Auburn hires Hugh Freeze, a coach with risk and reward

Freeze was a successful high school coach at Briarcrest Christian.

Hugh Freeze, born September 27, 1969, is an American football coach who is the head coach at Auburn University. He was announced as Auburn's 31st head football coach on November 28, 2022.

Freeze has a history of success at the collegiate level.

Freeze has been a head coach at the collegiate level for 12 years. He has a record of 103-48, including a 7-0 bowl record. He led Ole Miss to three bowl games in four seasons, including a Sugar Bowl victory in 2015. He also led Liberty to two bowl games in three seasons.

Freeze's hiring comes with some risk.

Freeze was fired from Ole Miss in 2017 after an NCAA investigation found that he had committed multiple violations, including lying to the NCAA and providing impermissible benefits to recruits. He was also accused of sexual misconduct. Freeze has denied the allegations of sexual misconduct.

Auburn is hoping that Freeze can turn around its football program.

Auburn has not had a winning season since 2017. The Tigers fired Bryan Harsin after a 3-9 season in 2022. Freeze is expected to bring a high-powered offense to Auburn. He is also known for his ability to recruit top talent.

The hiring of Hugh Freeze is a risky move for Auburn. However, if Freeze can turn around the football program, it will be a major coup for the Tigers.