Auburn Set To Hire Former Ole Miss Coach Hugh Freeze

After not grabbing Lane Kiffin late this season, the Tigers shifted their focus to another coach with Ole Miss ties.

AUBURN, Ala. -- After failing to hire Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin, the Auburn Tigers shifted gears and are now landing former Rebels coach Hugh Freeze, reports indicated on Monday. Ross Dellenger of Sports Illustrated was the first to report the news.

Auburn is finalizing a deal to hire Liberty coach Hugh Freeze, sources tell @SINow.

Freeze would return to the SEC, where in 2017 Ole Miss fired him amid NCAA and personal scandal. In 12 years as a college head coach, he’s had one losing season.

— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) November 28, 2022

As noted in Dellenger's tweet, Freeze took the Ole Miss program to new heights during his tenure, but the end of his reign in Oxford was clouded by NCAA violations and personal scandals. That aside, Freeze has only had one losing season as a college head coach, his final year at Ole Miss (2017).

This news comes after Lane Kiffin was rumored to be Auburn's top candidate towards the end of this season, but Kiffin was asked following the Rebels' 24-22 loss to Mississippi State Thursday night if he planned on being the head coach at Ole Miss next season. In short, Kiffin said, "Yes I do."

Freeze returned to Oxford last season with the Liberty Flames, a game his team lost in November, but he will rematch with the Rebels in the SEC on Oct. 21, 2023 on The Plains.

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You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.

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