Tuberville: Auburn must 'make the right decision' after Freeze firing amid crowded market

Former Auburn coach and current U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville weighed in on Auburn’s latest coaching vacancy during a Thursday morning radio interview on Fox Sports’ show Off the Mark.

Tuberville offered perspective from both his coaching background and his long ties to the program.

Tuberville, who led the Tigers from 1999 to 2008, said he remains close with Hugh Freeze and acknowledged the difficulties that led to Auburn’s decision to move on after just two-plus seasons.

“Hugh Freeze and I are good friends. Defense played well, but the offensive line didn’t improve,” Tuberville said.

“The main thing is, and Hugh knows this, for three years our quarterback didn’t develop. You have to have a quarterback in these days of ‘chunk and duck’ offenses. A quarterback has to be able to make a big play out of a bad play when protection breaks down.”

Tuberville pointed to players like NFL superstar Patrick Mahomes and former Auburn quarterback Bo Nix, who is thriving in the NFL, as examples of what separates good teams from great ones.

“You have to have that extra guy on the field,” he said. “It didn’t happen for Hugh.”

While Tuberville said he’s generally not in favor of midseason firings, he acknowledged athletic director John Cohen’s responsibility to make the right hire.

“I don’t make those calls. Cohen made that call and he’s got to make sure he makes this right decision because people have to pay consequences. The Auburn people deserve better than what they’re getting right now. There’s a lot of money being spent,” Tuberville said.

Tuberville noted he was in the crowd during Auburn’s recent loss to Kentucky and was struck by the fan support despite the struggles. “It was packed,” he said. “People were there.”

Looking ahead, Tuberville said the upcoming coaching carousel could get competitive.

“There are a lot of openings, so there will have to be a fight over them,” he said. “I hope we don’t get in a fight with these agents because these agents are running the price up.”

Does Tuberville have opinions on who Auburn should hire? Sure, but he’s keeping those to himself.

“I have several suggestions, but I’m not on that selection board. It doesn’t make a difference what I think,” he said. “I hope they get somebody — I thought Hugh was a good fit. Results matter. The next guy will have the same problems, so he has to get the job done. If he doesn’t get it done, then move on down the road.”

Still, Tuberville expressed confidence Auburn will rebound.

“We went through five Alabama coaches while I was at Auburn. We’re on the same track at Auburn,” he said. “It’ll work out. Fans, just keep supporting. When it gets back to the top, you’ll really enjoy that.”