Freeze is ready to bring championships to the Plains
Reports began surfacing Monday afternoon that Auburn had found its’ next head coach. By Monday evening around 5:23 p.m. CT, the news had become official that Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze was indeed named the head coach of the Tigers program.
Auburn University officially announced the hire of Freeze Monday after a 28-day search led by athletic director John Cohen. Cohen on Monday says that he landed his top target.
“After a thoughtful, thorough, and well-vetted search, we ended where we started, with Hugh Freeze,” Cohen said in a press release. “Of all the candidates we considered, Hugh was the best fit. Fit has several meanings, but the most important factors were student-athlete development, football strategy, recruiting, and SEC experience.”
As an FBS head coach at Arkansas State, Ole Miss, and Liberty, Freeze has built a record of 83-43, including a 34-15 record at Liberty, his most recent stop. His success both on the field, as well as in player development, is an important factor to Auburn University President Dr. Christopher Roberts.
“I’m pleased that our Athletics Director John Cohen conducted a detailed and thorough national search process, and I look forward to welcoming Hugh and Jill Freeze to the Plains,” Roberts said. “I am impressed with Coach Freeze’s focus on player development and his on-the-field success at multiple universities and at multiple levels.”
Interim head coach Cadillac Williams led Auburn to a 2-2 record during its’ time of transition. Due to that, it is expected that Williams will remain on Freeze’s staff. Although his new role with the staff has not been announced, Freeze took the time to thank Williams for his leadership. Freeze also says that he is ready to lead the Tigers to championships.
“First, I want to acknowledge Cadillac Williams for the incredible job he did as interim head coach. The impact he made is immeasurable and cannot be overstated,” Freeze said. “Secondly, Auburn is one of the preeminent programs in college football and I’m very appreciative of President Roberts and John Cohen for this opportunity at Auburn. I’ve been fortunate to witness first-hand how special Auburn is during my time as a head coach in the SEC and while visiting my daughter, Jordan, who attended Auburn and currently lives in the community. I can’t wait to work with our student-athletes and the Auburn family to bring championships back to the Plains.”
Freeze replaces Bryan Harsin, who was dismissed on Oct. 31 after building a 9-12 record since the start of the 2021 season. He becomes the third former Arkansas State head coach to lead Auburn’s program, following Harsin and his friend, Gus Malzahn.
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