Where Freeze Went Wrong and Where Auburn Goes Next

Auburn announced head coach Hugh Freeze was dismissed from his position on Sunday morning, per a statement from athletic director John Cohen.  The move came after a disastrous 10-3 loss to Kentucky on Saturday night that dropped the Tigers to 4-5. Defensive coordinator D. J. Durkin will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of 2025. Let’s discuss where Freeze went wrong.

The Tigers’ defense did everything they could to keep the game within reach, holding Kentucky to only 241 yards of offense. The worst offensive performance of the season squandered their effort. On his final walk off the field at Jordan-Hare, Freeze was showered with boos from students and fans alike.

Freeze’s tenure, lasting two full seasons plus nine games, ended with a 15-19 overall record with a 6-16 SEC record. Auburn now faces an uphill battle to reach a bowl game with only three remaining games, two of which are against ranked teams.

What Went Wrong?

The 2025 season was an odd one for Freeze. The Tigers’ losses to Oklahoma, Georgia, and Missouri were one missed call away from going in their favor. While his complaints about officiating may have been legitimate, that can only get one so far.  His teams needed to be in a position where one call didn’t cost them a game.

Wasted potential will be Freeze’s legacy on the plains. Durkin’s defense, especially this season, has been the sole reason Auburn was even in so many close games under Freeze. On the offensive side of the ball, the team lacked identity, despite consistently having high-ranking recruits and transfers at the skill positions.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, Auburn has never ranked higher than 76th nationally in scoring offense.

The lack of offense was out of character for a Freeze-led team. In his previous stops at Ole Miss and Liberty, offense has been the hallmark of his career, namely the quarterback position. Weapons like KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Tank Bigsby, Jarquez Hunter, Cam Coleman, and Eric Singleton were all given subpar quarterback play from Payton Thorne and Jackson Arnold.

While some of that may have been due to their sheer level of physical talent, the playcalling did them no favors. In the 2024-25 season, Freeze, along with offensive coordinator Derrick Nix and quarterbacks coach Kent Austin, called the offensive plays. It was an overly-complicated approach that drew criticism from fans and even online jests from Ole Miss’ Lane Kiffin.

The Tigers now need two wins under Durkin to reach bowl eligibility, and it looks unlikely to happen.

Only three games remain, the next of which is at 15th-ranked Vanderbilt, led by Heisman candidate quarterback Diego Pavia. Outside of Texas A&M, this is the most complete team Auburn will have faced this season. They’ll need the “interim bump,” some renewed fire after the school moves on from their head coach. It’s happened multiple times this season from UCLA and UAB, so this game is no write-off.

They’ll get a bye week after Vandy and then take on a very good FCS team in Mercer. Then, to close out the season, will be the Iron Bowl against (currently) fourth-ranked Alabama at Jordan-Hare.

There’s no reason to believe Durkin’s defense should change with him at the helm of the entire team, but the offense is a different story. The hope for Auburn fans should be a potential addition by subtraction with Freeze out of the playcalling equation.

Auburn’s athletic department should learn a lot from Freeze’s tenure. As they rebuild in this new landscape, they need to avoid coaches who haven’t shown the ability to win in this era. On top of that, out of the current head coach openings, this is easily one of the most attractive. LSU takes the top spot, but Auburn has the resources to be a better program than Florida and Penn State.

What Auburn needs is a winning culture and a younger head coach who has demonstrated the ability to build it and win in the NIL era.

Perhaps the top name that fits that mold is Tulane’s Jon Sumrall, an Alabama native whose career took flight at Troy. He left the Trojans after 12 and 11-win seasons in 2022-23. Since then, he’s led Tulane to a 9-5 record in 2024 and a 6-2 record so far this season. His ability to recruit and develop is rare, and he’s already one of the most highly coveted names in this cycle.

A name from the SEC is Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, a fiery young coach who has the Tigers pushing for a third straight 9+ win season. He has demonstrated his ability to build complete teams through the portal and high school recruiting. Drinkwitz has a unique attitude and charisma that can attract talent on their own, too.

Some of the top names this cycle are at their alma maters, making it potentially difficult to pull them away. Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key, and Arizona State’s Kenny Dillingham would all bring proven success.

Where Freeze had no issue was in recruiting, pulling in two top 10 classes nationally. In this overly-reactive era, recruits have shown they’ll jump off the bandwagon at the drop of a needle. It’s been an ugly stretch for Auburn, but the idea of winning at Jordan-Hare and a coach who can sell that dream have been enough. For AD John Cohen, it’s time to get someone who can make that dream a reality again.

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