On Sunday, Auburn fired head coach Hugh Freeze. He was in his third season with the Tigers, who fell to 4-5 on the season after suffering a loss to Kentucky on Saturday.
Auburn will owe Freeze a $15.8 million buyout, per On3’s Pete Nakos. The buyout pales in comparison to the $53 million buyout LSU will pay fired head coach Brian Kelly. Auburn’s savings should give the school plenty of financial cushion in its search for its next head coach.
Freeze is the eighth head coach at a Power Four program to be fired this season. On Sunday, ESPN released its top five coaching candidates to replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn.
Jon Sumrall will be the early favorite to fill Auburn’s opening at head coach. Sumrall is only in his fourth season as a head coach, but he’s had success at every turn. Most recently, Sumrall has turned Tulane into a Group-of-Five powerhouse.
Before accepting an offer to coach at Tulane, Sumrall led Troy to back-to-back Sun Belt championships. With previous coaching experience at Kentucky and Ole Miss, Sumrall is no stranger to the SEC, either. Auburn could give Sumrall his first shot to be a head coach in the Power Four.
Brent Key may be Georgia Tech’s head coach, but he’s originally from Birmingham, Alabama. Now, the 47-year-old HC could have an opportunity to return to his home state and lead the Tigers.
In just four seasons, Key has transformed Georgia Tech into an ACC contender. The Yellow Jackets are 8-1 this season and could squeak into the College Football Playoff. Additionally, Key was an assistant at Alabama from 2016-18 and is comfortable recruiting in the area.
Eli Drinkwitz’s name has appeared in no shortage of head coach hot boards this season. However, it’s not an accident that he’s one of the most sought-after coaches in college football.
When Drinkwitz took over at Missouri in 2020, the program hadn’t had a 10-win season since 2014. In the past two seasons alone, the Tigers have amassed 21 victories. Missouri is 6-2 this season, as well. Auburn could provide Drinkwitz with more resources than he’s ever had at his disposal.
Clark Lea’s name hasn’t been as popular in the coaching carousel as Drinkwitz’s, but the Vanderbilt head coach is gaining more attention with each week. Lea is in his fifth season at Vanderbilt, and has led the program to new heights.
Last season, Vanderbilt pulled off numerous upsets, including a win over No. 1 Alabama. This fall, the Commodores have proven their success last season wasn’t a fluke. Vanderbilt is 7-2 and boast three ranked wins. At only 43 years old, Clark Lea could re-energize Auburn’s program.
Speaking of young coaches, Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann is only 35. Schumann’s only coaching experience has been under Nick Saban at Alabama and Georgia’s Kirby Smart. He took over as the Bulldogs’ sole DC last season.
Georgia is only allowing 309.4 yards per game this season, ranking No. 21 in the country. With Oregon head coach Dan Lanning also previously serving as a DC under Smart, Schumann is an intriguing prospect for the Tigers.
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