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8 Coaching Candidates to Replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn
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- 8 Coaching Candidates to Replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn
Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze reacts after a play.
(© John Reed-Imagn Images)
Auburn fired coach Hugh Freeze on Sunday. Freeze's departure follows the Tigers' 10-3 loss to Kentucky on Saturday night, which dropped his record on the Plains to 15-19 overall. After beating Arkansas in Week 9, Auburn had a chance to salvage its season with a bowl trip, but Saturday's loss as a double-digit favorite to the Wildcats was a massive setback. Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin is expected to work as the team's interim coach for the remainder of the 2025 season.
High expectations surrounded Freeze's arrival in 2023. His experience in the conference, recruiting acumen, along with a track record of developing quarterbacks and offenses, was expected to help Auburn rebound after a disastrous two-year stint under Bryan Harsin. However, Freeze has been unable to jumpstart the offense, and the Tigers are headed to their third consecutive losing season.
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Who could replace Freeze at Auburn? Here are a few names to watch in the search:
Candidates to Replace Hugh Freeze as Auburn head coach
Kenny Dillingham, Head Coach, Arizona StateDillingham is a longshot to leave Arizona State (his alma mater), but he worked at Auburn in 2019 as the program's offensive coordinator. He's 20-15 since taking over in Tempe in '23 and guided the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff last season.
Eli Drinkwitz, Head Coach, MissouriDrinkwitz has ties to Auburn from a previous two-year stint in an off-field role (2010-11). However, with a good situation and a winning program at Missouri, Drinkwitz may not be in any hurry to leave Columbia. Also, his name could pop up in searches at Florida and LSU - two jobs that are arguably better than Auburn. Since taking over in '20, Drinkwitz is 44-26 at Missouri. The Tigers are 27-7 over the last three years under Drinkwitz's direction.
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Jimbo Fisher, Former Texas A&M Head CoachFisher is another longshot here, but his name is expected to pop up in the mix to replace Freeze. The West Virginia native worked at Auburn from 1993-98 as an assistant and has additional ties to the state from his playing career in college at Samford. Fisher went 83-23 at Florida State and guided the program to a national title in '13. He left for Texas A&M in '18 and went 45-25 until '23. Fisher's tenure ended in his dismissal after an 11-11 mark from '22.
James Franklin, Former Penn State Head CoachFranklin's name has popped up for every major opening this season, including Virginia Tech, Florida, and LSU. Although Franklin was dismissed after a 3-3 start this year, Penn State still went 104-45 under his watch with two playoff victories in '24. He also has previous SEC experience from a stint at Vanderbilt (2011-13).
Alex Golesh, Head Coach, South FloridaGolesh is one of the top Group of 5 coaches and a rising star after leading South Florida to a 20-14 record over the last three years. Under Golesh's watch, the Bulls recorded back-to-back bowl trips in 2023-24 and are in the mix to make the American Conference title game with a 6-2 record entering Week 11. Golesh also has SEC experience from a two-year stint at Tennessee (2021-22). He's expected to be in the mix for any openings at the power conference level this year.
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Glenn Schumann, Defensive Coordinator, GeorgiaCould Schumann be the next Kirby Smart assistant to land a head-coaching job? Schumann has been a key cog in Smart's program in Athens since '16 and was promoted from assistant to co-defensive coordinator in '19. The 35-year-old coach has no previous head-coaching experience but is regarded as one of the top up-and-coming assistants in the SEC.
Ryan Silverfield, Head Coach, MemphisSilverfield has emerged as one of the top Group of 5 coaches with a 50-22 mark at Memphis since taking over at the end of the '19 season. The Tigers are 29-6 since '23 and are in the mix to be the Group of 5 team in the College Football Playoff. Silverfield has no previous experience at a SEC program.
Jon Sumrall, Head Coach, TulaneSumrall - a native of Alabama - is expected to be near (or at) the top of Auburn's list to replace Freeze. Including a playing career at Kentucky, Sumrall also has experience coaching in the SEC from stints as an assistant at Ole Miss (2018) and Kentucky (2019-21). After going 23-4 as Troy's head coach from 2022-23, Sumrall is 15-7 at Tulane. The Green Wave played for the American Conference title last season and remains one of the frontrunners for '25.
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Related: 2025 Bowl Projections after Week 10: Notre Dame Rising, ACC Upsets Shake Up Playoff Field
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Related: College Football Coaching Carousel Rankings: Rating the Open Jobs in the 2025-26 Cycle
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Nov 2, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
