Five candidates to replace Hugh Freeze as Auburn’s head coach

Auburn fired head coach Hugh Freeze on Sunday, who posted a 15–19 overall mark in his three seasons with the Southeastern Conference school. A little later on Sunday, Tigers athletics director John Cohen officially announced the news of Freeze being let go.

Freeze’s buyout is $15.44 million, according to USA Today, and Auburn’s decision to part ways with him is another step toward 2025 potentially being a record year for buyouts amid a frenetic coaching carousel.

Five possible candidates to replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn

Jimbo Fisher, former Texas A&M head coach

Fisher won a national championship as the head coach at Florida State. He also has deep ties to the SEC. He served as Auburn’s quarterbacks coach in the 1990s, and Fisher was also the head coach at Texas A&M from 2018-23.

James Franklin, former Penn State head coach

The Nittany Lions fired Franklin in October, although he did lead Penn State to the College Football Playoff semifinal round a season ago. Franklin has been rumored as a potential front-runner for the opening at Virginia Tech, but Auburn leaders will gauge his interest in the Tigers’ job. Franklin, before guiding Penn State, was also in the SEC as the head coach at Vanderbilt from 2011-13.

Alex Golesh, South Florida head coach

Golesh is a hot prospect as a candidate for big power-conference openings. A few years ago, he was the offensive coordinator and tight ends coach at SEC school Tennessee. In his three campaigns with South Florida, Golesh is 20-14 overall. This season, the Bulls are 6-2 and in the hunt for a berth in the 12-team College Football Playoff.

Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach

Key grew up in the state of Alabama and also served as the offensive line coach for the Crimson Tide from 2016-18. In his four seasons at Georgia Tech, the Yellow Jackets have gone 26-17 overall. Although Georgia Tech suffered its first defeat this season over the weekend, the Yellow Jackets are 8-1 and in the hunt for an Atlantic Coast Conference championship and a berth in the CFP.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach

Sumrall has a ton of SEC ties. He played linebacker at Kentucky and also served as co-defensive coordinator of the Wildcats. He was also the linebackers coach at Ole Miss. As the head coach at Troy, Sumrall went 23–4, and he is 15–7 so far in two seasons with Tulane. The Green Wave, in 2025, are a CFP contender.