Hugh Freeze (3:05)

Yeah. Wow. Man, there's a lot of, a lot of answers to that question, and it's a mixture of some, of all of it. Truthfully, I think the first thing that, man, I had a good friend send me some questions when it happened, and it was about, did you first lead young men in the right way and a staff in the right way and represent the program you were hired to do in the right way? And, you know, you and I are both believers and, you know, got in God's economy. You know, I'm responsible for the, for the work, he's responsible for the fruits. And, and when I answered those questions and I actually sent them to some of my coaches to, to, and they said, man, you, you led us in the right way. And so when I look at it from that perspective, I, I, I have a sense of joy and thankfulness that Auburn gave me a chance at a place that I love and my family loves. We're all here, and, and the administration that, that, that put the ball in my hands to, you know, revive a program that's very proud, that has incredible support. I have friends here that will be friends for a lifetime. And so for that, I'm incredibly thankful. And I know a lot of times when these things end that coaches can be critical of administrators and all of that. And honestly, I can't do that. They supported me. Do I wish I had more time because we were so dang close, but at the end of the day, I really, I can't control how the ball bounces. And officiating, if we were to be true picky, I think hurt us in several games, and I really can't control some of that. And certainly I could have coached better, I'm sure, and we could have made more plays and, but there's no question we were really, really close with the elite teams in this conference of, of winning games. And we, we didn't do that. So I, I can't sit here and really have anything other than, man, I got a chance to lead one of the greatest programs and the greatest communities and the other flip side of that pancake is, yeah, I'm disappointed. I wanted to deliver more than anything for these people a program that won those close games and put us back in the playoff hunt. And we were very, very close. And I think, you know that that team is prime for a great run next year with those young quarterbacks and Ashton and, and all those, those good players that we put a good roster together. But I have nothing. I don't, I really don't have anger. I do have the disappointment and the sense of failure and those things. But I know in God's economy I was faithful and I know that we led families the right way and, and a program the right way and the culture is a good culture in that building. But yeah, I, I deal with all those emotions. But David, if I picked up that, that disappointment, all of that, you know, 200 times the day after I was fired, probably don't pick it up, but maybe 20 now a day. So, so it's, it's, it's coming down. And a lot of that goes to just my wonderful family and how close we are and, and dear friends that I have that, that just, they know, they know how we do it. And the crazy thing, I've won everywhere I've been except for Auburn, and that's just, you know, you've got to, you got to deal with that and that's a dose of humility and, But I have nothing. I'm thankful for Auburn, thankful for President Roberts and John Cohen and for giving me the chance and hate like heck that we didn't get it across the finish line and it was such a weird year. If you go and write a book about those seven losses, two of which obviously were after I was let go, and our staff, who were wonderful men, great football coaches, had it right there, you know, in both of those. And it just, man, it just wasn't meant to be. And so I don't know if I answered your question, but it's a mix.

David (7:40)

Absolutely.

Hugh Freeze (7:41)

Mostly, though, I really do want to know is the sense of gratitude and gratefulness for man. We, we love living here. And that's probably the hardest thing is you, you really. I wanted this to be the long game, so. But it didn't work out that way. And I wish them the best moving forward and as they go into the next chapter of this thing, what you.

David (8:08)

Said, you've, you've won everywhere. You have, you won at a big time level at Liberty, you won 10 plus games at Ole Miss. Like, what was the difference at Auburn the last couple years?

Hugh Freeze (8:19)

I wish I could put my finger on it. You know, somebody I saw wrote not too long ago, you know, I've won 10 games in a given season. Every stop I've been at, whether it was Ole Miss, Arkansas State, Lambeth, Liberty, and really, you know, obviously we could coach better, but we were just not, it was those critical moments that it was almost like whether it was offensively, defensively or special teams, mostly offensively. Our defense played at an elite level most of the year, but would make some critical mistakes in critical downs in critical moments. And it was just a combination of all of that. And then again, you know, I think and, and I know I'm not here to, to, to, to, to bash officials or anything, but we had two games that were, were critically turned on on calls and I disagree with those calls and, but I know that that happens. It just seemed like they just happened at awful moments to us and we just, we weren't good enough. In critical moments. Whether it's making the right throw, the right catch, the right field goal, the right coverage, the right call from, from, from me or another coach. And it's really hard for me to put my finger on it because I really believed we had put and built a culture in a short time that, and we had to really redo this roster. The roster is good enough to win and that's, that's the most frustrating thing is that me as the captain of the ship just didn't, didn't, didn't get it across the finish line. And I really can't put my finger on it because I loved, I loved the player led team. We had, we had some incredible leaders on it and we, we had a good culture and our kids played their butts off. Businesses that are selling through the roof like Untuck it make sen selling and for shoppers buying simple with Shopify home of the number one checkout on the planet and with shop pay you can boost conversions up to 50%. Businesses that sell more sell on Shopify. Upgrade your business and get the same checkout untuck it uses. Sign up for your $1 per month trial period at shopify.com podcast free all lowercase go to shopify.com podcastfree to upgrade your selling today.

David (10:51)

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Hugh Freeze (11:18)

Check in online@sport clips.com every single game. And after heartbreak, loss, heartbreak, loss, they still respond and still respond and still respond. And I think that speaks to the great leadership in the locker room and the culture that you have.

David (11:33)

How did you, how did you find out the news.

Hugh Freeze (11:40)

The administration? We have, we have a football administrator who I was really, I'm really close with. And, you know, and we, we talked all the time about life and about the program and where it was at. And, you know, obviously you hear all the. I'm not on a lot of social media other than Instagram, from time to time, and it's hard for me to follow that because I don't really know how to look up stuff, but I refuse to get on Twitter. But, but I was in on Sunday morning, you know, after the Kentucky game, and he came over and we had a, we had a, A conversation. And obviously he let me know what, what was getting ready to happen.

David (12:22)

Did you know? Did, did you know when you looked at him? Like, did you see. Yeah, like, I'll never forget when I, when I got the call from ESPN that I was fired, I was like, I, I picked up the phone, I was like, hey, what's up, man? How you been? And then I heard the tone. I was like, oh, this is about to be bad. Like, this is, this is about to not go good.

Hugh Freeze (12:40)

Could you sense it the moment he walked in? You know, we've, He. He was always welcome in my office, and we had that type of relationship. And I knew as soon as he walked in, he was emotional. Obviously I was emotional. And, and, and then I went to see John Cohen, our ad, and, and, and he made it official that morning. And so I don't think it was easy on him. I don't think it was easy on any of them either. And so I honestly think that he thinks a lot of myself, my family, the culture we built, I really believe that. And, and I think highly of them and enjoyed trying to get it done for them and certainly wish that I could have, but that's, that's how I found out.

David (13:36)

Now, when you, When I hear the, When I've heard this in the past, when I've heard about the Auburn job, and I've talked to a lot of coaches that have not taken this job for very specific reasons. And a lot of times it's because of the boosters, is because of those guys behind the scenes that sometimes had a lot of say in what people, what people did. And coaches weren't willing to go there a lot of times because they want to control. And so you got to live it. You got to experience those calls, those conversations. Was, was it a difficult thing to navigate as a coach? You've been to other spots too, so it's not like there's not a fair comparison in other places.

Hugh Freeze (14:20)

I had zero issues with, with boosters trying to insert themselves, so I don't know what people's, you know, and that may be because of, of our administration protecting me from it or, or whatever, but I honestly was close to, to some, what I would consider to be the most influential boosters in Auburn and, and they still check on me to this day. I think we'll be friends for a long time, but never once did I feel like that there was, that I didn't have control over what happened in our building. So I don't, I don't know if that's made up from the past or, or what, but I'm just telling you my experience was not that. And so I, I don't think that it was not accurate for me. They, they were supportive and never once did I think they were trying to insert themselves into making me make some type of decision.

David (15:25)

Well, I think that's, Auburn fans are probably pretty excited to hear that because that's definitely something that's been talked about for years.

Hugh Freeze (15:32)

That's the truth for me. And, you know, I would tell you the truth on it, but I, I never felt anything but support from our fans and, and, and the boosters, obviously, until we started losing those close games and you have to walk off the field and you hear, you hear the, you hear the displeasure of, of a lot of people and it's nicely, it's nice phrasing, right?

David (15:55)

It's, it's very kind.

Hugh Freeze (15:57)

You know, it's.

David (16:01)

You know, it's not G rated.

Hugh Freeze (16:03)

It's. You hear a lot of things and it's, you know, we sign up for it. I hate it for my kids and wife and, and, you know, the families of our coaches that, that have to endure, you know, what we've chosen for, for a profession. But, you know, I think that's everywhere today. David. It's just, man, this, this, this idea of, particularly at a place like Auburn, I mean, we have created a system where it is playoffs or you have failed. And that's the system that I don't think coaches have created it. Whoever sits in those rooms has kind of created. And so you have to experience the bad side with the good. I've had a lot of good years A lot of good years and wish I could say that about Auburn. But back to your original question. I want to make it clear I, I never. I never felt anything but support from, from those people that people would say are behind the scenes trying to. To stir up things or anything like that. I never experienced that at Auburn. Know, and we love. And our neighbors are incredible too, as the whole. You know, Saturday at the Alabama game, I had a friend come and see me. We were visiting out in my, out of my front. Front parking lot there, and everybody's walking by going the game and man, they stopping and coming up in the, in the driveway thanking us for the roster we put together and for our efforts. And so we have nothing but love for Auburn.

David (17:45)

Yeah, when you, when you talk about the, the shifting of the landscape, I feel like you're absolutely more qualified to talk about this than just about anybody. The Lane Kiffin drama that's going on. Coach, I, I saw you at Liberty. I know your faith. I know how happy you were. I know how great of a spot that is. Full disclosure, I visited that campus two or three years ago, and since I went there, I've been praying for my son to go there. Like, that's, that's how awesome that place was. So like Lane leaving happy, you know, to, to go to lsu. I mean, it feels a little bit like what you did with, with, with Liberty. I could be wrong, but it feels a little bit like that. And I guess just the whole Lane thing and, and how he handled it and you know, what you. What your takeaways were.

Hugh Freeze (18:41)

Yeah, I don't really give opinions on, on other people's handling of things. I, I think everybody's. Because we probably don't know all the, all the facts. Here's what I would say. I know from leaving Liberty and coming to Auburn how difficult that is, or leaving Arkansas State and going to Ole Miss, none of them are easy. And they're very difficult because you have, You're. You're getting ready to hurt the very group that has helped you have those decisions, number one. And then number two. Well, again, we've created a schedule that doesn't even allow you to finish with that group the given year. And so I don't know. I don't know enough because I'm not on Twitter and stuff of obviously I watch TV Saturday and, and know his name was all across the screen all the time. And that was all Marty Smith could. Could talk about and, And, And. But I don't know any more than, than really that what I would say, is it. I don't. There's. There's. He's in a very difficult spot and Ole Miss is in a very difficult spot and I don't know. If the NFL has their season then coaches are allowed to be contacted and decide what they're going to do. Then they have their draft and then they have free agency and it's all lined up. And the minute we stop being an amateur ism sport, which we're not anymore, not at this level, the calendar has to match up with that and right now it doesn't at all. And again, I'm not here to say how Lane handled it was right, wrong or indifferent. I don't know. I'm just saying that I don't see how either side comes out of that with the given calendar that you have to make decisions. I don't know how either side comes out of that winning now.

David (21:05)

And, and the thing that really ticks me off the most, Hugh, is the players lose the most in this.

Hugh Freeze (21:11)

That. That's exactly what we have. Totally. We, we're hurting the players in a lot of ways right now. You just mentioned one the players, you know, and they're going. They're resilient and they'll respond and they'll go play for Coach Golding and that staff and, and I'm sure. But, but there's no question it, it affects them and I think we're affecting them with the lack of emphasis on education right now and getting a degree and going through hard and, and not just going to the, the next agent that has more money for you at another place or. Man, there's a lot of things and I'm not against them receiving things, but there needs to be some guardrails around it like the NFL has with collective bargaining and, and managing your locker room and we have none of that right now to, to help regulate it or.

David (22:07)

So who the heck fixes this coach?

Hugh Freeze (22:10)

You need to get some coaches in a room that understand what's really going on and I mean I could tell you some things that real quick that would fix it and. But it's going to take the presidents of universities getting together and say we have a major, major issue and because they're the ones that ultimately vote on the calendar and things that are brought to them. But signing day has got to go back to February like it originally was. Not that you can't mid year enroll, but you don't have a signing day before you have this portal because how are you going to manage your 85 man rost you don't have a clue what to sign in December because you don't know what you're going to get in January or what you're going to lose in January. So how in the world does anybody believe you can really manage that? And so I would if if you had everybody starting January, spring semester which would take presidents at the same time and you move signing day back to February that would and probably maybe move spring practice to like some OTAs in June. To me that is the first step in solving what we're going through right now with Lane and everybody else. You finish your season and signing day is not until February and but it would take that would make too much.

David (23:36)

Sense coach make too much sense to finish a season before you sign players then before you go to the portal. I mean that would that golly, that.

Hugh Freeze (23:44)

Would just the thing that would make it even better but it would really take presidents is there is no mid year enrolling sign in February. But every school have a March master that people in that they graduated early can enroll in or late guys in the Portal where you have enough hours. We were blessed at Liberty to have that and I know others have that too. So you don't worry about it being late where your calendar year if you're an early starting school as long as you have a mid mester there it would solve all of these issues and you literally could say every coach is finishing their year if the university wants them to and you can have that March master where it doesn't matter when they that way you don't even have to worry about mid year enrollees with high school kids and finishing the playoffs and and then I would also do away with all the championship games this weekend and start a 2014 playoff because let's just face it, if you're In a Power 4 conference the expectation is for you to be in the playoffs. So how do we give coaches longevity and let them build their teams? You give more teams like basketball and baseball and others and you start a 2014 playoff, I think it's going to generate even more money just like the what the FCS does and I think it would generate just as much money which this is what it's become about. And at the same time if you do the other things we're talking about with that March Master man, everybody gets to finish. Everybody gets to see who you get in the portal and who you lose in the portal and then you sign your high school class.

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David (26:06)

Heck of an idea. Crazy, crazy idea to think about what your team is before you start shopping for groceries. Like, let's just go to the grocery store and buy a bunch of groceries. And I don't even know what it's at the house like. Doesn't make any sense.

Hugh Freeze (26:19)

All right, coach, what are you gonna sign this Wednesday? You're gonna sign 12 kids, 15 kids, and then you lose 34 that go in the portal. So then you're hoping to be a portal shopper. And I don't know what you're ever building any continuity or. Or culture that way, but again, this is from somebody that is used to building a program, and it. It's different now, but I think you and I could get in the room and if they would just give us total control over. Forget the playoffs. We'll let the commissioners do that. But you and I could solve the calendar if the presidents would see we have a major issue and we've got to fix the calendar. Yeah.

David (27:04)

Next time me and you get a room, I'm gonna destroy you in spades. But that's a different topic for a different day. I got. I got two more questions for you.

Hugh Freeze (27:11)

Yes.

David (27:11)

Alex Golish goes to Auburn.

Hugh Freeze (27:13)

Yeah.

David (27:14)

He takes over.

Hugh Freeze (27:16)

What.

David (27:16)

What's. What's the advice Hugh Freeze is giving him as he takes over this Auburn program?

Hugh Freeze (27:22)

Well, unfortunately. And I don't know, Alex, but he's done a fine job. And I saw his team play somebody this year, and I thought they were really, really, really well coached. I mean, I hate to say it, but retain your roster because it's a good roster. And, you know, that's. That's something that we wouldn't have said five years ago because, you know, you didn't have to worry about that. And that just. That is. But his plate right now. I know from experience his plate is so full right now between the entire staff that's still in the building and having to. To deal with that the right way. Who are you bringing? You know, from your staff and maybe not from your staff, and not just. And people don't. This operation these days is not just on the field, coaches and analysts. I mean, you got to have the right guys in personnel, in recruiting, and our ladies in recruiting and personnel or operations, the strength staff, the nutritionist. This thing is a major operation, and so he's got all of that on his plate. Signing day Wednesday Portal getting ready to open soon. Now, not only that, hey, Alex, we've got an entire team here that probably wants to meet with you. And, and they don't just want to talk about how you're going to. How you're going to coach them or how you're going to develop them or how you're going to help them, how.

David (28:58)

You going to pay me.

Hugh Freeze (29:00)

Unfortunately, there's going to be a lot of those discussions for him, and that is a lot going on when you initially take over and. But that's what he's dealing with right now because I've experienced it firsthand.

David (29:14)

Yeah, not easy for sure. All right, last one. Hugh Freeze, I guess you can finish. I'll just let you finish this. Hugh Freeze is going to be doing what this next year?

Hugh Freeze (29:25)

Oh, gosh. Well, I'm not through coaching. I don't believe that for one minute. I've got. After this little back surgery I had, I've been needing that for about a year and, boy, it gotten extremely painful. And I don't know how many really knew it. I just. We just, we just do what we do. But my, My doctor knew it, but he had to give me a lot of shots. And so, man, I am moving around without pain and for the first time in a long time. And so I'm. I'm feeling energetic. I feel really good and healthy. My wife takes great care of me with what I eat most of the time and all kind of supplements. And so I, I want to coach again. I've got a great staff ready to go. I think I've proven over the body of work that we do it the right way, that we develop good quarterbacks like Malik Willis and Chad Kelly and Bo Wallace and Ryan Applin and, you know, and. And we've put up great numbers everywhere I've been, except for Auburn. And even our first two years here, we were top three or four in the conference in rushing and, and did some nice things, but I just know the body of work is we can win, and we've proven that at every level. And, you know, to win 10 at Ole Miss and was something that hadn't been done there in a long, long time. And. But Arkansas State the same way. Liberty hadn't even moved to FBS. Until I got there and went to four straight bowl games and beat a lot of what, four Power 5 teams there. And, and I think if you look at even Auburn from where we started to where we were this year, having a chance to beat every single school that, that I've proven I know how to build a roster, put a great staff together, and now I know how to manage even the nil. And, and collective bargaining. I mean, not collective bargaining, revenue sharing.

David (31:28)

So I'd say you got some, you got some on the job training while playing Georgia every year and Alabama every year. Like as you're learning this nil world and all the stuff that goes into it.

Hugh Freeze (31:38)

Yeah. And I think I've got a really good understanding and it's not from. It's from having good people around me like we had here at Auburn who, Who do a really good job with that. And I've got great personnel guys, great recruiting guys and, and ladies. And they're all texting me now, coach, tell me where to go. I'm ready to go with you. And so I, I don't know what happens this go round if you tell me that, that God's plan is for me to set out a season and spend time with my family, my grandkids, my wife. I'm okay with that, honestly. But the competitive side wants to get back in it as fast as possible too. And I'm trying to balance that. And I've gotten a couple calls obviously with things that are going on with places that I might fit at and.

David (32:34)

You can share all those if you want to. No, I'm just kidding.

Hugh Freeze (32:38)

And some, some are like, some are places that, that are not open, you know, and, and, and, and I don't, I don't like talking.

David (32:46)

You know, that would never happen in college football. No.

Hugh Freeze (32:50)

And so it's, it's really, man, you know, what is what is best for the Freeze family right now. And I hate to say it that way because it sounds selfish and, and I don't. I, I really am not a selfish individual. And. But I know we're good for kids and I know we're good for building the right culture and being about the right things and I know we can win. And dang, if we weren't really dang close and that's, that's still sticks in my crawl and I guess if, if, if. And I, I don't like that this sounds kind of ugly, but I, I don't. But I'm kind of pissed off too. And, and, and little something.

David (33:35)

Little something to Prove.

Hugh Freeze (33:38)

If, if, if somebody's looking for that, then I think, I think my, my resume kind of speaks for itself. And I'm like, I like, I like.

David (33:48)

The fact that I get a pissed off. You freeze.

Hugh Freeze (33:50)

I am, I am a little pissed off and, and can't wait to. Whenever that time is that God has and has the right place for us, I think we'll be back out there.

David (34:02)

Well, I can say this coach from, from knowing you for a number of years, like my son's going to be a senior in high school and if he has a leader like you that can lead him the way you lead, I would be, I would be all for that man.

Hugh Freeze (34:14)

I offer him that he's got.

David (34:19)

So spend some time with Jill, with the kiddos. I know the Thanksgiving break was different, but probably enjoyable and probably a lot of new things. You're doing it and now and coach officially for, for all the people out there, now that your back's fixed, you might actually be able to play golf. Like, thank you. That's a real thing. Like you might actually be able to do that.

Hugh Freeze (34:39)

I'm amazed at the thing people can say and people take it as truth and it's just the craziest thing. My wife had a standing tea time with her girlfriends and somehow that became my standing tee time. And people took it to be truth. And I can honestly say I did not play golf. My back wouldn't, Wouldn't let me number one. And nor were we playing well enough. I think I did play like the. We were a morning practice team. I think I played like the first two Thursdays of the season with some friends. And that was. And then my back was so jacked up. Nor should I be playing when we're not playing well, I guess. And, but I've always said, like, when I was a morning practice team at Liberty, I would play in Thursday afternoons. And I didn't understand, you know, I let the staff go and I never understood the difference in me, you know, playing golf on Thursday afternoon or me sitting at home or playing pickleball or I'm not sure what the video games the real difference is, but, but that was totally not true. And it's amazing how many, how many people believe anything people say. But, you know, I've, I've learned that, that I certainly can't control that now.

David (35:55)

That people are going to talk. My favorite, my favorite quote about people is, some people don't like happy people, Some people don't like sad people, some people don't like rich people. Some people don't like poor people and then some people don't like people. Like, it's just. And if you don't know a person like that, then you're that person. Like literally, you're probably that person, which I feel bad for. But coach, we look forward to seeing your next chapter. Appreciate you being the first ever two time coaching guest here on Seaball. Get ball. Thank you, coach. Appreciate you.

Hugh Freeze (36:26)

Thank you, David.

David (36:28)

If you like the show, please take a moment to rate, review and subscribe.

Hugh Freeze (36:33)

It really does help the show to grow.

David (36:35)

Thank you for listening.