Auburn fires Hugh Freeze, Durkin interim head coach, buyout $15.8M

Auburn fired head football coach Hugh Freeze on Sunday, the athletic department announced, ending his nearly three-year tenure after the Tigers’ 10-3 loss to Kentucky on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The defeat dropped Auburn to 4-5 overall and 1-5 in Southeastern Conference play, prolonging a slide that the program’s leadership concluded required a change.

Freeze finishes his Auburn run with a 15-19 record and a 6-16 mark in SEC play. The school will owe a reported buyout of roughly $15.8 million, according to people familiar with the contract. Defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin is expected to serve as interim head coach while the athletic department begins a national search for a permanent successor.

Saturday’s game crystallized the problems that dogged the Tigers this season. Auburn managed just three points, its fewest since 2021, and totaled 241 yards of offense. The offensive line allowed seven sacks, seven quarterback hurries and 12 tackles for loss, and the Tigers had only one trip to the red zone. Coach Freeze had opened the weekend with a quarterback competition that resulted in Stanford transfer Ashton Daniels starting versus Kentucky; Daniels was replaced by...