Auburn football coaching search 2025: Candidates, hot board, names to watch from Tigers experts

The Auburn Tigers joined the mix of what's turning out to be one of the most active coaching carousels in college football history on Sunday. That's when they fired head coach Hugh Freeze following a loss at home to Kentucky that dropped Auburn to 4-5 (1-5 SEC) on the season. Freeze came to The Plains after largely successful stints at Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty. He never got Auburn turned around, however, leaving with just a 15-19 record overall and a poor 6-16 mark in SEC play. 

Now the Tigers jump into a crowded pool of programs looking to make a change in this cycle, including LSU, Florida, Arkansas, Penn State, Virginia Tech and others. Who are the top names to know on the Auburn hot board as the Tigers look to make a splash? Be sure to see what the proven team of experts are saying at AuburnUndercover about the Auburn football coaching search.

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. 

AuburnUndercover has the most experienced experts and insiders covering the Tigers on the ground in Auburn. The market leader in coverage, AUC, provides team news, recruiting and transfer scoop, analysis, opinions and more. It's the largest site covering the Tigers with the most dedicated community of fans. Sign up for a VIP membership and experience what AUC has been providing to Auburn fans for close to 20 years.

And right now, AuburnUndercover is offering 60% off annual subscriptions*, so now is the time to sign up. The team at AuburnUndercover already has a list out of several potential candidates and there are some surprising names on the list. Head to AuburnUndercover now to see them all.

Top Auburn football coach candidates

One name the staff has identified as a potential target on the Auburn football coaching hot board is Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key. A rising star in the coaching community, Key has both ties to the state of Alabama and has the Yellow Jackets in the College Football Playoff conversation in 2025. 

"Another Alabama native, Brent Key was Georgia Tech's interim coach in 2022, and the program decided to keep him," King said. "Since then, he's 7-6 against ranked opponents, and this year's team is 8-1. In addition to his Alabama ties, Key has obviously developed recruiting chops in Atlanta.

"Key lacks extensive experience as a head coach, but his upsides are very clear. His Georgia Tech teams thrive on the run game and physical play at the line of scrimmage. Last December, Key signed an extension through 2029. His buyout for leaving is $4 million." See more candidates at AuburnUndercover.

How to get insider Auburn coaching search updates 

The rest of the list includes several other exciting possibilities, including multiple sitting SEC head coaches. You can only see who it is by joining AuburnUndercover.

Who are the top names in the Auburn football coaching search, and which current SEC head coaches could the Tigers try to poach? Go to AuburnUndercover to see its Auburn coaching hot board and more, all from a team of reporters with extensive experience covering the Tigers, and find out. 

And remember, AuburnUndercover is offering 60% off an annual VIP membership as a coaching search special, so subscribe now before it's too late.

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