Auburn fires Hugh Freeze, Durkin named interim coach

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

By Chris Marler

For the fourth straight Sunday, a head coach at a major Power Four program has been fired. This time, it’s Auburn’s Hugh Freeze.

The move comes less than 24 hours after Auburn’s 10-3 home loss to Kentucky, capping a 1-5 start in SEC play and pushing the Tigers toward what could be their fifth consecutive losing season at 3-6.

Hugh Freeze has stepped down as Auburn’s head Football Coach after a meeting with John Cohen at noon today. A source confirmed there were multiple attempts to negotiate a buyout after the Mizzou loss which were rejected by Coach Freeze.

After the loss to Kentucky, a deal was… pic.twitter.com/F5CpGoRO8u

— Mike G. (@mikegittens) November 2, 2025

Freeze was in his third season at Auburn, finishing with a 15–19 overall record and a 6–16 mark in SEC play. That came despite landing back-to-back top-10 recruiting classes and a top-five transfer portal haul. He was hired to replace Bryan Harsin, who was also fired in his third year in 2022.

Freeze’s buyout is $15.8 million. Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin will serve as interim head coach for the Tigers’ final three games.