ESPN's 'Impatient Index' Sets Its Sights Firmly on Auburn Tigers' Hugh Freeze

It's no secret that the Auburn Tigers need to produce more wins in Hugh Freeze's third season, and he has the squad to get them.

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze understands he needs results in his third year on The Plains. | Photo by Austin Perryman

ESPN released its inaugural College Football Impatience Index on Monday, a measure of which of the sport’s fan bases most want to see improvement. Teams were on the index for one of four reasons: desired return on NIL investment, seeking a breakthrough into the College Football Playoff, championship aspirations, and coaches on the hot seat.

The Auburn Tigers and head coach Hugh Freeze took the second spot in the final segment behind just Florida State’s Mike Norvell.

“Freeze is the type of coach who generates a range of reactions, mostly for things he has said or done away from the football field,” Adam Rittenberg wrote on ESPN. “He also made sense for Auburn when the school hired him in late 2022. Despite an initial SEC exile, Freeze was always coming back to the conference, where he recruited well and won big at times with Ole Miss, even taking down Nick Saban's Alabama teams in 2014 and 2015.”

The Tigers are 11-14 under Freeze during his first two seasons on The Plains, with an SEC record of just 5-11. With other programs such as Ole Miss, Missouri, and Florida trending upward recently, Auburn has seemingly fallen behind. The Tigers suffered home losses to both California and Vanderbilt last season, Auburn’s first loss to the Commodores in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Additionally, the Tigers have struggled mightily in Freeze’s area of expertise: the offense. Auburn’s offense was ranked No. 71 in scoring last season and No. 105 in turnovers lost in 2024, far from the expectations of the fanbase in Freeze’s second season.

However, Auburn’s 2024 and 2025 recruiting classes under Freeze saw reason for optimism. The classes ranked No. 10 and No. 8, respectively. Freeze brought in three five-stars across the two seasons, including the highest-rated wide receiver in program history in Cam Coleman. And, with the exception of quarterback Walker White’s transfer to Baylor, those classes have remained largely intact.

Unfortunately, the recruiting has taken a severe downturn for the 2026 class to this point. Auburn ranks just No. 70 in the nation as the calendar flips to August, behind teams such as Appalachian State, USF, and Sacramento State, a program that is currently playing at the FCS level.

The recruiting struggles have made many Auburn fans feel like the program has a small window and needs to take advantage of its short time with talents like Coleman, Georgia Tech transfer Eric Singleton Jr, and the quarterback tandem of Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold and true freshman Deuce Knight over the next few seasons.

So, to say there is pressure on Freeze and the rest of the Tiger coaching staff heading into the 2025 season would be a gross understatement. However, there are reasons for optimism. Jackson Arnold has been impressing in camp so far, with Freeze saying that the transfer is steadily building confidence as the season gets closer.

The running back room, though missing a headliner like Jarquez Hunter, is very deep this season. The Tigers’ defensive line is led by a potential top-10 NFL Draft pick in Keldric Faulk. The new-look linebacking corps has flashed repeatedly in camp, and the secondary might be the deepest unit Auburn has had in years.

All of those rooms, combined with one of the strongest offensive lines in the SEC on paper and a dynamic receiving rotation, mean that, though there is pressure on the Auburn coaching staff, there is also a new level of talent on the roster. 

“His situation also isn't helped by the success of Auburn's other coaching target, Lane Kiffin, who is 21-5 with two AP top-11 finishes during the past two seasons,” Rittenberg continued. “Freeze understands the SEC climate and that three seasons without a major bowl appearance or a CFP push could mean the end. Auburn hasn't won more than six games since 2019 and expects better, given its investment.”

Though the fanbase might be impatient, the coaching staff and players seem to be bought into Freeze’s message of being “expectant.” That confidence is a marked change compared to Freeze’s first two years on the Plains, and should have the Auburn faithful feeling encouraged rather than anxious for 2025.