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The Auburn Tigers knew they were taking a risk when they parted ways with head coach Gus Malzahn following the 2020 season. Malzahn won a national championship as an offensive coordinator with the Tigers in 2010. He then took the head coaching job in 2013 and led Auburn to the national championship game. He was also 3-5 in eight Iron Bowl appearances against Nick Saban and Alabama.
But that wasn’t good enough. Instead, the Tigers are trying to build a perennial title contender.
Their first move toward doing so, however, was an abject disaster. Auburn hired former Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin to get the program headed in the right direction. Instead, Harsin went 9-12 in his 1.5 years in charge before being unceremoniously fired in the middle of the 2022 season.
Now the Tigers are back on the prowl for another head coach, and the search appears to be headed off the rails.
Target number one for Auburn and new athletic director John Cohen was Ole Miss coach Kiffin. Kiffin has spent the last two years in Oxford and has helped the Rebels build one of the best offenses in the country. Tigers fans badly wanted Kiffin and for a while, it appeared they may get their wish. But that didn’t happen. Instead, Kiffin agreed to a new deal to keep him in Oxford.
Since then, the Tigers have reportedly pivoted to another former Ole Miss coach.
Auburn Reportedly Wavering Over Naming Hugh Freeze Next Head Coach
The second target on Auburn’s list is reportedly former Ole Miss head coach Hugh Freeze. Freeze led the Rebels from 2012-16 and won the Sugar Bowl in 2015. But he left Oxford in disgrace amid a laundry list of allegations.
Freeze then took the head coaching job at Liberty University in 2019 and won three bowl games in each of his first three seasons, including a 10-win season in 2020.
But hiring Freeze comes with all of his baggage, and it appears some at Auburn don’t want to deal with that.
Hearing pushback on Auburn administration re fb hire now that Lane is staying at Ole Miss. Plan A was Lane; Plan B was Freeze. Don't know if Auburn had a Plan C. Bears watching.
— Dennis Dodd (@dennisdoddcbs) November 28, 2022
Dennis Dodd of CBS reports that some around the university are pushing back on the potential hiring of Freeze. More notably, however, Dodd says that Auburn may not have had a third option lined up.
Who will coach the Auburn Tigers in 2023? Guess what, it could be you!