New Auburn football coach: Top 5 best candidates after Hugh Freeze is fired

Hugh Freeze is out, but who's coming in? The Auburn Tigers are now officially on the clock and a series of intriguing candidates may surround the Auburn job. Unfortunately for the Tigers, with LSU, Florida, and Penn State already open, Auburn necessarily be the hottest job in the coaching beauty contest. But here are five viable candidates that Tigers might ultimately tap as their next head coach.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State

Dillingham is a sharp offensive mind-- something that is probably highly-prized after a couple of brutal offensive seasons on the Plains. He coached at Auburn in 2019, completing a successful year under Gus Malzahn and helping Bo Nix lead a turn-around offense that averaged 33.2 points per game. Dillingham took Arizona State to the CFP in only his second season there, but might be ready to get out of the Big 12 and into a different level of financial backing in the SEC.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane

Sumrall hasn't coached at Auburn, but played at Kentucky and coached at both his alma mater and at Ole Miss. His stock might not be helped by being a defensive coach, but Sumrall took Troy to a 23-4 record in two years and is 15-7 in his second season at Tulane. He's young (43), knows the SEC, and has impressed as a defensive tactician. He's also going to be more affordable than the Lane Kiffin-tier of coaching candidates.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

An inter-conference move? Well, plausibly. Drinkwitz has flown about as high as its possible to fly at Missouri, winning 11 games in 2023 and 10 more in 2024. He's a sharp offensive mind, but also a coach who values a power running attack. The attraction here could be that Auburn's commitment and history just outflank Missouri's-- not to mention a more attractive recruiting base to nab talented athletes. Drinkwitz might be ready to listen in the offseason.

Ryan Silverfield, Memphis

Silverfield is an offensive-minded coach with a history of NFL experience and the ability to do more with less talent, as showcased by a 50-22 mark at Memphis. He led the Tigers to a 21-5 combined mark in 2023 and 2024 and has made an 8-1 start in 2025. Silverfield is just 45, but his NFL experience, offensive knowledge, and ability to already recruit some of the SEC footprint could be key selling points.

James Franklin, ex-Penn State

Franklin pretty clearly wants back in to college football. With what he did at Vanderbilt (24-15 in three seasons), there's no question he could raise the baseline of performance at Auburn substantially. Franklin is an offensive coach by history, and he's eager to wash the bad taste of Penn State out of his mouth. There will be bigger jobs open than Auburn, but Franklin could love getting back to the SEC and helping confound the league power structure. If he could battle Tennessee at Vandy, could he handle Alabama at Auburn?