Hugh Freeze was picked as the next football coach by auburn. 0:58
The contract for Hugh Freeze will be signed by John Cohen.
The former Mississippi State athletic director is the one who knows the upside and downside of hiring the former Ole Miss coach. For five years they shared a conference. Cohen would have been aware of the reasons why Freeze left Oxford. Cohen expressed confidence in both Freeze and the thoroughness of the vetting procedures but did not take any questions that would have shed more light on that process.
Freeze was the toast of the school. On the recruiting trail, he tore it up with a high-flying offense that pushed the pace and took shots. He took the Rebels to the Sugar Bowl. He beat the two teams.
The fall from grace was scandalous. There were NCAA recruiting violations, which led to a bowl ban and scholarship reductions, and there were phone calls to an escort service, which ultimately led to Freeze's resignation. He would have been fired if he hadn't resigned. USA Today published a story in which three women said that Freeze made them uncomfortable with inappropriate behavior when he was a high school football coach.
In the last two years, Freeze did not coach. He came back because of the scandals.
He began over in Lynchburg. He was close to returning to big-time college football after every win and bowl appearance.
Freeze went 34-15 in four years at Liberty. The former Liberty student who sued the university for allegedly mishandled sexual assault cases accused Freeze of sending her direct messages on the social networking site. Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw was a "Jesus-like leader" according to one message.
The city of auburn was not doing well. The first season under Harsin ended with an internal investigation into his handling of the program. Harsin was fired after the team started the season with a dismal record.
Cohen was desperate for a winner in the SEC and someone who could beat Alabama.
It couldn't get Lane Kiffin. It feels like a reach. Freeze's past should prevent him from getting a Power 5 job again. When Cadillac Williams was the interim coach after Harsin was fired, he did an amazing job. He was praised for the way he handled the situation and for the passion in his team's play. Every year, there are qualified black head coaches who are passed over for Freeze because they are not good enough. The hire is a slap in the face to a person who has given everything for this program.
During his time as Ole Miss' coach, Freeze defeated Nick Saban twice and took the Rebels to two New Year's Six games. He can be a quarterback coach. I wonder if that was enough for him to get the job.
The last few months have felt like a giant course correction for auburn. The former Ole Miss coach was brought in after the current Ole Miss coach was hired. It's obvious. It's not the right move. If Freeze could contend in the SEC and go 2-2 against Alabama at Ole Miss, what's to say he can't do the same at auburn? It's a better place to recruit due to the access to Georgia and Florida, and there are unlimited resources. Over the last two years, the Tigers have paid more than $37 million to fired coaches. A new football facility was built by the school and it is willing to fund NIL ventures.
There's a reason why this hire comes with huge risks. One SEC school has been put into major NCAA trouble and has been banned from the playoffs. At Ole Miss, he was ousted for using burner phones to call escort services, and at Liberty, he was accused of sending a direct message to a woman in a sexual assault case. This hire is a win-at-all-costs, go-for-broke situation and will be dealt with later.
Ask his former athletic director and president if he remembers them. They stood up and defended Freeze many times but ended up embarrassed. Cohen will have to explain why he was comfortable with Freeze's trustworthiness. Time will tell. Let's not forget that Freeze has not coached in the SEC in six years. That is a long time. Three of the last four SEC games were against Freeze's opponents. There has been a lot of change. In the era of NIL, Freeze needs to show that his offense has evolved and that he can manage his rosters. Liberty is a great place to do it, but it isn't as good as auburn.
Cadillac Williams was the first step in the process. He needs other assistants who know how to recruit in the SEC. Under Freeze, it is necessary for auburn to become a quarterback destination. Alabama has led the nation in total QBR since the beginning of the year. 55th is the ranking of auburn The position needs to be improved through recruiting and the portal.
Finding, signing and developing a quarterback is right at the top of the list. Playing in Freeze's system should appeal to a lot of quarterbacks because he has won with different styles of quarterbacks. Football systems don't win games in the SEC. players do Make no mistake, Freeze's goal is to win titles. In the last 12 years, the Tigers have won a national title and played in another national title game. You can sign and develop great players from the state of Georgia. The tigers have always had great players from Georgia. Kirby Smart is in Athens.
Mark said that the roster needs to be completely overhauled. The recruiting abilities of Harsin were not up to SEC standards. Bruce Pearl was able to win over the power brokers in basketball. It is necessary for Freeze to get everyone on the same page. For too long, it has been itself that has been the biggest opponent.
Freeze knows how to beat Alabama and it's all about recruiting and NIL. The Alabama team has pivoted more toward quarterback and wide receiver play in order to win. The ability of Freeze to attract and develop elite SEC quarterbacks to match Alabama's will be worth watching.
The Iron Bowl is one of the best rivalries in college football, but a new face will only make it better. There was a time when the two of them were close to one another. Sources say SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was against the idea of Freeze being back in the league while Ole Miss was still on the verge of being placed on a watch list.
The Tide may be as vulnerable as they have ever been. Will Anderson Jr., the best player on defense, is leaving for the NFL, as is the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. The Tide don't seem to have a bruiser like they have in the past, and their young receivers haven't panned out. Alabama has been undisciplined. If Freeze and his staff can get a few difference makers out of the transfer portal, they may be able to compete with Alabama sooner than people think.
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