(BCSNN) — Auburn fired head football coach Hugh Freeze on Sunday, ending a two-plus-year tenure marked by inconsistency, offensive struggles, and unmet expectations in the NIL and transfer portal era.

“I have informed Coach Freeze of my decision to make a change in leadership with the Auburn Football program," said Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen. "Coach Freeze is a man of integrity, and we are appreciative of his investment in Auburn and his relentless work over the last three years in bolstering our roster. Our expectations for Auburn Football are to annually compete for championships and the search for the next leader of Auburn Football begins immediately.”

Freeze, who went 15–19 overall and never won more than six games in a season, was dismissed following a loss to Kentucky. His hiring in 2023 was controversial but calculated — a return to the SEC for a coach who once elevated Ole Miss and beat Nick Saban twice. But the magic Freeze conjured in Oxford never materialized on the Plains.

Auburn (3–6, 1–5 SEC) has now cycled through five head coaches since 2008, despite winning a national title in 2010 and playing for another in 2013. The program remains one of college football’s most volatile — rich in resources, tradition, and ambition, but often undermined by internal dysfunction.

Freeze inherited a roster built to thrive in the modern era, with strong NIL backing and a fertile recruiting footprint. But his offenses sputtered, and the Tigers failed to gain traction in a deepening SEC landscape that no longer includes Saban across the state.

Executive leadership will now begin the search for Auburn’s next head coach — one expected to galvanize a passionate fanbase and restore the Tigers to national relevance.

This article originally appeared in its entirety as a feature on BCSNN.