Hugh Freeze cites ‘faith’ when asked if his job is on the line against Georgia
ATHENS — Hugh Freeze said Wednesday he’s not paying attention to rumblings that he is “coaching for his job” when Auburn plays host to Georgia on Saturday.
“No, I don’t pay attention to any of that,” Freeze said on the SEC coaches teleconference, when asked if he has heard rumors of his job coming under immediate fire. “I know that, of course, I’m a person of faith, and I know that my story is being written way above my pay grade. And I know we’re doing things the right way here, and we’re getting closer each game.”
The Tigers (3-2, 0-2 SEC) are a 3½-point home underdog against the No. 10-ranked Bulldogs (4-1, 2-1) in the 7:30 p.m. kick at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Georgia, which has won eight consecutive games in the annual rivalry series, is the third consecutive team currently ranked in the AP top 10 that Auburn has faced.
The Tigers have lost at current No. 6-ranked Oklahoma 24-17 on Sept. 20 before falling to current No. 5-ranked Texas A&M 16-10 on Sept. 27, leading into the bye they had Saturday.
A loss to Georgia would mark the second consecutive season Auburn opened the SEC portion of its schedule 0-3.
“You’re playing three top-10 teams in a row, and we’ve got an opportunity to knock them off. That’s our sole focus,” said Freeze, who is 14-16 overall and 5-13 in the SEC through his first 2½ seasons as Auburn’s head coach.
“This is not about me. And it’s about our kids and getting them ready to go play in a great rivalry like Georgia.”
Freeze’s current salary is $6,728,100 — not including buyouts — which makes him the 36th highest-paid coach in college football and 14th highest in the SEC.
Four Power Four conference coaches have been fired already this season, most recently Arkansas coach Sam Pittman, in what seems to be a trend.
In addition to Pittman, the coaches are UCLA’s DeShaun Foster, Sept. 14; Virginia Tech’s Brent Pry, Sept. 14; and Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, Sept. 23.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops was asked about negotiating a buyout after last season, following the Wildcats’ 35-14 loss to Georgia on Saturday.
About the Author
Mike is in his eighth season covering SEC and Georgia athletics for AJC-DawgNation and has 30 years of collegiate sports multimedia experience, 25 of them in the SEC including beat writer stops at Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and now Georgia. Mike was named the National FWAA Beat Writer of the Year in January, 2018.
