How Hot is Hugh Freeze's Seat at Auburn?

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze finds himself under fire after two months of questionable in-game decisions and poor-man management.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze has his team 2-4 on the season and in last place in the SEC. / John Reed-Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers now play the waiting game.

They won't touch the field until a week from this Saturday, enjoying a much-needed bye week. Now, that could affect the team negatively. However, let's be honest, what more could go wrong on the Plains after their 2-4 start? The team cannot win any less or find new and interesting ways to lose ballgames. 

As frustration mounts, the coldest look in the mirror must occur. While the prospects for the remainder of the year seem bleak, Auburn must look at the landscape and accurately assess the situation, devoid of emotions. 

Hugh Freeze Stays

While Hugh Freeze’s job status isn’t really in doubt, the above-mentioned three words sit on the souls of Auburn faithful like gas station chili dogs. Now, you can look at this in a few ways. On the positive side, Freeze’s seven-year contract gives even the most impatient of athletic directors pause before making a move. 

Patience could be what the Auburn Tigers need. In the day of eight-figure coaching contracts, patience isn't a virtue and has historically been in short supply at Auburn. But despite his in-game mismanagement this season, Freeze is unquestionably improving the roster. 

The biggest plus for him is the ability to attract talent to campus. According to multiple recruiting services, the Tigers rank in the top five for the 2025 class. Auburn has 26 commits that include blue-chip prospects at every position except wide receiver, which makes sense due to the depth of the wide receiver room.

Freeze is stacking excellent recruiting classes. Auburn was top-10 last year, and is top-five already for 2026. Such a strong classes guarantees not only a third year, but maybe even a fourth to see what Freeze can do with “his guys”, assuming he can keep them at Auburn. Transfer portal beware.  

Auburn hitched their wagon to Hugh Freeze when they made the controversial decision to hire him. Just know that Hugh Freeze will patrol the sidelines for Auburn through at least 2025, whether people like it or not. Spare yourselves the indigestion. 

Quick Fixes

Ask yourself, who calls the plays for Auburn? Did Payton Thorne take it upon himself on a crucial fourth down to audible out of the called play? Depends on who you ask. 

While Freeze chewed him out after, it appears that Freeze’s delegation of play-calling duties really does not help the offense whatsoever. The head coach fancies himself as an offensive mind. Normally, a coach with a dictatorial approach doesn’t work in modern society.

In this case, grabbing sole control of calling plays could actually help. It cuts down on the number of ancillary voices and provides a solid gameplan.

Now, the area that Freeze can assign responsibilities? Recruiting. By solely focusing on the gameplan and game day, the head coach can clear his plate, focusing on what players exist in front of him, not worrying about those that could potentially arrive on the Plains. 

Be the closer when you’re needed, but trust the staff to handle recruiting. Because no matter how good Auburn recruits, it won’t matter if the in-game decision making doesn’t improve.  

Overview

Hugh Freeze will stay. Nothing really to discuss. Barring an epic collapse or scandal, he will remain the Auburn head coach through this year and next. That ship sailed. Focus on what the next two years look like, as the last year-plus resides in the past. 

In lockstep, Hugh Freeze and Auburn will see this through together. Although this may be true, the team still needs to begin showing more progress than their 2-4 record indicates. While circumstances indicate Freeze's job is safe, is anyone really safe in the billion-dollar world of modern sports and at Auburn in particular?