If Auburn decided to part ways with Hugh Freeze at the end of the 2025 season, the Tigers would owe their head coach $15.4 million. The head coach’s buyout drops by roughly $4.8 million annually. Auburn lost at home to Kentucky 10-3 on Saturday night.
Freeze signed a six-year contract when he accepted the job in November 2022 through the 2028 season. According to Freeze’s buyout, he is owed 75 percent of his remaining salary as a buyout. If fired on Dec. 1, 2025, the Tigers will be required to pay Freeze $406,105 per month until Jan. 31, 2029.
Here’s the buyout breakdown of Hugh Freeze’s contract:
- Buyout is $15.4 million after the 2025 season
- Buyout drops to $9.75 million after the 2026 season
- Buyout drops to $4.87 million after the 2027 season
- Buyout drops to $0 million after the 2028 season
As part of his contract, Auburn furnishes Freeze annually with a new car and also pays for gas, service and insurance. He receives tickets to a private suite for home football games and full access and all monthly dues paid to a country club membership of Freeze’s choosing.
Freeze is making $6.75 million this season and has three years remaining on his contract. The former Arkansas State, Ole Miss and Liberty head coach was hired to turn around a program that had not posted a winning record since 2019. Freeze has struggled to achieve that in his three seasons on The Plains, failing to post a winning record and win a bowl game.
Freeze is 15–19 as Auburn’s head coach with a 6-16 mark in SEC play. The Tigers are 1-5 in the SEC this season, picking up their first conference win last week at Arkansas. Auburn has been strong all season on defense, allowing just 18.6 yards per game. But Freeze’s offense has struggled, ranking second-to-last in the SEC, averaging 340.6 yards per game.
Freeze posted four consecutive winning seasons at Liberty and found success at Ole Miss, highlighted by a top-10 ranking.
