Hugh Freeze admits 'it would be huge' to get public vote of support from John Cohen amid hot seat talk

On Monday, the athletic directors of Florida State and Wisconsin each released statements supporting their respective head coaches amid staff turnover rumors. During a press conference Monday, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze admitted he’d like to hear similar support from AD John Cohen.

“It would be huge. That would make everyone feel a lot better, for sure,” Freeze said. “I haven’t talked to John. I always say John has been so supportive ever since, obviously, my hire. … They have a job to do and, certainly, he has people he has to answer to. I know how close we are. I know I can get this fixed.

“We’re too dang close, and we’ve got to get a little bit better play and a little bit better coaching at a few spots, and I want a chance to fix this. Obviously, I have totally gotten off of all social media. So, I’m not sure what exactly was said in those other cases, but that’s got to be reassuring to those people in that they believe that they can get it fixed.”

On Saturday, Auburn suffered a 23-17 loss to Missouri in a double-overtime thriller. With the loss, Auburn fell to 3-4 on the season.

Hugh Freeze is in his third season as Auburn’s head coach. He’s led Auburn to a 14-18 overall record and a 5-15 mark in conference play during his tenure. After posting six wins in his debut campaign as Auburn’s head coach, Freeze only could secure five victories last season.

Now, unless Freeze propels Auburn to a turnaround, the team is destined for another subpar season. Auburn football hasn’t had a winning season since 2020 when the program finished 6-5.

Moreover, Auburn hasn’t posted a 10-win season since 2017. While Hugh Freeze hasn’t been able to return Auburn to its former heights yet, he believes he’s on the right track.

“Again, I’ve trusted John since I’ve been here to do the right things, and he’s got to do what he feels is best for this program, of course,” Freeze said. “We fit Auburn. I think we fit the Auburn culture. I think the culture in the building has changed. I think the talent level has changed. And, unfortunately, we just haven’t gotten over the hump in a very difficult stretch of games, but I believe that’s coming very, very soon.”

On Saturday, Auburn will have an opportunity to get back in the win column when it squares off against Arkansas on the road. The game will air live on the SEC Network.