History of Hugh Freeze in Timeline

Hugh Freeze is an American college football coach currently serving as the head coach for Auburn University since 2023. Details on his prior coaching career and any controversies associated with him are not included in this summary due to the word count constraint.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

September 27, 1969: Hugh Freeze Born

On September 27, 1969, Danny Hugh Freeze Jr. was born. He later became a college football coach.

Others born on this day/year

1969: Top-10 Finishes

In 1969, prior to Hugh Freeze's arrival, Ole Miss last had top-10 finishes in a final poll.

1970: Sugar Bowl Appearance

In 1970, prior to Hugh Freeze's arrival, Ole Miss had their first major bowl appearance in the Sugar Bowl.

1988: Graduation from Senatobia High School

In 1988, Hugh Freeze graduated from Senatobia High School.

1990: Attended University of Southern Mississippi

In the fall of 1990, Hugh Freeze attended the University of Southern Mississippi and tried out for the baseball team.

1990: NJCAA Academic All-American

In the spring of 1990, Hugh Freeze became an NJCAA Academic All-American for Northwest Mississippi Community College.

1991: Cut from Baseball Team

In the spring of 1991, Hugh Freeze was cut from the University of Southern Mississippi baseball team.

1992: Coached Briarcrest Girls Basketball

From 1992, Hugh Freeze coached the Briarcrest girls basketball team.

1992: Graduation from Southern Miss

In 1992, Hugh Freeze graduated from the University of Southern Mississippi with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and a minor in coaching and sports administration.

1992: Joins Briarcrest Christian School

In 1992, Hugh Freeze joined the staff at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee, as the football team's offensive coordinator and defensive backs coach, also serving as dean of students.

1995: Promoted to Head Coach

In 1995, Hugh Freeze was promoted to head coach at Briarcrest Christian School.

1998: Regional Championship

In 1998, Hugh Freeze led his team to the regional championship at Briarcrest Christian School, continuing a streak from 1995.

2001: Regional Championship

In 2001, Hugh Freeze led his team to the regional championship at Briarcrest Christian School.

2002: State Championship

In 2002, Hugh Freeze led his team to the state championship at Briarcrest Christian School.

2004: Second State Championship

In 2004, Hugh Freeze led his team to their second state championship at Briarcrest Christian School.

2004: End of Briarcrest Girls Basketball Coaching

In 2004, Hugh Freeze stopped coaching the Briarcrest girls basketball team. During his tenure, they had an overall record of 305–63, seven straight championship appearances, and four championships.

2004: Playoff Appearance

In 2004, prior to Hugh Freeze's arrival, Lambuth University had their first appearance in the NAIA playoffs under coach Vic Wallace.

2005: Sun Belt Conference Title

In 2005, prior to Hugh Freeze's arrival, the Arkansas State Red Wolves last won the Sun Belt Conference Title.

2005: Hired by University of Mississippi

In 2005, the University of Mississippi hired Hugh Freeze as an assistant athletic director for football external affairs.

2007: Tight Ends Coach and Recruiting Coordinator

In 2007, Hugh Freeze was the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator at the University of Mississippi.

January 2008: Named Head Coach at Lambuth University

In January 2008, Hugh Freeze was named head coach at Lambuth University.

2009: Offensive Coordinator at San Jose State University

During the 2009-2010 offseason, Hugh Freeze briefly served as the offensive coordinator at San Jose State University for less than two months.

2009: Best Regular Season Record

In 2009, Hugh Freeze led the Lambuth Eagles to their best regular season record in school history, finishing 11-0.

2009: Bowl Game Eligibility

In 2009, prior to Hugh Freeze's arrival, Ole Miss was last eligible to play in a bowl game.

2010: Joined Arkansas State

In 2010, Hugh Freeze joined the staff of head coach Steve Roberts at Arkansas State as offensive coordinator.

2010: Offensive Records Broken at Arkansas State

In 2010, as offensive coordinator, Hugh Freeze helped the Arkansas State Red Wolves break nine school offensive records and significantly improve their offensive rankings.

2010: NCAA Punishes Ole Miss

In February 2019, the NCAA punished the Ole Miss football team for recruiting and academic violations, including a two-year postseason ban and vacating 33 wins from 2010 to 2016, resulting in 27 of Hugh Freeze's wins being stripped.

December 5, 2011: Named Head Coach of Ole Miss

On December 5, 2011, Hugh Freeze was announced as the 37th head coach of the University of Mississippi. He stated his desire to retire at Ole Miss and signed a four-year contract with an annual salary of $1.5 million plus incentives.

2011: Head Coach at Arkansas State

In 2011, Hugh Freeze served as the head coach at Arkansas State, leading the Red Wolves to a 10-2 record and their first Sun Belt Conference title since 2005.

January 5, 2013: BBVA Compass Bowl Victory

On January 5, 2013, Hugh Freeze led Ole Miss to a 38-17 victory over the University of Pittsburgh in the BBVA Compass Bowl, finishing the season with a 7-6 record. This was Ole Miss' first bowl game since 2009.

2013: National Signing Day and Music City Bowl Win

In 2013, Hugh Freeze received national attention on National Signing Day with the fifth-ranked recruiting class. The team finished with a 7-5 record in the regular season and defeated Georgia Tech in the Music City Bowl.

2014: Peach Bowl Appearance

In 2014, Hugh Freeze led the Ole Miss Rebels to a 7-0 start and finished the regular season 9-3, earning them an appearance in the 2014 Peach Bowl, their first major bowl appearance since the 1970 Sugar Bowl.

2014: Grant Teaff Coach of the Year Award

In 2014, Hugh Freeze won the Grant Teaff Coach of the Year award by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

September 19, 2015: Victory Over Alabama

On September 19, 2015, Hugh Freeze's Rebels beat Alabama 43-37, making him only the third SEC head coach to defeat a Nick Saban-coached team in back-to-back years.

2015: Unaffected Season

In February 2019, the NCAA punished the Ole Miss football team for recruiting and academic violations, including a two-year postseason ban and vacating 33 wins from 2010 to 2016. The 2015 season was unaffected.

January 2016: Calls to Escort Service

During discovery for the lawsuit, attorneys discovered a call Hugh Freeze made on his university-issued cell phone to a number associated with a female escort service in January 2016.

January 2016: NCAA Charges Against Ole Miss

In January 2016, the NCAA charged Ole Miss with numerous recruiting violations, leading to an investigation of impermissible benefits for players.

2016: Sugar Bowl Victory

In 2016, Hugh Freeze led the Ole Miss Rebels to a 48-20 victory over Oklahoma State in the Sugar Bowl.

2016: NCAA Punishes Ole Miss

February 2017: Ole Miss Withdraws from Bowl Consideration

In February 2017, Ole Miss withdrew from bowl consideration after the NCAA sent an updated notice of allegations, accusing Freeze of not monitoring his assistants and Ole Miss of not properly controlling the program.

July 13, 2017: Nutt Sues Ole Miss for Defamation

On July 13, 2017, Houston Nutt sued Ole Miss for defamation, alleging that Hugh Freeze and school officials conspired to smear him with false claims about the charges.

July 20, 2017: Freeze Resigns from Ole Miss

On July 20, 2017, Hugh Freeze resigned from his position at Ole Miss after officials discovered a pattern of calls to escort services, violating the morals clause of his contract.

October 16, 2017: Ole Miss Apologizes to Nutt

On October 16, 2017, Ole Miss settled the lawsuit with Houston Nutt and issued a public apology.

October 11, 2018: Offered Job as Offensive Coordinator

On October 11, 2018, Hugh Freeze was offered a job as offensive coordinator of the Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football league, but he turned it down.

December 7, 2018: Named Head Coach of Liberty Flames

On December 7, 2018, Hugh Freeze was named head coach of the Liberty Flames football team.

2018: Hugh Freeze as a regular speaker at churches and conferences

In 2018, Hugh Freeze was described as a regular speaker at churches and conferences, with his Twitter account filled with Christian references.

February 2019: NCAA Punishes Ole Miss

December 10, 2019: Five-Year Extension with Liberty

On December 10, 2019, Hugh Freeze signed a five-year extension with Liberty.

December 11, 2020: Hugh Freeze tests positive for COVID-19

On December 11, 2020, Hugh Freeze tested positive for COVID-19.

July 2022: Freeze sends unsolicited messages on Twitter to Chelsea Andrews

In July 2022, Hugh Freeze sent multiple unsolicited direct messages on Twitter to Chelsea Andrews, a former Liberty student and sexual assault survivor, defending athletic director Ian McCaw. He later apologized to ESPN for sending the messages.

November 29, 2022: Auburn University hires Hugh Freeze

On November 29, 2022, Auburn University announced the hiring of Hugh Freeze as the head coach of the Auburn Tigers football team. He signed a six-year contract.