Hugh Freeze hot seat: Paul Finebaum takes pulse of future as Auburn head coach

Hugh Freeze is hanging on by a thread to the Auburn coaching job, but he might not have it much longer. Paul Finebaum believes the clock is ticking for the Tigers head man to make something happen fast.

Finebaum appeared on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Monday to discuss how things look for Freeze amid an 0-4 start to SEC play. The SEC Network analyst didn’t mince words, saying this Saturday against Arkansas is a must-win for the coach’s chances of keeping his job.

“I thought if he could win Saturday he could have some momentum because then you could sell the crowd on, ‘We only have three losses. Maybe we can get to Alabama,'” Finebaum said. “But now that seems to be gone. The schedule doesn’t look that difficult, except they still have a road game at Vanderbilt, which looks incredibly difficult. I think a loss Saturday, tell me what argument you could make to retain him. You now have five losses with Vanderbilt and Alabama ahead.

“I just think the goodwill has gone. I’m not trying to read the tea leaves, but it seems like more and more people are just flat out saying he was a mistake. I don’t think he was a mistake. I agreed with the decision. I’m not going to be hypocrytical about it. I don’t think it’s as urgent to unload him as it was Billy Napier. I also wish Hugh Freeze would just be very careful what he says. I think he’s hurt himself with public comments. I think he needs to show strength, not weakness. There is an incredibly narrow path for him to save his job, but I think the clock it ticking very loudly for him.”

Freeze took over the program in 2023 after Auburn fired Bryan Harsin only eight games into the second season of his tenure. A former coach at Ole Miss who twice beat Nick Saban and Alabama, there was optimism among Tigers fans that he was the right man to turn things around.

They were willing to give him some patience after a 6-7 finish in his inaugural season, and even after he went 5-7 the following year. But as he continues to lose this year, that patience is running out.

An overtime loss against Missouri this past weekend may have been the final straw. Once again, Auburn had some self-inflicted wounds, including a missed field goal in overtime, to cost itself the game.

All of Auburn’s losses this season have come by 10 points or fewer, which has led to a narrative that the team has been just a couple of plays away in almost every game. Of course, as the losses pile up, that argument grows tired.

“Auburn football fans deserve better,” Finebaum said. “The Auburn family deserves better. Because this guy just simply has not delivered. You cannot argue with the statistics. Finding a way to lose is one of the worst ways to retain your job because you give fans no faith. You have to win some games.

“I realize it came down to some kicks and there’s not much you can do about that midway through the season. How many times this year have we said, ‘They should’ve won the game?’ But the truth is they’ve lost all these games and Hugh Freeze’s argument to be retained is almost nonexistent. That’s really the problem for John Cohen and the people that run Auburn.”