Auburn fires coach Hugh Freeze: Tigers end disappointing tenure after dropping to 1-5 in SEC play this season

Auburn is firing coach Hugh Freeze just one day after the Tigers mustered three points in a disappointing home loss to Kentucky, the program's fifth setback in six games this season against SEC competition, CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello, Matt Zenitz and Richard Johnson report. 

"I have informed Coach Freeze of my decision to make a change in leadership with the Auburn Football program," Auburn athletic director John Cohen said in a statement released by the school. "Coach Freeze is a man of integrity, and we are appreciative of his investment in Auburn and his relentless work over the last three years in bolstering our roster. Our expectations for Auburn Football are to annually compete for championships and the search for the next leader of Auburn Football begins immediately."

The Tigers dropped to 1-5 in conference play in the middle of Freeze's third season with bowl hopes hanging by a thread at 4-5 overall with games against Vanderbilt, Mercer and Alabama remaining. Auburn had won 19 of its previous 20 matchups with Kentucky dating back to 1967.

Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will serve as the team's interim coach, Marcello reports. 

This will be the third time since 2020 that the Tigers will be searching for a new coach, which means Auburn will be footing the bill for another sizable buyout as well.

Freeze's buyout at Auburn is $15.4 million, almost identical to the total the Tigers paid out to Bryan Harsin eight games into his second season in 2022 amid inner program failures and on-field struggles. Freeze signed a six-year deal that same year worth $39 million.

Firing chants from the student section broke out during Auburn's loss to Kentucky and lingered even after the final whistle. The Wildcats notched seven sacks against a sputtering offense led by Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels, who made his first start for Auburn amid season-long issues with Jackson Arnold.

In short, Freeze's new-look offense infused with portal talent never got off the ground in 2025. After strong efforts on the recruiting trail in recent years, Auburn's 2026 efforts have been poor; what on Sunday was a 14-man class was tracking to be the school's worst in the 247Sports era (2010-). 

"I wish I could ask for patience, but that's not really something people want to give in this day and time, but I understand that," Freeze said after the game in his plea to fans. "I just know we're so dang close, and if we had a few things go our way earlier in the year, we're looking at a whole different deal. But it didn't, and that's life. And that's the game of football and it teaches us a lot of great things and a lot of tough things. We'll get up and go get ready for the next one.

"I'd love for their patience. But I understand that you're probably not getting patience from them, because they want to see a better product on the field and so do I. So, I understand it."

Auburn lost at least four games during SEC play in each of Freeze's seasons, which set a new low mark for the program. Freeze leaves Auburn with a 15-19 overall record, including a 6-16 showing in conference play. 

That's the worst three-year start for an Auburn coach since 1951-53, when Ralph Jordan went 14-16-1. Jordan, a College Football Hall of Famer, showed progress in that third year with a 7-3-1 record, though, and led the Tigers until he retired following the 1975 season. 

Freeze is also the first Auburn coach since 1950 to last at least three seasons without a winning record against league opponents. 

Freeze's tenure as Auburn coach 

Auburn entered the 2025 season with lofty expectations thanks to Freeze's recruiting efforts and what appeared to be -- on paper, at least -- an improved offense. The Tigers boasted one of college football's deepest wide receiver rooms, highlighted by stars like Cam Coleman and top transfer addition Eric Singleton. 

They also took a big swing by landing former five-star prospect and Oklahoma starter Jackson Arnold at quarterback. Auburn even climbed as high as No. 22 in the AP Top 25 amid a 3-0 start in nonconference play, highlighted by an impressive road win against Baylor in which the Tigers scored 38 points. 

Then, they hit a wall. They failed to score 20 points in each of their first four SEC games. Arnold went three straight games, from Auburn's Sept. 27 loss to Texas A&M to its loss against Missouri, without a single passing touchdown. 

Arnold was also benched against Arkansas, as the Tigers turned to former Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels late in the first half. 

Auburn is the third SEC school to make a midseason coaching change in 2025, following in the footsteps of the Razorbacks, which moved on from Sam Pittman on Sept. 28, and Florida, which fired Billy Napier two weeks ago. 

High on Auburn's board? Jon Sumrall

Sumrall is one of the fastest-rising coaches in college football after sensational coaching jobs at Troy and Tulane. He is high on the team's early hot board, according to CBS Sports' Brandon Marcello. The Huntsville, Alabama, native took over a Troy program coming off three straight losing seasons and quickly flipped them into a winner, posting a 23-4 record with two Sun Belt titles in two seasons. The next year, he went to Tulane and led the program to the American title game with a 8-5 record, including 7-1 in American play. 

The former Kentucky linebacker has deep experience in the SEC, working as defensive coordinator under Mark Stoops and linebackers coach at Ole Miss. He has built physical defensive teams that control games but has consistently found great offensive coordinators and players as a head coach, including quarterback Darian Mensah, running back Makhi Hughes and running back Kimani Vidal. -- Shehan Jeyarajah

What's next for Freeze?

The 56-year-old is a controversial college football figure whose long track record of success feels more distant with each blunder he makes (coaches across the country still cannot figure out why Freeze refused to reevaluate a collaborative play-calling approach). 

Be skeptical there's much of a market for Freeze as a head coach moving forward -- and it's also unclear if Freeze will want to coach again any time soon. 

Freeze was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February and is currently undergoing treatment. Doctors caught it early and he opted against immediate surgery to have the mass removed. That's because the cancer was deemed low aggressive, per Freeze. He said back in the summer he planned to reevaluate his health in January.

As for a potential future in coaching, maybe Freeze could emerge as a candidate at a G-5 program. He found outsized success in past stints at Arkansas State and Liberty. But checking with industry sources, it's hard to see Freeze making an immediate return as a Power Four head coach. He won't have the cachet of Franklin or a Kelly, and his baggage is immense. -- Chris Hummer

The Auburn Tigers are searching for their next head football coach following the dismissal of Hugh Freeze. AuburnUndercover has the most experienced experts and insiders covering the Tigers on the ground in Auburn. Know the news before it happens with this coaching search by signing up for a VIP membership today. In addition, you'll get team news, recruiting, transfer portal scoop, analysis and more along with interacting with the most dedicated community of Auburn fans.