Auburn has Plan B ready if Lane Kiffin is truly out of the running

If Lane Kiffin does say no to Auburn to stay with Ole Miss, Liberty’s Hugh Freeze might say yes.

With Lane Kiffin expected to stay put at Ole Miss, that might pave the way for Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze to make his triumphant return to the SEC at Auburn.

ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg reported late on Thursday night that if Kiffin does intend to stay at Ole Miss, Auburn may pivot to try to hire Freeze away from Group of Five emerging power Liberty. Freeze has reinvented himself over the last few years at Liberty after leaving Ole Miss in disgrace. While it did not end well for him in Oxford, Freeze continues to win at a high level wherever he is.

Freeze may have a shady past, but winning is a cure-all, especially at a down program like Auburn.

Auburn rumors: If Lane Kiffin does say no, then Hugh Freeze might say yes

To date, Freeze is 34-14 at Liberty, having gone 39-25 previously at Ole Miss from 2012 to 2017. Although Auburn still has to play arch-rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl, possibly securing bowl eligibility with another improbable win under interim head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, it is abundantly clear what new athletic director John Cohen has to do to find Bryan Harsin’s successor.

Replacing Harsin is all about finding the right head coach who can make head coaches of rival teams like Nick Saban at Alabama and Kirby Smart at Georgia uncomfortable. As long as Auburn has to play the Tide and the Dawgs annually, the Tigers will be up against it when it comes to contending for SEC championships on the regular. They can do it, but this is Auburn’s harsh reality.

In theory, Freeze could be that type of head coach who could push Saban in future Iron Bowls, as well as Smart in future installments of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. However, it would be a bold move for sure for Auburn to willingly bring Freeze back into the SEC after all that went down at Ole Miss half a decade ago. People do get second chances, and Freeze might get his in the SEC.

Auburn has to get this hire right, but one would think Freeze is not a bad Plan B option for them.

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