Report: Hugh Freeze, Liberty Agree to 8-Year Contract Extension Approaching $40M

Liberty University and head football coach Hugh Freeze reportedly have reached an agreement on an eight-year contract extension through the 2030 season.

ESPN's Pete Thamel reported Friday the new deal "averages just under $5 million per year," bringing the total salary to around $40 million.

Freeze has compiled a 33-12 record since being hired by Liberty in December 2018. That includes a 7-1 mark so far this season, with the only loss coming against then-No. 19 Wake Forest by one point in mid-September.

After last week's win over BYU, the 53-year-old coach said he hoped the Flames would begin getting some respect from the poll voters.

"I would think we would probably get a few votes here and there, but you've got to go to Arkansas next," Freeze told reporters. "If you don't get it done against an SEC team, they just drop you out of it. How much value we put on that is pretty small, really. Now, at the end of the season, I think there's some value that would be put on that if we end up in it."

Liberty ended up in the "also receiving votes" section of both the Associated Press and Coaches polls.

Freeze previously compiled a 39-25 record across five years at Ole Miss, though 27 of those victories were later vacated following an NCAA investigation into recruiting violations by the program. The team lost a total of 33 wins as part of the punishment.

He resigned from his role with the Rebels in July 2017 after a separate investigation into allegations he called a female escort service, which the school said also showed a "concerning pattern" of use from his university-issued phone.

Before his time at Ole Miss, Freeze served as head coach at Lambuth and Arkansas State.

The Flames' clash with the Razorbacks is scheduled for a 4 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday at the Hogs' Razorback Stadium.