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Hugh Freeze made one final walk off the field on Saturday night following the loss to Kentucky, as the student section loudly chanted ‘Fire Freeze.’’ The students got their wish, Auburn has fired its head coach, according to multiple sources.
The embarrassing loss to Kentucky, where Auburn scored just three points in the 10-3 loss, was the final straw for Freeze. He left the athletic department and boosters with no other option, as the Tigers fell to 1-5 in the SEC.
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Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze walks off the field after a loss to Kentucky in an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Auburn, Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin will serve as the Tigers’ interim head coach, as Auburn travels to Vanderbilt on Saturday, before playing Mercer and Alabama to close out the 2025 season.
Auburn will owe Hugh Freeze roughly $15.5 million for the remaining years on his contract, according to sources. There were no negotiations regarding the buyout.
For a coach that promised big things for the Auburn program, Freeze ended up sounding like a used-car salesman over the past four years on the Plains. After every loss, for some reason, he’d keep coming back to the “We’re close” phrase that would send Auburn fans into a full-blown frenzy.
In the end, the offensive guru has put Auburn in a worse position than when it started. Most would think the Bryan Harsin era was bad, but the Tigers have been stuck in neutral for years, with hope fading after every loss suffered in excruciating fashion.
Auburn coach Hugh Freeze reacts on the sidelines after his team scored a touchdown against Arkansas during the first half of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
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Whether it was the Georgia game, or the close loss to Missouri, the 2025 season has been a disaster. And when the fans turn on you, it’s over. So, one would question why it took John Cohen so long to make a decision. Did the administration actually think a win over Arkansas was going to turn things around?
No, it just bought them more time to make a decision that should’ve been taken care of two weeks ago.
If you thought about heading to Nashville next weekend to play Vanderbilt against the unofficial ‘Governor’ of Auburn in Diego Pavia was a smart move, I’d imagine fans are relieved to know that the decision was made in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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This entire situation was beyond repair, and no amount of NIL funding was going to fix it. Auburn boosters had given enough, with a return on investment non-existent.
Now, Auburn joins the likes of LSU, Florida and Arkansas in looking for a new head coach. There will be plenty of questions centered around which job is better, but the Tigers are realistically third on that list right now.
Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops talks with Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze before an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Auburn, Alabama. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
The support is there, along with plenty of influential ‘money folks’ ready to throw NIL funding at the next head coach to keep players from leaving, along with finding quick-fixes in the transfer portal. There was no way Auburn could wait until the end of the season to make this move. Sure, fans will continue showing up, and you can bet the Tigers will have a strong showing at Vanderbilt next week in terms of fan support.
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But, Freeze looked like a coach who was lost for words, knowing that it was the final time he’d be sitting at a podium with the Auburn logo flanking him.
Now, we wait to see where the Tigers turn next, and they have plenty of company across college football.