On Tuesday, Auburn officially introduced Hugh Freeze as the school’s 31st head football coach.
In the brand new Woltosz Football Performance Center, Freeze and athletics director John Cohen spoke on the hiring process and Freeze’s future plans at Auburn.
The first big news of the day was the announcement that interim head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams would be retained on Freeze’s staff, being promoted to the role of assistant head coach while also remaining in his previous role of running backs coach.
“Coach Freeze asked me to stay on and join his staff as associate head coach. I accepted the position and am excited about working with him and learning from him. I ask the Auburn family to join me in supporting coach Freeze and getting Auburn football back on the winning track,” Williams said in a statement on Twitter.
Williams did confirm to reporters that he interviewed for the job of head coach, but was passed over for Freeze.
Outside of if the fan-favorite Williams would be retained or not, the big question heading into Freeze’s first official day on the job was what sort of due diligence Auburn conducted in regards to Freeze’s past.
As the head football coach at Ole Miss and in the high school ranks, Freeze was accused of sexual misconduct. Freeze was fired from Ole Miss after the school found a “pattern” that was “troubling” in regards to using school property to elicit escort services, according to the university.
Freeze was also under scrutiny as the head coach at Liberty, after sending direct messages on Twitter to victims of sexual assault at the school. Liberty as a whole is currently under investigation from the Department of Education in regards to sexual assault, aside from former school president Jerry Fallwell Jr. stepping down recently amid his own sexual scandal.
Cohen said that Auburn conducted a “thoughtful and thorough search” into Freeze and his past. He said he and his search committee talked to “industry experts, teachers, professional and college coaches, law enforcement officials, student-athletes, parents of student-athletes and many others” during the vetting process.
After the review, Cohen and his team decided to move forward with Freeze, signing him to a six year, $39 million dollar contract, which would pay Freeze $6.5 million dollars annually.
After introducing Freeze, Cohen was not made available for further comment.
Freeze was then officially introduced to attendees of the press conference, which included many high ranking members of Auburn athletics and its Board of Trustees, head basketball coach Bruce Pearl, head women’s basketball coach Johnnie Harris, quarterback Robbie Ashford, Director of Football recruiting Trovon Reed, Williams and his family and many others.
Freeze first commended Williams and said that his plan before taking the job was always to keep the former Auburn running back on staff.
“It became very easy,” Freeze said. “I knew I had to keep Cadillac by my side. I am thrilled he will be with us. And for him to teach me.”
Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze holds up a Freeze jersey with newly appointed associate head coach Cadillac Williams and athletics director John Cohen.
The new head coach elaborated that after meeting with coaches like Williams, he met with the team Tuesday morning in what he described as “an incredible first meeting.”
“Every job that I have taken over has had some sort of struggle prior to my arrival, and we have been able to turn it around quickly,” Freeze said.
As for who that “we” will be beside him, Freeze said he has already heard from many prominent football figures across the country who want to potentially join his staff.
“Staff has to drive the culture,” Freeze said. “I have received many texts from big time college football coaches that want to come to this place.”
A few names that are potentially on those text chains could be, but are not limited to, former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron and former Georgia associate head coach Matt Luke. Both men are currently not coaching, and Luke was a former coach under Freeze at Ole Miss.
“I have a list of every position coach,” Freeze said. “We have some guys here. Some where we just came from. Some from all around the country.”
Freeze also admitted he is going to take an introspective look at the future of him as Auburn’s play caller.
During his coaching career, Freeze has called his own offensive plays. With fellow SEC coach Jimbo Fisher in the process of hiring a play calling offensive coordinator, Freeze said he may need to change his ways for Auburn to be successful.
“I have called plays my whole career,” Freeze said. “I am contemplating, if maybe in the new world of rebuilding the Auburn football team, if maybe I should get some help in that.”
Auburn’s current play calling duties are split between wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard and offensive line coach Will Friend. The tandem began split duties after Auburn fired former offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau when the school fired former head coach Bryan Harsin.
In terms of bolstering the roster, Freeze said that the portal will have to be key for Auburn in the coming months. Auburn has added two recruits since the hiring of Freeze, notably flipping four-star defensive lineman Darron Reed from LSU before the Iron Bowl.
But, Freeze admitted that it may be easier for him and his staff to get players already in college than it will be to form relationships with high school recruits, who are now hearing from a third Auburn head coach.
“Year one, the portal will be a big priority,” Freeze said. “I would anticipate being heavy towards the portal.”
Freeze also addressed rumors that he was blacklisted by the SEC by league commissioner Greg Sankey and rumors that he had to relinquish control of his social media accounts as part of his contract.
The coach said the social media relinquishing rumors are “not accurate.” The idea that Sankey tried to make sure schools in the SEC did not hire him, to Freeze, was also not accurate.
Before finishing, Freeze addressed the Auburn fans who may have some hesitation on his hiring.
He asked fans to “please give me a chance to earn your trust.”
He ended his day with what will likely be a saying plastered all around Auburn media for months, if not years to come. In a similar vein to Harsin’s infamous “Just watch,” Freeze added this as his closing remark:
“Auburn is easy to sell. Just come and see.”
Freeze hinted that he will hit the recruiting trail today and begin the coaching hiring process. Auburn has 277 days from today before its first game of the 2022-2023 season against UMASS at home.
