Auburn finally pulled the trigger and dismissed head coach Hugh Freeze. Now in the middle of his third season on the Plains, Freeze had managed to revive Auburn’s recruiting efforts but couldn’t deliver consistent success on the field.
For the past five years, the Tigers have been mired in mediocrity—posting losing records and dropping bowl games when they managed to qualify. Freeze was supposed to be the coach who ended that trend, but after a crushing home loss to Kentucky under the lights, his fate was sealed.
Auburn now joins a growing list of programs searching for new leadership, and several names are already being floated as possible replacements. On Monday morning, ESPN’s Paul Finebaum shared his thoughts on who Auburn should target next.
“I wouldn’t just go after the hot name,” Finebaum said, per Auburn Wire. “I’d look for someone with experience, strong leadership, and real potential. The name that stands out to me is Jon Sumrall—he’s tough, and he reminds me a lot of Pat Dye. That’s never a bad thing when you’re talking about Auburn football.”
Sumrall, currently in his second season as Tulane’s head coach, has compiled a 15–7 record heading into Week 11, with the Green Wave sitting at 6–2 this year. A Huntsville, Alabama native, Sumrall also has SEC experience as a linebackers coach at Kentucky and Ole Miss.
Although he recently said on a podcast that he’s happy at Tulane despite the rumors linking him to open positions, the chance to return home and lead Auburn could be an opportunity too big to ignore.