Auburn diversion manager John Cohen volition motion the declaration for caller shot manager Hugh Freeze with some eyes open.
If anyone knows the upside and the hazard progressive successful hiring the erstwhile Ole Miss coach, it's the erstwhile Mississippi State diversion director. They didn't conscionable stock a authorities for 5 years, they shared a conference. Cohen would person attended AD-level meetings and heard each astir wherefore Freeze near Oxford nether a acheronian unreality successful the summertime of 2017. (At Tuesday's introductory property conference, Cohen expressed assurance successful some Freeze and the thoroughness of Auburn's vetting procedures but declined to instrumentality immoderate questions that would person shed much airy connected that process.)
Freeze was erstwhile the toast of Ole Miss. He tore it up connected the recruiting way and had a high-flying discourtesy that pushed the tempo and took shots downfield. He brought the Rebels to their archetypal Sugar Bowl successful 45 years. He bushed Alabama and Nick Saban twice.
But the autumn from grace was swift and scandalous. There were NCAA recruiting violations, which led to a vessel prohibition and assistance reductions, and determination were phone calls to an escort service, which yet led to Freeze resigning. Had helium not resigned, his erstwhile diversion manager said, helium would person fired him. (After Freeze near Ole Miss, USA Today published a story successful which 3 women, who were students astatine Briarcrest Christian erstwhile Freeze was a precocious schoolhouse shot manager successful the precocious 1990s and aboriginal 2000s, said Freeze made them uncomfortable with inappropriate behavior.)
Freeze didn't manager successful 2017 oregon 2018. And due to the fact that of the scandals, erstwhile helium did return, it was successful Conference USA, astatine Liberty.
In Lynchburg, Virginia, helium started over. And with each triumph and vessel appearance, it felt similar helium was inching person to a instrumentality to big-time assemblage football.
In 4 seasons astatine Liberty, Freeze went 34-15. But this past summer, a erstwhile Liberty pupil who sued the assemblage for allegedly mishandling intersexual battle cases accused Freeze of sending her nonstop messages connected Twitter successful absorption to her comments. In 1 message, Freeze allegedly said Liberty diversion manager Ian McCaw -- who resigned arsenic Baylor AD successful the aftermath of a campus-wide intersexual battle probe -- was a "Jesus-like leader."
Meanwhile, Auburn was floundering. It had gone extracurricular the container by hiring erstwhile Boise State manager Bryan Harsin successful Dec. 2020 but a 6-7 archetypal play ended with an internal investigation into Harsin's handling of the program. Then, aft going 3-5 to commencement this season, Harsin was fired.
Desperate for a proven victor successful the SEC -- and idiosyncratic who mightiness beryllium capable to bushed archrival Alabama -- Cohen yet zeroed successful connected Freeze.
Why did Auburn prosecute Freeze?
Andrea Adelson: Because it could not get Lane Kiffin? This definite does consciousness similar a reach. Freeze's past, rather frankly, should beryllium disqualifying from him ever landing different Power 5 job. Especially erstwhile Auburn had a highly qualified campaigner lasting connected its sideline -- beloved alum Cadillac Williams, who did an unthinkable occupation arsenic interim manager aft Harsin was fired. He drew wide praise for not lone the mode helium handled the concern but for the passionateness with which his squad played. There are qualified Black caput coaches crossed the state who get passed implicit each azygous twelvemonth for coaches similar Freeze. This prosecute is simply a peculiar slap successful the look to 1 of Auburn's own, who has fixed everything for this program.
But Freeze is simply a large sanction with an SEC past who bushed Nick Saban doubly erstwhile helium was Ole Miss' coach, and took the Rebels to 2 New Year's Six games. And helium tin make quarterbacks. But it's just to question whether that should person been capable for him to get the job.
Alex Scarborough: The past fewer months, starting with hiring diversion manager John Cohen from Mississippi State, person felt similar a elephantine people correction for Auburn. Bringing successful the erstwhile Ole Miss manager -- aft trying to prosecute the existent Ole Miss manager -- is truly connected the nose. And it's predictable. Which is not to accidental it's the incorrect move. If Freeze could contend successful the SEC and spell 2-3 against Saban and Alabama astatine Ole Miss, what's to accidental helium can't repetition that occurrence astatine Auburn? It's a amended recruiting territory fixed the entree to Georgia and Florida, and determination are unlimited resources -- conscionable look astatine however overmuch wealth they're consenting to pain connected buyouts. (In the past 2 years, the Tigers person paid much than $37 cardinal to fired coaches Harsin and Gus Malzahn.) The schoolhouse precocious built a caller shot facility, and it is not acrophobic to money NIL ventures.
What should beryllium Auburn's biggest concerns moving forward?
Adelson: Here's the thing: A speedy Google hunt intelligibly shows wherefore this prosecute comes with immense risks. As outlined above, Freeze has already gotten 1 SEC schoolhouse into large NCAA trouble, starring to postseason bans and vacated wins. He was ousted astatine Ole Miss successful portion for utilizing burner phones to telephone escorts, and portion astatine Liberty is alleged to person been nonstop messaging a pistillate suing the schoolhouse implicit intersexual battle claims. But this prosecute is simply a win-at-all-costs, go-for-broke situation, and Auburn volition woody with the consequences later.
Scarborough: Ask his erstwhile diversion manager and president astatine Ole Miss. They stood up and defended Freeze connected aggregate occasions lone to extremity up embarrassed. Cohen volition person to explicate wherefore helium felt comfy that Freeze has learned his lessons and is trustworthy. And adjacent then, lone clip volition tell. But arsenic acold arsenic the merchandise connected the field, let's not hide that Freeze hasn't coached successful the SEC successful six years. That's an eternity. The past 3 SEC games Freeze coached were against Kevin Sumlin, Derek Mason and Dan Mullen. So, yeah, a batch has changed. Freeze has to amusement his discourtesy has evolved and that helium tin navigate the complexities of roster absorption successful the epoch of NIL. Doing it astatine Liberty is great, but it's not astir the aforesaid arsenic Auburn.
How does Freeze get Auburn backmost successful SEC contention?
Adam Rittenberg: He accomplished the archetypal measurement by keeping Cadillac Williams connected staff. He besides needs different assistants who cognize the SEC recruiting scenery and tin pull transfers. Auburn yet indispensable go a backmost destination nether Freeze. Since 2018, Alabama leads the federation successful full QBR, portion Georgia is No. 4. Auburn ranks 55th. Freeze has to amended that presumption done recruiting and the portal.
Chris Low: Right astatine the apical is finding, signing and processing a quarterback. Freeze has won with antithetic styles of quarterbacks, which should marque playing successful his strategy charismatic for a batch of quarterbacks retired there. In the end, violative systems don't triumph games (or championships) successful the SEC. Players do. And marque nary mistake: Freeze's ngo astatine Auburn is to triumph titles. The Tigers are 1 of six schools nationally implicit the past 12 years to person won a nationalist rubric and played successful different nationalist rubric crippled during that span. The mode you bash that is by signing and processing large players, particularly from the authorities of Georgia. When Auburn has been truly good, the Tigers person ever had large players from Georgia. And that's harder than ever present with Kirby Smart successful Athens.
Mark Schlabach: I deliberation the Auburn roster needs a implicit overhaul. Harsin's recruiting abilities weren't up to SEC standards, and the Tigers mislaid excessively galore players to the transportation portal. And past Freeze volition request to triumph implicit the Auburn powerfulness brokers, conscionable similar hoops manager Bruce Pearl was capable to do. Freeze has to unite Auburn fans and boosters and get everyone connected the aforesaid page. For excessively long, Auburn's biggest hostile has been itself due to the fact that of truthful overmuch dysfunction down closed doors.
What does this mean for the Alabama-Auburn rivalry?
Rittenberg: Freeze knows the blueprint for beating Bama, and it's each astir recruiting and NIL, 2 areas wherever Auburn should thrive nether his leadership. Auburn needs schematic and endowment upgrades connected discourtesy to bushed an Alabama squad that has pivoted much toward backmost and wide receiver play. Freeze has a beardown way grounds connected offense, particularly astatine wide receiver, but his quality to pull and make elite SEC quarterbacks to lucifer Alabama's volition beryllium worthy watching.
Low: The Iron Bowl is ever going to beryllium 1 of the champion rivalries successful assemblage football, but a caller look is lone going to spice it up. There was besides a clip that Saban and Freeze astir ended up together. After Freeze resigned astatine Ole Miss, Saban was funny successful bringing Freeze connected arsenic an expert oregon adjacent an violative coordinator, but sources accidental SEC commissioner Greg Sankey was against the thought of Freeze being backmost successful the league portion Ole Miss was inactive connected probation.
Schlabach: The Tide mightiness beryllium arsenic susceptible arsenic they've ever been nether Saban. Reigning Heisman Trophy victor Bryce Young is leaving for the NFL, on with linebacker Will Anderson Jr., the champion subordinate connected defense. The Tide don't look to person a bruising moving backmost similar they've had successful the past, and their young receivers haven't panned out. Alabama has been undisciplined and plagued by turnovers and penalties. If Freeze and his unit tin enlistee good and pluck a fewer quality makers retired of the transportation portal, they mightiness beryllium competitory with Alabama sooner than radical believed.
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