Auburn fired head coach Hugh Freeze after three seasons, according to @CBSSports.
The Tigers will name defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin as interim head coach.
Freeze’s dismissal came after Auburn’s 10-3 loss to Kentucky Saturday night. The defeat gave the Wildcats their first SEC win of the season.
The coach appeared to know his time was ending after the loss. He pleaded for patience, pointing to several close defeats this season.
But Auburn’s administration decided to move on.
Freeze’s buyout sits at $15 million, according to reports. That’s significantly less than recent SEC coaching changes like Brian Kelly at LSU, who was owed nearly $60 million.
Auburn finishes the regular season at 4-5 overall and 1-5 in the SEC. Their only conference win came against Arkansas last week.
Freeze compiled a 15-19 overall record during his tenure. He went 6-16 in SEC play and never beat rival Alabama in three tries.
The Tigers have three games remaining. They travel to Vanderbilt, host Mercer and face Alabama in the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Coaching Search Begins
Auburn now begins its search for a new head coach.
Lane Kiffin appears to be a favorite among several SEC schools looking for coaches. Other potential candidates include former Penn State and Vanderbilt head coach James Franklin.
Former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher could draw interest. Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden has said recently he’d love to coach in the SEC.
Gruden’s age and ongoing lawsuit with the NFL could complicate any potential hiring.
Freeze arrived at Auburn with a reputation as an offensive innovator. But the Tigers ranked near the bottom of the SEC in scoring this season.
Auburn hired Freeze in November 2022 after firing Bryan Harsin. The program hoped Freeze could return the Tigers to SEC contention after his success at Ole Miss.
Instead, Auburn struggled in conference play throughout his tenure. The Tigers never finished above .500 in SEC games under Freeze.
