Auburn AD John Cohen shares key factors in evaluating Hugh Freeze, football program
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Auburn is entering a pivotal season under Hugh Freeze in 2025.
The Tigers have yet to finish above .500 in SEC play since Freeze arrived, leading some to put him on the hot seat ahead of the 2025 campaign.
During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Friday, Auburn athletic director John Cohen was asked about his methods for evaluating Freeze and the football program as a whole. Cohen laid out 3 aspects that he termed as “critically important.”
“Number one, the coach, no matter what happens, has to still have the ear of the locker room,” Cohen said. “Number two, kids have to get better. You have to point to individual kids getting better. Because if individual kids get better, you’re going to have a better football team. And then, three, are you recruiting at a high level?
“Those are the three things that all coaches are judged on. So, that’s what I’m constantly evaluating … if we do those things then John Cohen can sleep at night.”
The results of the first 2 factors Cohen outlined will be evident based on how the 2025 season plays out. The Tigers have struggled to meet expectations over Freeze’s first 2 years at the helm, but he inherited a program that was at a significant talent disadvantage relative to Auburn’s usual standard when he took over for Bryan Harsin in 2023.
As for recruiting, Auburn has been excellent on the trail over the first 2 years of Freeze’s tenure but that progress has slowed significantly in 2026. Auburn currently has the No. 70 ranked class in the country for this cycle, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
Auburn will open the 2025 season on the road against Baylor in Week 1.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
