Josh Pate warns Auburn against hiring one college football coach

Josh Pate says Auburn fans shouldn’t dismiss this former coach as a possible coaching candidate following Hugh Freeze’s firing, but that he may not be a great fit

College football analyst Josh Pate doesn't believe former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher should be on Auburn athletic director John Cohen's list of replacement coaches for Hugh Freeze. | Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

The fallout from Hugh Freeze’s firing at Auburn quickly turned to speculation about his replacement, and college football analyst Josh Pate wasted no time weighing in. On Sunday’s episode of his College Football Show podcast, Pate addressed a hot board from reporter Pete Nakos that included a name that may not be a great fit: former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher.

Fisher, who received a record $75 million buyout when fired by Texas A&M in 2023, appeared alongside names like Jon Sumrall, James Franklin, and Kenny Dillingham on Nakos’ early list of potential Auburn candidates. The inclusion raised eyebrows, but Pate cautioned fans against laughing it off. He argued that what may seem unrealistic to outsiders could carry weight among Auburn’s most powerful boosters.

Auburn’s coaching carousel has become one of the most volatile in college football, with Freeze becoming the school’s third consecutive head coach fired since 2020. The program’s next move could determine whether it stabilizes or continues its chaotic cycle.

Josh Pate Warns Auburn Against Jimbo Fisher As A Candidate

During his Sunday show, Pate said, “So, Pete Nakos put out the hot board today. And Pete has Jon Sumrall on there. See that second name? Got Jimbo Fisher on there. And as you laugh about Jimbo Fisher being listed, I’m going to tell you, don’t laugh. I’ll come back to that in a second.”

He added that Auburn fans should take note of the dynamics driving these searches. “The first thing I hope Auburn doesn’t do is go down the Jimbo Fisher road. Got nothing against Jimbo Fisher. I know some of you look at that name and you kind of laugh. What’s Nakos doing? He’s putting Jimbo Fisher’s name on that list because there is a pretty big push behind certain scenes to get Jimbo Fisher back into the coaching world.”

Former Texas A&M Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher has been linked to several college football coaching vacancies this season. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

Pate emphasized that big-money boosters often carry more influence than public opinion. “Before you just laugh that off, you need to make sure all your big money donors think it’s also a laughable notion. Because if they don’t think it’s a laughable notion, then it has some legitimacy,” he said.

For now, Auburn has named defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin as interim coach while athletic director John Cohen leads the search.