Does Auburn HC Hugh Freeze Feel Like He is Coaching for His Job?

Hot seat talks for Hugh Freeze continue to grow after Auburn suffered back-to-back losses to open SEC play.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze could be fighting for his job after back-to-back losses in his third season. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala.-- After back-to-back losses in his third season with the Auburn Tigers, which comes after back-to-back losing seasons to begin his tenure, head coach Hugh Freeze finds himself the target of constant criticism.

As the criticism grows, so do the calls for his firing from the Auburn fanbase, eager for success after a dry spell of football dominance pre-dating Freeze's hiring ahead of the 2023 season.

While the hot seat talks are back, Freeze does not believe he is coaching for his job on Saturday as the Tigers host No. 10 Georgia.

"No, I don't pay attention to any of that," he said during Wednesday's SEC Coaches Teleconference. "I know that, of course, I'm a person of faith, and I know that my story is being written way above my pay grade, and I know we're doing things the right way here, and when we're getting closer each game.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze had losing seasons in each of his first two seasons. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

A large part of the fanbase's dissatisfaction with the Freeze Era is Auburn's struggles against SEC opponents and against ranked opponents. Since his hiring, the Tigers are 3-13 in SEC play and 1-10 against ranked opponents.

Those trends do not look good for Auburn at the moment with six of its final seven games of the season coming against SEC opponents, four of which are currently ranked. The Tigers are coming off of back-to-back losses against now-top 10 SEC opponents after defeats to Oklahoma and Texas A&M.

The Tigers have No. 10 Georgia (Saturday), No. 14 Missouri (Oct. 18), No. 18 Vanderbilt (Nov. 8) and No. 8 Alabama (Nov. 29) on the schedule.

"You're playing three top 10 teams in a row, and we've got an opportunity to knock them off. That's our sole focus," Freeze said. "This is not about me, and it's about our kids and getting them ready to go play in a great rivalry like Georgia."

Should Auburn move on from Freeze, who became the first Auburn coach in 50 years to receive a third season after back-to-back losing seasons, Freeze would receive a buyout of roughly $15.4 million, and the Tigers would begin its third head coaching search since 2020.

Kickoff between Auburn and Georgia is at 6:30 p.m. CT with television coverage on ESPN.