The school soccer teaching carousel has already added some large names and massive applications, with James Franklin’s firing by Penn State this week being the most important cut up up to now.
They joined UCLA as Massive Ten applications to already fireplace their coach, whereas Arkansas has carried out the identical within the SEC and may need extra firm quickly. Auburn’s Hugh Freeze and Florida’s Billy Napier are each firmly on the recent seat after sluggish begins, and after the Tigers misplaced in gutting style on Saturday night time to Georgia with one other woeful offensive displaying in a sport Freeze desperately wanted to win, his seat obtained even hotter.
With loads of different energy convention applications making midseason modifications, the pure query for Auburn was whether or not they’d observe go well with. Auburn athletic director John Cohen was requested precisely that by AL.com’s Peter Rauterkaus on Monday and supplied a lukewarm vote of confidence in return.
Cohen stated it is “not my expectation at this level” to make a training change, however added that he’ll “by no means say by no means” and supplied this gem of a quote evaluating Freeze to a automotive that typically would not begin.
“I do not know if I will stroll exterior and my automotive goes to start out or not, I believe it’s,” Cohen stated. “I’ve an expectation it’s going to. But when my automotive would not begin sufficient, then I’ll consider that and make choices about my automotive. However that is not my expectation at this level about our soccer program.”
That is not precisely a ringing endorsement of Freeze, and Cohen leaves the door open for Auburn to make a change if the Tigers do not come to life within the second half of the season. Whereas Freeze’s $15.4 million buyout pales compared to the $50+ million Penn State shelled out to do away with Franklin, it is nonetheless a large determine that makes it a tricky resolution, particularly with Bryan Harsin’s buyout nonetheless on the books.
That stated, if this system would not present indicators of progress and the offense — which is meant to be Freeze’s energy — seems as toothless because it has been to start out this season, it is arduous to check him being again in 2026.
So, for any Auburn followers hoping for a training change, they could simply want a couple of extra failures to start out for Cohen and the Tigers to make that re-evaluation.
