On Friday, the Auburn football world received a shocking announcement from the program.
In an official statement by Auburn football, head coach Hugh Freeze was diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer, with doctors advising that it is "very treatable and curable." Auburn says that Freeze will continue with his normal coaching duties while undergoing treatments, and that he will make a full recovery.
The Auburn Family is with you, Coach Freeze 🧡 pic.twitter.com/sYKWT4eJeV
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) February 28, 2025
"Coach Freeze is incredibly appreciative of our medical professionals and has asked that we use his experience as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing and scheduling annual health screenings," says Auburn.
Hugh Freeze diagnosed with prostate cancer, will continue coaching Auburn
A scary update for Freeze, but the prognosis seems positive based on Auburn's statement.
Freeze is set to enter his third season as head coach of the Tigers. Through his first two years leading the team, the Tigers have gone 11-14 with one bowl game appearance, a Music City Bowl loss to Maaryland. This past season, Auburn's most notable win was a 43-41 quadruple-overtime victory over the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies.
Auburn has some high hopes entering the 2025 campaign, considering Freeze helped recruit the seventh-best class in the country, per 247Sports. Their top recruit is five-star defensive lineman Malik Autry, who is the fourth-best defensive lineman in the 2025 class and ranked 25th overall. Not to mention, they solved their quarterback woes by bringing in Jackson Arnold, who transferred over from Oklahoma.
Overall, Freeze has a 94-57 record as a head coach between his stints at Auburn, Liberty, Ole Miss, and Arkansas State.
Auburn is set to have their spring practices on March 25, so it's unknown if Freeze will be in attendance, or if a member of his coaching staff lead the charge.