Sources: Freeze leaves Liberty, takes Auburn job

Hugh Freeze has agreed to a woody to go Auburn's adjacent caput shot coach, sources told ESPN.

An authoritative announcement is expected aboriginal Monday.

Freeze has spent the past 4 seasons astatine Liberty, wherever helium took the Flames to unprecedented heights. He's wide regarded arsenic 1 of the apical violative minds successful the game. This volition beryllium Freeze's 2nd caput coaching stint successful the SEC aft starring Ole Miss' programme from 2012-2016. He bushed Alabama and Nick Saban successful back-to-back seasons successful 2014 and 2015 and capped the 2015 play with the Rebels' archetypal Sugar Bowl triumph since 1970.

But successful the weeks starring up to the commencement of preseason signifier successful 2017, Freeze resigned aft Ole Miss officials discovered that helium had made a bid of calls to a fig associated with a pistillate escort service. Ole Miss was placed connected NCAA probation successful 2017 for violations that occurred successful portion nether Freeze, and the sanctions included a two-year vessel ban.

Freeze, portion cited by the NCAA's Committee connected Infractions for nonaccomplishment to show his adjunct coaches and the school's boosters, did not person a show-cause punishment and "promoted an ambiance of compliance," according to the NCAA report.

New Auburn diversion manager John Cohen, who was hired connected Oct. 31, had narrowed his hunt to Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin and Freeze. Kiffin said connected Saturday helium was staying astatine Ole Miss and signing a caller woody worthy $9 cardinal per year.

Freeze, 53, replaces Bryan Harsin, who was fired connected Oct. 31, 2 days aft Auburn's 41-27 nonaccomplishment to Arkansas astatine home. Harsin was 9-12 wide successful little than 2 seasons astatine Auburn, which experienced repeated struggles connected discourtesy nether Harsin and had trouble sustaining occurrence connected the recruiting trail. Former Auburn diversion manager Allen Greene, who hired Harsin, negotiated a colony with the assemblage to permission successful August. Greene was entering the last 5 months of his contract, and sources told ESPN that his declaration was not going to beryllium renewed aft the season.

Harsin looked similar helium mightiness beryllium retired aft Year 1 and survived a university-directed probe successful January pursuing a wide exodus of players and adjunct coaches. He was retained aft then-school president Jay Gogue said the process "did not output accusation that should alteration the presumption of our coaching unit oregon shot program." Harsin came to Auburn from Boise State and had ne'er antecedently coached successful the SEC. He finished 4-11 against Power 5 opponents astatine Auburn.

Auburn owes Harsin a $15.5 cardinal buyout, and 50 percent of that is owed wrong 30 days of his termination.

Freeze agreed to a caller eight-year woody astatine Liberty successful October with an mean wage of conscionable nether $5 cardinal per year, making him 1 of the highest-paid Group of Five coaches successful the country. Liberty accomplished respective firsts connected Freeze's watch, including the archetypal AP nationalist ranking successful schoolhouse past and the program's archetypal wins implicit an ACC and SEC school.

Freeze becomes Auburn's 3rd antithetic caput manager successful the past 4 years. Gus Malzahn, presently astatine UCF, was fired astatine the extremity of the 2020 season. Harsin lasted parts of 2 seasons earlier being fired. The Tigers past won an SEC title successful 2013, Malzahn's archetypal play arsenic caput coach, and besides played successful the BCS nationalist title crippled that play and mislaid to Florida State.

Over the past 12 seasons, Auburn has either won a nationalist title (2010) oregon played for a nationalist title (2013). Only 5 different schools successful assemblage shot tin marque that assertion during that span -- Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, LSU and Ohio State.