Auburn has ‘one name at the top’ of coaching search after firing Hugh Freeze

Following Hugh Freeze's firing, one Auburn head coach candidate already emerged as the top option, according to 'industry sources'

Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze walks off the field | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Following weeks of speculation and another loss Saturday night for the Tigers, Auburn pulled the plug on head football coach Hugh Freeze. His firing was all but confirmed by the 10-3 defeat at home against a Kentucky team that was winless in the SEC, but on Sunday, the school made a decision to move in another direction.

That news came right down the middle of the strike zone for college football pundits, who were waiting for the inevitable Freeze news to hit the streets of X on the heels of Saturday's debacle. Just moments after reports of Freeze's firing broke, On3's Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman hopped on YouTube live to react and pitch their early thoughts on the Auburn coaching search that just began.

"I haven't even looked at your hot board yet, but I'm assuming that it's probably a collection of similar names," Wasserman guessed and asked Staples, who was more certain of a particular name that's dominating the Auburn rumor mill.

"Well, there's one name at the top that's been bandied about for awhile," Staples shared. "This guy is on every other list, but we put him on every other list by saying he'll probably get the Auburn job. I don't know that he'll definitely get the Auburn job."

Andy Staples names top Auburn option

Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Per Staples, that man is the current head coach of Tulane, and former head coach at Troy, Jon Sumrall.

"I think Jon Sumrall from Tulane is the guy that you'd be looking at as kinda quintessential for this job," Staples asserted, referencing his accolades. "He won two Sun Belt titles at Troy, he played linebacker in the SEC at Kentucky, he's worked at Ole Miss. He's been good since he's been at Tulane. He's from Alabama originally."

With SEC experience, in-state ties and success as a head coach at two different Group of Five programs in the Southeastern part of the country, Sumrall is primed for a power conference gig. Andy Staples believes Auburn might just be the one for him, and him a good fit on the plains as well.

"Like, this is a guy who I think is the profile you want at Auburn," he added. "And this is the one that, I think, most people in the industry feel like is going to be the No. 1 candidate for this job."

Jon Sumrall has been mentioned as a possible option at Arkansas or LSU or Florida — though none too seriously — while Kentucky, where he both played and coached linebackers under Mark Stoops, appears to be the other job that could open which would definitely consider Sumrall heavily. Either way, it sounds like his days in New Orleans could be coming to a close soon, if he so chooses.