Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is facing increasing criticism for his handling of the program and his messaging to fans and media alike. Much like his predecessor Gus Malzahn, Freeze is now being portrayed as a potential roadblock to Auburn’s sustained success, despite some clear strides in recruiting.
Ronald Evans of Bama Hammer didn’t hold back, arguing that Freeze has spent more time deflecting blame than producing results. He noted that Freeze’s recent comments about simply making a bowl game—framed as progress—felt more like an effort to protect his job going into the 2026 season than a true reflection of Auburn’s competitive potential.
“None of this is good news for Alabama Football,” Evans wrote. “Freeze, like Malzahn before him, is an impediment to sustained success for the Auburn Tigers. Freeze can recruit and the 2025 roster is an upgrade for the Tigers. But like Malzahn, Freeze no longer holds any cred as an offensive genius. Worse than Malzahn, in Hugh’s mind, no failing by Auburn is ever his fault.”
Evans also pushed back on Freeze’s repeated claims that he inherited a bare cupboard. According to Freeze, Auburn had not signed a single top-25 class in the four years prior to his arrival. But as Evans points out, recruiting rankings from major outlets show otherwise: Auburn finished No. 12 nationally in 2019, No. 7 in 2020, No. 19 in 2021, and No. 16 in 2022.
In today’s transfer portal era, roster overhauls can happen fast—two to three years at most. And now entering his third season, Freeze should, in theory, have had enough time and resources to field a competitive SEC team. Instead, he’s tempering expectations, which many fans and media voices see as a red flag.
From a media and optics standpoint, Freeze hasn’t helped himself much either. His tenure has been marred by repeated public finger-pointing, including criticism of assistants and players, which only adds to the growing skepticism. His recent “bowl game as success” narrative has drawn comparisons to Gus Malzahn’s infamous “successful season” comment after a 6–4 campaign in 2020.
To be fair, Freeze’s recruiting results show he’s invested in the program’s future, and that gives Auburn some reason for optimism. However, if the Tigers continue to underachieve in 2025 and Freeze keeps leaning on excuses instead of results, critics like Evans may very well be proven right. For Freeze, the time for talk is over—he needs wins, not just promises.