Hugh Freeze kept telling us he was close, and he probably thought that sounded like a reason for Auburn to keep him. In fact, it became just another reason to fire him.
As badly as Freeze failed for three years in his attempts to fix Auburn’s offense, the Tigers came close to winning a lot more games. Eject Freeze and hire someone who can install a quarterback and elevate the offense, and close losses become victories.
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That’s the idea, anyway, as Auburn embarks on its third coaching search in a span of six seasons.
You’ve probably heard Auburn ranks as the third-best SEC job on the market. That doesn’t doom this search. Sometimes, the best hires sneak up on you. Two years ago, only college football diehards knew of Curt Cignetti.
Anyway, only one school can hire Lane Kiffin. After that, the hiring pool is a murky pond for everyone who’s fishing. Bait the hook, and cast a line.
While Kiffin’s decision looms over other searches, Auburn enjoys clarity there. Kiffin rejected Auburn when this job last opened. No need to travel that road again. Auburn is free to sprint in another direction and beat its rivals to the destination.
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Recruits still want to play for Auburn, as shown in Hugh Freeze era
Talented players want to play for Auburn. They have for many years. Auburn sits within a fertile cornucopia of recruits, just 100 miles from the fringes of Atlanta and Birmingham. For all of Freeze’s shortcomings, he signed two top-10 classes. If his successor retains some of that talent, especially off a sturdy defense, all the better.
These past five seasons proved Auburn fans should never be accused of being fair-weather. In the worst of times, Jordan-Hare Stadium filled to capacity, with the home crowd creating an vibrant scene lost on bad teams.
That ravenous fan base should become part of the sales pitch. A strong hire is one who’ll convert hunger from fans and boosters into NIL momentum. Consider what Bruce Pearl did for Auburn basketball.
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Gene Chizik won a national championship at Auburn. Gus Malzahn reached the title game. One need not be Nick Saban to thrive on the Plains, although another Cam Newton sure would help.
The SEC schedule guarantees tough games against Alabama and Georgia every season. At least these are not the times of 2020 Alabama or 2022 Georgia.
An alarmist who paints with the brush of hyperbole would be tempted to declare Auburn dead, as the Tigers sink toward a fifth consecutive losing season. I just don’t buy that about a school that opened a $92 million team facility a few years ago, or for a program that’s playing with one of the SEC’s best defenses, even in this sad season.
If Josh Heupel can resurrect Tennessee after more than a decade of dysfunction, if Cignetti can ignite a basketball school, if Missouri can win 27 games since the start of the 2023 season, then Auburn can morph a playoff team.
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Bryan Harsin and Freeze took Auburn to rock bottom. The first went bust from the start, an aloof interloper ill-suited to the SEC. The successor fit culturally, but his offensive touch had grown tired and stale. Plus, in this era in which everyone buys players, Freeze lacked a super skill.
So, who’s the fixer? Auburn needs someone who’ll galvanize donors, win recruiting battles and owns an active membership to the offensive guru club. Same traits needed by LSU and Florida.
Who will replace Hugh Freeze? 9 candidates Auburn may consider
Auburn coaching candidates: Rhett Lashlee, Brent Key must be on list
Let’s get the prerequisite out of the way first: Make Urban say no!
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Once that is off the chest, I might progress with Rhett Lashlee. He knows the landscape, having spent a few years on Malzahn’s staff. He coordinated Auburn’s offense for the 2013 national runner-up team. Just how attached is Lashlee to that contract extension he received from SMU?
Georgia Tech’s Brent Key would fix Auburn’s offensive line. He’s from a Birmingham suburb, too.
Outsider Jeff Brohm thrived at more difficult outposts to win than Auburn, but a kidnapping plot might be required to get him onto the Plains from Louisville, his hometown and alma mater.
Tulane’s Jon Sumrall will surface. He grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, and he’s spent most of his career in the southeast. He previously won inside Alabama at Troy, although he’s not exactly leaping over the bar set by his Tulane predecessor, Willie Fritz.
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I like South Florida’s Alex Golesh more from the Group of Five ranks. He previously coordinated Heupel’s No. 1-ranked offense in 2022 when the Vols beat Alabama.
This hire will inherit a program stuck in its worst place in the past 75 years, but the Auburn elevator goes both ways. Anyway, the Tigers are close to being better. Freeze insisted we knew that much. He couldn’t accomplish the task. That’s why he’s unemployed. This job demands a resuscitator who can finish.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network’s senior national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Who will Auburn hire? Tigers need a reviver who can finish
