Hugh Freeze’s return to the SEC hasn’t been without its controversy.
The Auburn Tigers head coach was ousted from Ole Miss after he was caught making calls to female shorts on a university-issued phone. After a successful stint at Liberty, he was somehow able to put his past issues behind him, not without some pushback, and was named the head coach at Auburn.
Now, Freeze is under fire for a different reason. Based on his history, he’d probably be one of the last college football coaches you’d expect to suggest that he and his team should hold hands and sing “Kumbaya,” with a rival team. But he essentially did just that on Monday, ahead of this Saturday’s matchup with No. 1 Georgia.
Georgia and Auburn have one of the fiercest rivalries in college football. And yet, Freeze suggested that the two schools should be playing “out of love for each other than hatred for someone else.”
Freeze added, “I’m big on hate. I’m really not. I’m big on just, man, this means something to so many people. So we should compete in a way out of love for our people, not necessarily for hate for other people. That’s kind of the way I operate, but man, I hope we compete because we love Auburn and it means something to the Auburn people to compete against Georgia. So, that’ll be my approach. But nonetheless, that love is a great motivator for me.”
Full quote: pic.twitter.com/vtsRcHmAvo
— Nathan King (@NathanKing247) September 25, 2023
Those in the college football world were quick to criticize Freeze for his weird remarks on this rivalry matchup.
When you know you’re definitely about to lose by multiple TDs https://t.co/Z0QjsprANc
— Christopher Novak (@ChrisMNovak) September 25, 2023
Applying “hate the sin, love the sinner” to a rivalry game is a level of church coach even I didn’t think possible https://t.co/RjvlkHrJl4
— Jason Kirk (jasonkirk.fyi on bluesky) (@thejasonkirk) September 25, 2023
I don’t even understand these words https://t.co/K9lQhf1LVg
— BUM CHILLUPS AKA SPENCER HALL (@edsbs) September 25, 2023
Freeze is 3-1 to start his Auburn tenure, but based on these comments, he’s not exactly off to the best start.
[Nathan King on X]
