Auburn hires Hugh Freeze as head football coach

Former Ole Miss coach brings significant upside and risk

Freeze resigned from Ole Miss in 2017 amid a pattern of personal misconduct

Auburn University has hired Hugh Freeze as its next head football coach, a move that comes with both significant upside on the field and the risk of embarrassment off it. Freeze, 53, was fired by Ole Miss in 2017 after an investigation revealed a pattern of personal misconduct, including making inappropriate phone calls to a female escort service. He was also found to have misled university officials about his actions. Despite his checkered past, Freeze is widely considered one of the top offensive minds in college football. He led Ole Miss to a 39-25 record in five seasons, including a Sugar Bowl victory in 2015. Auburn athletic director John Cohen said he is confident that Freeze has learned from his mistakes and is committed to leading Auburn with integrity. "Hugh Freeze is a proven winner with a track record of success on the field," Cohen said in a statement. "He is also a man of faith who is committed to our values of integrity, sportsmanship and academic excellence." Freeze said he is grateful for the opportunity to coach at Auburn and that he is committed to building a championship program with integrity. "I am humbled and honored to be the head football coach at Auburn University," Freeze said in a statement. "I am committed to building a program that our fans can be proud of, both on and off the field." Freeze's hiring is a major coup for Auburn, which has been searching for a new coach since firing Bryan Harsin in October. Freeze is a proven winner with a track record of success, and he is expected to bring excitement back to the Auburn football program. However, Freeze's hiring also comes with some risk. Freeze's past misconduct could become a distraction for the program, and it is possible that he could face further discipline from the NCAA. Only time will tell whether Freeze will be able to overcome his past and lead Auburn to success on the field. But one thing is for sure: his hiring is sure to bring excitement back to the Plains.