quarterbacks... the most recent being Jalen Hurts, who has improved dramatically compared to his rookie season under Johnson's watch.

He's on Cohen's list. How far up or down that list, we don't know. A source familiar with the dynamics of the Auburn football locker room and culture told Auburn Daily that "If Auburn goes for someone like that with no head coaching experience instead of Caddy, the locker room would not respond well."

We aren't pulling against Johnson, who has had a very solid coaching career thus far, but there could be pause from the fanbase if this were the direction Auburn decided to go.

---

Related stories

REPORT: Auburn is pursuing Hugh Freeze

Hugh Freeze talks about the Auburn job

WATCH: Rooby Ashford throws a touchdown in the Iron Bowl

Auburn falls in the Iron Bowl

Engage with Auburn Daily on Socials!

Join the Discord

Follow Auburn Daily on Twitter

Like Auburn Daily on Facebook

Subscribe to Locked On Auburn on YouTube

Buy Auburn Daily Merch