How Hugh Freeze Firing Impacts UCLA's Coaching Vacancy

The Bruins have one of the most interesting head coaching vacancies, but yet another big program just became available.

Oct 25, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze prior to the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Ever since the UCLA Bruins relieved second-year head coach DeShaun Foster of his duties, things have been trending up in Westwood.

Interim head coach Tim Skipper has done a tremendous job reshaping UCLA's culture since taking the team over when it was 0-3. The Bruins' coaching vacancy was one of the earliest, most intriguing gigs on the carousel. That was until bomb after bomb dropped, the latest being Auburn firing head coach Hugh Freeze.

The Tigers gig immediately becomes one of the most appealing vacancies on the coaching carousel, so where does it now rank UCLA's opening among the 12 major jobs.

The Athletic's Chris Vannini revisited the best openings in college football following the Napier firing, and his ranking of the job openings was as follows:

1. LSU
2. Penn State
3. Florida
4. Auburn
5. Arkansas
6. UCLA
7. Oklahoma State
8. Virginia Tech
9. Stanford
10. Oregon State
11. Colorado State
12. UAB

Oct 18, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze reacts after a play during the fourth quarter against the Missouri Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | John Reed-Imagn Images

The Athletic's estimated valuation of UCLA is set at $343 million, which ties it for 43rd among Power 4 programs. Vannini gave the Bruins' vacancy a B grade. Here's what he had to say:

• "The idea of UCLA has long seemed better than the reality of UCLA. The Bruins haven’t won a conference championship since 1998 and haven’t posted a 10-win season in more than a decade. Fan apathy is showing up in the attendance figures at the Rose Bowl, and the athletic department’s financial problems have been piling up — the Bruins have been operating at a cumulative deficit of over $200 million over the last five years.

• "But it’s a Big Ten job in Southern California. That doesn’t mean all Big Ten jobs are better than all ACC or Big 12 jobs. But it means the Bruins’ ceiling and the floor should be higher, and the path to success is easy to envision.

UCLA's interim head coach Tim Skipper celebrates after a Bruins touchdown against Michigan State during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 11, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

• "The school needs a coach capable of setting up a better recruiting operation in California and exciting the fans and donors to spend for success. The expectation should be annual bowl games with periodic 10-win seasons."

The prospect of the UCLA coaching job has been vastly underrated by many outlets this season. Yes, the Bruins have been down over the last few years, but, as Vannini points out, there's a lot more to the job than just the recent success of the team.

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