Hugh Freeze’s comments have landed him in hot water at different times throughout his college football coaching career. Therefore, during Monday’s press conference, where he appeared to blame some of his Auburn players for the team’s disappointing season, it wasn’t particularly surprising.
The Auburn head coach addressed the aftermath of the Tigers’ 27-21 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners and attempted to clarify why the team’s 2-3 start in the 2024 college football season doesn’t truly reflect the program’s progress. Freeze began by expressing gratitude to the students and fans for their support, noting that the players are “gutted” about the situation. He emphasized his responsibility in restoring “the glory” and the importance of “building up Auburn men.”
He then criticized his predecessor, Bryan Harsin, as well as the players who were part of the roster before his arrival.
“I think you all are aware of what we inherited,” he said. “Our AD has done a marvelous job of explaining that. He did to me before I took the job, with the previous recruiting classes not being what you need to compete at a high level. And 57 transfers out in the previous three years before my arrival.”
After Freeze was asked if fan expectations were realistic given the program he inherited, the coach doubled down on his assessments.
“I won’t comment on what happened before I was here,” he said. “The roster was what it was. Everybody can make their own determination on that, on how many people left and the recruiting rankings and what was brought in.”
Hugh Freeze on the state of the Auburn program he inherited: “The roster was what it was. Everybody can make their own determination on that…” pic.twitter.com/JvRFHkv1ur
— Auburn Tigers | AL.com (@aldotcomTigers) September 30, 2024
Freeze pointed out that whenever he discusses “how something really is,” he gets accused of “throwing somebody under the bus.”
While he makes a valid point about the disappointing Harsin Era, he is in his second season after finishing 6-7 last year. Tiger fans reasonably expect the program to return to its winning tradition. Notably, Vegas shared this sentiment, making Auburn the betting favorite in all five of their games this season, which were all home games.
Freeze’s most notable comment came when he described the game plan against Oklahoma. He stated, “Honestly, it’s one of the better game plans that a staff has put together in my time,” despite the resulting 27-21 loss at home.
These remarks came after Freeze declared that Auburn would beat Arkansas 9 times out of 10, following their 24-14 defeat to the Razorbacks.
There has been considerable talk about how Auburn “could very easily be undefeated,” from both Freeze and ESPN commentators. However, the reality is that they are 2-3 and facing a challenging schedule with Georgia, Missouri, Kentucky, and Alabama still ahead. If Freeze hopes to remain at the helm long enough to realize his vision for Auburn, he needs to start winning games rather than making excuses.
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