Auburn coaching candidates: Jimbo Fisher and James Franklin among options to replace Hugh Freeze

Auburn returns to Training circuit After Hugh Freeze He was fired during his third year with the program. The Tigers went 15-19 under the ice, including a paltry 6-15 in SEC play. Now, they are ready to appoint their fourth coach in five years.

Freese was an unlikely hire when he returned to the SEC more than six years after he was fired from Ole Miss amid personal and professional scandals. At Auburn, he was unable to recapture the magic of his career with the Rebels, never defeating Alabama and not even posting a winning record in three years. In fact, his success has been almost exactly the same as that of Bryan Harsin, who ran out of steam in year two.

Auburn’s next coach is facing an interesting moment. They will have to rebuild the program’s identity into a highly competitive SEC. Like Freese and Harsin before them, they will have to do so in the shadow of national title contenders in Alabama and Georgia.

Auburn won the national championship in 2010 and returned to title contention in 2013. There is a championship in the program, but the new coach will have to rebuild it from the ground up. Here are a group of coaches from CBS Sports Insiders who could quickly find themselves on Auburn’s radar.

Former Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher

Fisher’s tenure at Texas A&M ended in disastrous fashion after he received the largest overall buyout College football History to go. In his final two seasons after signing the No. 1 recruiting class in history, Fisher went 11-15, including 6-9 in SEC play. But although his recent work has been disappointing, Fisher remains one of the most successful coaches of the 21st century.

At Florida State, Fisher went 83-23 and won the national championship in 2013. He also led the Aggies to a fourth-place finish and an Orange Bowl victory in 2020, which ranks among the Aggies’ best seasons of the past 30 years. His 2013 team is one of the most talented rosters ever.

If Fisher goes to Auburn, he will quickly become one of the top recruiters in the SEC once again. Back to College football It won’t be about the money for Fisher, it will be about getting his name back. Auburn could use a coach with a big chip on his shoulder.

Former Penn State coach James Franklin

when Penn State unceremoniously fired FranklinHe said his new goal is simply to win a national championship somewhere else. Auburn is a championship program, and Franklin identifies several of the most important elements to the program — building a strong football organization.

Franklin is one of the best coaches in college football, having posted six 10-win seasons and five AP top-10 finishes at Penn State. He also previously led Vanderbilt to 18 wins in two years and a national semifinal in 2025. Auburn Franklin may take more than just leading the Tigers to a consistent 10-win streak after the most embarrassing stretch in program history.

Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz

Drinkwitz, a disciple of Gus Malzahn, has created some of the most dynamic teams in the SEC since arriving at Missouri in 2020. The Tigers are 27-6 over the past three seasons, including a Cotton Bowl win and a top-10 finish in the AP in 2023. The program is also on the brink of competing for the College Football Playoff during another hot start through 2025.

At Auburn, he will be able to expand his recruiting capabilities and compete for the best players in the country. Furthermore, Drinkwitz has a talkative personality that will instantly become a likable prospect at Auburn, especially in contrast to Alabama’s great Kalen DeBoer. Auburn is at its best when the program is swinging for the fences.

Tulane coach John Sumrall

Sumrall is one of the fastest-rising coaches in college football after exciting coaching stints at Troy and Tulane. He’s high on the team’s early hot plate, according to CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello. The Huntsville, Alabama, native took over the Troy program after three straight losing seasons and quickly turned them into a winner, posting a 23-4 record with two Sun Belt titles in two seasons. The following year, he went to Tulane and led the program to the All-American title game with an 8-5 record, including 7-1 in All-American play.

The former Kentucky quarterback has deep experience in the SEC, serving as defensive coordinator under Mark Stoops and running backs coach at Ole Miss. He has built physical defensive teams that control games but has consistently found great offensive coordinators and players as head coach, including midfielder Darian Mensah, linebacker Makhi Hughes and linebacker Kimani Vidal.

Summerall’s wife also went to Auburn. Understanding the plains never hurts.

The former Auburn offensive coordinator has quickly become one of the fastest-rising coaches in college football. Dillingham led his alma mater to the Big 12 Championship and a College Football Playoff appearance in year two, culminating in a double overtime loss to Texas in the quarterfinals. Injuries have derailed Arizona State in 2025, but the Sun Devils could still outlast Iowa with a backup quarterback.

Dillingham would be the exact type of young, exciting offensive mind that attracts elite quarterbacks to The Plains. However, his greatest strengths are as an administrator and communicator, which will allow him to build an elite staff at the SEC. He has coached under Mike Norvell, Dan Lanning and Gus Malzahn.

The Yellow Jackets’ CFP hopes took a hit after a loss to NC State in Week 10, but Key still did a great job in Atlanta. Georgia Tech reached No. 7 in the AP Top 25 for the first time since 2009 and has built a major physical identity behind its former offensive line coach.

Key has extensive experience recruiting the Deep South, including the all-important Atlanta metro. He also served as the offensive line coach at Alabama — and it never hurts to have some good will for Nick Saban in that state. Most important of all, Key will quickly develop a strong identity on the program.

Gulich has accelerated the reshaping of coaching boards after leading one of the top six group teams in the country. The Bulls went from 7-6 in each of the past two seasons to a 6-2 start, including a big upset win over Florida in non-conference play. South Florida was coming off a 4-29 record in three seasons before Goelich. He posted a 20-14 record.

The former Tennessee offensive coordinator has one of the most interesting backgrounds in the sport. Golish was born in Russia and grew up in Ohio. He coached primarily in the Midwest before joining Josh Heupel at UCF in 2020. Now, he brings a diverse attack that includes the deflection and shooting aspects of Tennessee, but plenty of physical running backs from Toledo’s tree. Gulich has also proven himself as a dynamite recruiter for The Americans.

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The Auburn Tigers are searching for their next head football coach following the firing of Hugh Freeze. AuburnUndercover He has the most experienced experts and insiders covering the Tigers on the floor at Auburn. Catch the news before it happens with this research training by subscribing to VIP membership today. Plus, you’ll get team news, recruitment, transfer portal scoop, analysis and more along with interaction with… The most dedicated community of Auburn fans.