The Auburn Tigers have finally moved on from head coach Hugh Freeze, announcing his dismissal from the program following what was an absolutely dreadful home loss to the Kentucky Wildcats.

Now, while there are still three final games of the season and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin takes over as interim head coach with matchups against Vanderbilt and Alabama on the horizon, a search for the next coach is going to begin immediately behind the scenes.

Here are six real candidates who could wind up with the job, following a full search, in no particular order.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane HC

Sumrall is seen as the top candidate for the Auburn job by many, but if the Tigers want to hire him, they likely are going to have competition. Arguably the top option at the Group of 5 level at all, Sumrall has been on the radar of big-time programs for years now and is all but guaranteed to take his next step this cycle.

Prior to arriving at Tulane, the Huntsville native led the Troy Trojans to back-to-back Sun Belt titles and has been an assistant at both Kentucky and Ole Miss, as well as playing at Kentucky. In terms of familiarity with the SEC, a proven track record of success, and a willingness to embrace all that makes Auburn great, this would be a slam dunk.

James Franklin, former Penn State HC

Franklin was fired by the Nittany Lions following a shocking run of three straight losses that included defeats against both UCLA and Northwestern after falling in overtime to the Oregon Ducks. While the perception may be that he cannot win big games due to coming close with no cigar so many times against the Ohio State and Michigan type programs of the world, the truth is that Franklin won a ton of games in State College.

Franklin took Penn State to the national semifinal last year, has won at least 11 games four times, and has had an overall 104–45 record with a ton of bowl game success as well. Auburn needs to raise their overall floor significantly after two consecutive disaster hires, and hiring someone like Franklin would be a wonderful way to do just that.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri HC

Taking over a Tigers program that was a complete disaster before he arrived, Drinkwitz has become among the most notable head coaches in the conference with a complete revitalization of Missouri and brought them to the upper echelon of the SEC. He has won double-digit games twice and could do the same this year, coming off consecutive bowl wins.

A proven winner in the conference, Auburn will have competition if they decide that Drinkwitz is their man, but it would be tough for him to not be convinced to return to The Plains after he had his first quality control job in college football there. This would universally be a hire that fans would be on board with. The problem is getting him to say yes to you over other opportunities, or even staying at Missouri.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State HC

Dillingham took over a program in Arizona State — his alma mater — that was picked to finish last in the Big 12 last season. Instead, he won 11 games and the conference title, taking the Sun Devils to the College Football Playoff and playing right with Texas until the bitter end. Not only can Dillingham clearly coach at a high level, but he also has experience at Auburn.

Serving as Auburn’s offensive coordinator back in 2019, Dillingham spent time at Florida State and Oregon as well before taking over at Arizona State. An exciting, young, proven winner, bringing Dillingham in is another task that would be tough given the other competition, but would be phenomenal if they can get it done.

DJ Durkin, Auburn Interim HC

Durkin has obviously led a Tigers defense this season, which has been among the best in all of college football, and though his tenure at Maryland ended in controversy, he was starting to experience some success there. For the last three games of the season, Durkin is now under an unofficial tryout for the gig, and while he likely has to beat Vanderbilt and Alabama to make it happen, if he can there’s a real chance the job is his.

Keeping Durkin would be the best way to retain most of what is a very talented roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball. It wouldn’t be flashy, but it would have support.

Dabo Swinney, Clemson HC

Admittedly, this one is a complete long shot. But you couldn’t draw up a better personality fit for Auburn, and things are starting to head south for Swinney at Clemson. He won’t be fired, but is it possible that he is starting to grow tired of being there? It’s not out of the realm of possibility.

Swinney at heart, is still an Alabama guy after playing on the 1992 Crimson Tide national title team, but after not being considered in the Alabama coaching search when Nick Saban retired, perhaps there was enough sting there that he now wants to go and beat his alma mater.

If you’re Auburn, it can’t hurt to at least give him a call.