Many Auburn football fans on social media stopped supporting Hugh Freeze after the team’s 24-14 loss to Arkansas in Week 4. The loss dropped Auburn to 2-2 and they were favorites to win the championship with losses to Cal and the Razorbacks.
In fact, “Fire Hugh Freeze” was a popular search term on Twitter even before the score was settled.
Fire, whoosh, freeze. Fire, whoosh, freeze, fire …
β Nash Tiger (@615AuburnSports) September 21, 2024
Last year we beat Cal 14-10 and Arkansas 48-10, both on the road.
This year we lost to Cal 21-14 and to Arkansas 24-14, both at home.
π₯Άπ€‘π₯Άπ€‘π₯Άπ€‘ Fire Hugh Freeze
β Bitter Aubie (@bitteraubie) September 21, 2024
For those who say “year 1 doesn’t matter”, here’s why it matters: This team is poorly coached and not ready to play then or now. Fire Hugh Freeze.
β Chris J. Velazquez (@auburnredwing) September 21, 2024
Please, fire Hugh Freeze now!
β Andy Palys πΊπΈ (@AndyPalys) September 21, 2024
Hugh Freeze fired
β Sov (@ItsTimmyBaby__) September 21, 2024
Auburn will be forced to fire Hugh Freeze
β Brian Barney (@bbarney22) September 21, 2024
But should Auburn actually pull the trigger?
Freeze has a longer grace period than he should, given Auburn’s underwhelming performance under Bryan Harsin, who served as head coach from December 2020 to October 2022.
In other words, Freeze won’t activate. Yet.
The saving grace for Freeze is continued success in recruiting, which would keep him at the helm by acquiring a top-20 class in 2023, a top-10 class in 2024, a top-five class in 2025 and a second class in 2026 during the limited recruiting window. Firing someone who has acquired a top recruiting class every year is not the right way to build a program, especially after firing Gus Malzahn after a stellar class in 2020 with no replacement in place.
But if the on-field losses continue to pile up, Auburn will lose these freshmen. And what happens when those freshmen leave? That’s when the conversation needs to happen.
For now, Freeze should be safe, but his lack of on-field success may soon catch up with him in the new and improved Texas.