Sports

Auburn Won’t Appease Fanbase By Paying $15 Million To Football Coach Thrown Under Bus By Top Recruit

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Bralan Womack critical of Hugh Freeze

© Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images / © Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images


Hugh Freeze’s time on the Plains could soon be coming to an end. The Auburn football coach continues to struggle in Year 3 of his tenure.

Freeze has yet to produce a winning season with the Tigers. It doesn’t appear his first will come in 2025. As the losses pile up, the fanbase is getting antsy.

The school took a chance on the coach in 2023 following his controversial exit from SEC rival Ole Miss a few years earlier. His history of success was a big reason why.

Freeze won 65% of his games with the Rebels before the bottom fell out in Year 5. He stepped down amid recruiting violations after a 5-7 campaign.

After rebounding at Liberty, he was hired by Auburn. Success has not followed.

Auburn is struggling to win football games.

The Tigers are competitive in every matchup. Still, they continue to come out on the losing end.

Auburn has lost four straight SEC contests to Top 20 teams by an average of seven points. The most recent came in double overtime against Missouri.

Offensive production has been the main contributor to the losing skid. The Tigers simply cannot score.

Hugh Freeze’s bunch has yet to record more than 17 points in a conference game. That’s not been lost on recruits.

Five-star safety Bralan Womack was asked about the struggles after the Missouri loss. He was vocal about the lacking production.

“You’ve got to score 20 or more points to compete. And we’ve done that zero times in SEC play. It doesn’t look like it’s going to change. Nothing’s changing.”

-Bralan Womack

Womack is the top safety in the recruiting class. He committed to Auburn back in August. He referenced Freeze in that decision. In his most recent interview, though, he decided to throw the head coach under the bus.

“We’re just not making the plays offensively in the big moments. We’re taking sacks after sacks after sacks. The defense has got to stop leaving the game up to the offense.“

-Bralan Womack

Freeze is the authority on offensive play calling. His strategy is clearly not working.

Womack did not comment on his pledge to the team. He remains fully committed to the Auburn Tigers at this point. That being said, he is hoping to see change.

He’s not the only one.

Will the Tigers fire Hugh Freeze?

That’s a question that’s repeatedly been asked during the head coach’s tenure. Auburn is 14-18 over the last three football seasons.

Freeze was confident in his team this offseason. He believed it would be a College Football Playoff contender. Those ambitions are now gone amid a 3-4 start.

Talks about Freeze’s firing have reportedly taken place. Donors are ready to make a move. They may have to wait a bit longer.

Sources have told On3 that Auburn boosters have begun having informal conversations in the last week to discuss Hugh Freeze’s future. The Tigers are now 0-4 to open SEC play, but the schedule lightens up from here…

His buyout is manageable at roughly $15 million. Some sources have speculated that the Tigers might not decide until the end of the season.

-Pete Nakos / On3 Sports

Auburn would owe Hugh Freeze $15 million in buyout money if it chose to move on. Frustrations are mounting, but he survived another week on The Plains.

He is scheduled to meet with the press Monday as usual. The school will not fire him amid the losing streak.

That could obviously change in the weeks to come.

The Tigers’ schedule eases up a bit after back-to-back-to-back-to-back ranked matchups. Performances against Arkansas and Kentucky will be key in the decision-making process.

If the losses continue, Freeze will be paid $15 million to leave.