Hugh Freeze is still waiting on a vote of confidence from the Auburn Tigers after the athletic department was mum on the future of the football program's head coach. That, of course, is understandable given the expectations on The Plains and the fact that Freeze has two losing seasons and now a 3-4 record in his third year with Auburn. The silence from the administration and the mounting fan pressure puts Freeze on one of the hottest seats in college football barring a massive turnaround. And yet, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian might've just thrown a huge wrench into the situation.
On Saturday morning, The Athletic NFL insider Dianna Russini ($) reported that Sarkisian and his representation have reached out to NFL teams and front offices to let them know that the current Longhorns head coach "would be interested" in possible head coaching opportunities in the NFL. The now-vacant Tennessee Titans job was mentioned specifically, but the indication is that Sarkisian could be looking for another chance at the pro level.
Obviously, that has nothing directly to do with Auburn or Freeze. However, when you start to paint out the ripple effects of what Sarkisian leaving Texas could potentially mean, things start to get complicated in a hurry for the Tigers and what they could do with their head coach.
Auburn could be playing from behind in coaching search if Sark leaves Texas
In a world wherein Sarkisian leaves Texas for the NFL, that would create two massive openings in college football, but specifically the SEC, with the Longhorns and the Florida Gators after they've already parted ways with Billy Napier.
While we obviously know the upside of the Auburn program and the national championship potential there, that is also true of Texas and Florida. Furthermore, one could argue that, given their more recent track record of success, that both jobs would be more attractive than taking over for Freeze on The Plains.
Now, it should be said that the Florida job has signs that it might be filled by current Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin. However, given what Kiffin has built with the Rebels, there's a non-zero chance that the program in Oxford will be a more attractive position currently, not based on overall potential, than a job at Auburn might be. And all of this is before we consider that LSU could potentially move on from Brian Kelly should the downward spiral continue in Baton Rouge.
What this means is that Auburn could be playing from a disadvantaged position in a coaching search when it's all said and done. Part of that is undoubtedly the fault of Freeze and the position he's put this program in, specifically with the shortcomings at quarterback. But part of it is also the simple fact that Texas and LSU are more proven jobs at this point than Auburn, with arguments to be made to how the gig stacks up with Florida and/or Ole Miss.
Subsequently, the Tigers could be staring down the top candidates on the coaching market and legitimately and viably wondering how realistic it would be that they'd choose Auburn over other possible offers. That's something that would have to be weighed in any decision made on Freeze, and it's a frustratingly complicating factor. At the same time, it doesn't change the truth about this program and its current head coach.
None of this should stop Auburn from firing Hugh Freeze if they need to
If things continue in the manner that the season has started for Auburn, then Freeze needs to get the hook from this administration. Yes, he's been able to lure the likes of Cam Coleman and other elite talent to the program. At the same time, his decisions at quarterback with Payton Thorne and now Jackson Arnold, among other key positions, have hamstrung the elite talent around those players, leading to middling-at-best results.
There is obviously still time for Freeze and the Tigers to change the narrative, starting with Saturday's matchup against Arkansas. A win there would push this team to .500 on the season with an opportunity to go on a run, end the season with an Iron Bowl win, and go to a bowl game with a shot at a nine-win campaign.
Nothing we've seen to this point, however, had indicated that we can expect that level of consistency or upside from Freeze's team. They simply aren't rowing in the right direction right now. While the situation around them in the SEC coaching world might make finding a replacement for Freeze more difficult, that should be a challenge they're up for if it means turning the page.
Point blank, if the deterioration under Freeze only continues to rear its ugly head through the remainder of the season, even with the likely coaching search challenges, Auburn could still be doing more harm than good by not moving on from Freeze.