When Auburn announced the firing of head football coach Gus Malzahn on Sunday, the Tigers fanbase was filled with renewed expectations.
Expectations that — having pulled the trigger on a $21.45 million buyout — Auburn already had Malzahn’s permanent replacement lined up. Expectations that — having made that investment — Auburn was going all-in on a home-run hire. Expectations that there was a plan.
Instead, Monday came and went without any update, bringing Tuesday’s news that Auburn had formed an advisory committee and hired a search firm based in Atlanta.
However, the biggest head-scratcher in the entire situation came when concerted leaks began popping up suggesting that defensive coordinator and interim head coach Kevin Steele is supposedly emerging as the frontrunner for the permanent gig.
That proposition raises several serious questions, chief among them: “Really?”
However, the absurdity of buying out Malzahn just to make a lateral-at-best hire in Steele aside, SI’s Pat Forde noted, “that also would be the Auburn-est hire imaginable.”
“Would a school pay more than $21 million to buy out a coach only to hire his assistant? A guy who had a 9-36 record as a head coach at Baylor—including a 1-31 conference record? One school might,” Forde continued.
Another key point to note in the pro-Steele leaks is the equally anti-Hugh Freeze bent of the same reports.
Freeze’s Liberty squad impressively went 9-1 this season, putting the former Ole Miss coach back near the top of head coaching searches nationwide.
However, Yellowhammer News has learned that there is a reluctance among at least some key Auburn decision makers to even consider Freeze, despite the likelihood that he would give the program a better chance of winning than ho-hum choices like Steele. And, potentially making matters more complicated, there does not appear to be anyone willing to stick their neck out and strongly advocate for Freeze.
Kirk Herbstreit this week probably said it best when it comes to Freeze:
To me, I think you have to look at Hugh Freeze. I think you have to look at what he went through at Ole Miss, how he’s owned that, how he’s talked about that. You have to come to grips with that. You have to see if you can come to grips with that. And if you can, then you hire him — because he’s got an offense. He’s got a system. I think he is very different than Gus offensively even though they get labeled that they’re from the same coaching tree or coaching branch, as far as offensive style. I think he’s different in the pass game. I think he’s got a way about him. He competes. He’s done very well against (Alabama Crimson Tide head coach) Nick Saban in recruiting and competing against him. I don’t know, man. That’s who I would look at.
…
Under these circumstances, Auburn has to decide if they can deal with what Hugh has publicly talked about his past — he’s a man that’s, like all of us, flawed. And he’s talked about that. He’s moved on in life. If they can move on with him, then that’s the direction I would go, personally.
On the opposite end of the equation, sources with direct knowledge of Freeze’s thinking tell Yellowhammer News that he is very much interested in the Auburn position, should the university decision makers be willing to consider him. Freeze has expressed an openness to speaking directly to trustees, boosters and administrators regarding his past and interest in the job.
One source framed it this way: “Hugh could care less about money. He wants to win a national championship. Full stop.”
“Who else on Auburn’s list of candidates has beaten Nick Saban, Kirby Smart and Dan Mullen?” asked another.
Other candidates under consideration reportedly include Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal, ULL head coach Billy Napier, UAB head coach Bill Clark and Clemson defensive coordinator Brent Venables.
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
