8 candidates to replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn
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Auburn fans will likely have to wait at least a month before finding out who the Tigers’ next head coach will be but that won’t stop the speculation in the meantime.
Hugh Freeze was officially fired Sunday afternoon after months of speculation as Auburn continues to struggle on the field. Saturday’s home loss to Kentucky was the final straw for most fans and the Auburn administration.
“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.”
John Cohen, Auburn Athletics Director
Who will be Auburn’s next head coach?
We asked fans who they want to see take over the program and as expected, y’all showed up with plenty of ideas.
“Someone that knows modern SEC ball! Get us back to bare minimum of Sec Championship appearances and bowl games! Anything LESS is UNACCEPTABLE!”
Aigars Pozdnakov
Some of the most popular answers included:
- Gus Malzahn
- Cadillac Williams
- James Franklin
- DJ Durkin
- Bill Clark
“Give us the coaching duo we’ve wanted all along, HC Cadillac and OC Cam! Two alums that truly love Auburn and will give the program what it deserves!”
Tiffany MB
Some fans are just hoping for a little bit of chaos.
“What if nick came out of retirement just to coach auburn? How upset do u think bama fans would be?”
Nite Hancock
We took your answers into consideration + checked out some of the most popular names being thrown around by the national media then compiled a list of eight names that seem to be gaining the most traction ahead of Auburn’s critical coaching search.
DJ Durkin, Auburn defensive coordinator
D.J. Durkin was named Auburn’s interim coach for the rest of this season, getting to act as head coach for at least three more games.
In two seasons with Durkin as the defensive coordinator, the Tigers have allowed just 19.7 points per game. That ranks in the top 20 nationally over the last two years.
Durkin has head coaching experience but had a controversial exit from Maryland when one of his players died in 2018. He has not had a head coaching job since then.
Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach
It might be hard to take any coach from their alma mater, especially with the year that the Yellow Jackets are having. But Key is an Alabama native, growing up in Trussville, so he understands the role SEC football plays in the state.
Key spent three seasons as the offensive line coach at Alabama before making the move to Georgia Tech. He was named interim coach in 2022 before taking on the job full time in 2023.
In just over two seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Key has a 26-17 record as head coach including an 8-0 start this season before Saturday’s upset loss to NC State.
Jimbo Fisher, former Texas A&M head coach
A name that is bringing some passionate takes from either end of the spectrum, Jimbo Fisher is the only name on this list with a national championship as a head coach. So that probably means he’d be one of the pricier options on the list.
Fisher also has a connection to Auburn, coaching the quarterbacks from 1993-98 under coach Terry Bowden. The two also worked together at Samford, Fisher’s alma mater.
His first head coaching gig came in 2010 when he took over the Florida State program, leading them to a national title over Auburn in 2013.
From 2018 to 2023, Fisher was the head coach at Texas A&M before being fired—along with a $77.5 million buyout.
Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach
Another popular name among Auburn fans is current Tulane coach and former Troy coach Jon Sumrall.
In just four seasons as a head coach, Sumrall holds a 38-11 record and has made three conference championship game appearances. In 2022, he led Troy to its highest AP ranking in program history.
Now, Sumrall has Tulane in the College Football Playoff conversation.
As one of the younger and more exciting names being considered for several coaching openings already, it seems likely Sumrall’s days at Tulane are numbered. But the question is where will he go?
Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State head coach
This one is another long shot for the Tigers as Dillingham seems happy to be in his home state and at his alma mater. But Auburn is widely still considered a better job than Arizona State so the Tigers may be able to provide more resources to entice Dillingham.
Dillingham was one of the hottest coaches on the market two years ago before joining the Sun Devils. Last season, he led a team that was predicted to finish last in the Big 12 to a conference title and a College Football Playoff appearance.
In 2019, Dillingham served as the QB coach at Auburn under head coach Gus Malzahn, coaching Bo Nix in his freshman season on The Plains.
James Franklin, former Penn State head coach
There’s a lot of heat on James Franklin right now after his exit from Penn State. The preseason #2 team once again struggled to live up to expectations, leading to Franklin’s firing after 12 seasons.
But Franklin’s coaching career is almost certainly not finished and his overall success should still get Auburn’s attention at the very least.
In 15 seasons as a head coach, Franklin has a 128-60 overall record which included a 24-15 stint at Vanderbilt, leading the Commodores to three straight bowl appearances for the first time in program history.
Franklin is also 3-0 all-time against Auburn, winning once at Vanderbilt and twice at Penn State.
Dan Mullen, UNLV head coach
Another coach who might be looking to get back into the SEC after a few years off is Dan Mullen.
Mullen had years of success with Mississippi State and Florida before being fired from the latter in 2021.
He did not have another head coaching job until joining UNLV this season.
In 14 years as a head coach, Mullen has had just three losing seasons. He has a 109-63 overall record including a 54-53 record in the SEC.
Rhett Lashlee, SMU head coach
Some of Auburn fans’ best memories in recent years came during Lashlee’s time as offensive coordinator with the Tigers.
The bad news is Lashlee just signed a contract extension at SMU two days before Freeze was fired. The good news: contracts are meant to be broken (at least in the college football world).
Lashlee was a graduate assistant for the Tigers in 2009-10 and returned to The Plains as offensive coordinator from 2013-2016.
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