When Hugh Freeze was hired by Auburn in late November 2022, the thought was that an “offensive guru” had arrived who would restore Auburn to relevance in the SEC. Instead, what the Tigers have gotten thus far is a coach who hasn’t developed an offensive identity and a program that still looks miles behind its rivals.
Freeze came in with the reputation of being a quarterback whisperer and play-caller. But the reality? Auburn’s offense has remained predictable and toothless. Creativity has been lacking, execution has been sloppy, and the expected quarterback development has been nowhere to be found.
In his two seasons with the Tigers, Coach Freeze has led them to an 11-14 record. Despite having the transfer portal at his disposal, the Auburn offense has been led by a combination of Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford, Hank Brown and Holden Geriner, none of whom are on the 2025 roster. Instead, the Tigers will turn to transfer Jackson Arnold this season, who was benched in 2024 by a 6-7 Oklahoma team.
A bigger issue for many around Auburn is that Freeze hasn’t inspired confidence or hope. The program needed a head coach who could stabilize the program after the Bryan Harsin disaster. Instead, Freeze has a tendency of talking a big game, but then not backing it up. And because of that, Auburn hasn’t just been losing, it’s been losing without an identity.
While Auburn continues to stagnate, Alabama continues to rule the state. And Georgia has established itself as the gold standard in college football, while other SEC programs like Texas, LSU, Tennessee, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas A&M, Missouri and Florida are all on more positive trajectories. Auburn fans know what winning looks like, and what they’re currently seeing is not it.
Hiring Freeze was always somewhat of a gamble. And as the 2025 season is about to begin, it hasn’t paid off. Unless something changes drastically in the next three months, Auburn will keep spinning its wheels, stuck in the shadow of its rivals and wondering what the next step will be.
