Hugh Freeze’s firing continues an unusual Iron Bowl coaching stat
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Hugh Freeze’s firing as Auburn‘s head coach on Sunday will mean that an odd Iron Bowl coaching statistic that began in 2019 will continue for the 7th straight season.
In Freeze’s first Iron Bowl, he nearly led the Tigers to a shocking win over Nick Saban‘s Alabama in 2023, but the Crimson Tide’s Isaiah Bond had other ideas thanks to his famous “Gravedigger” catch.
The 2024 edition at Bryant-Denny Stadium wasn’t quite as dramatic. The Tide, in Kalen DeBoer‘s first Iron Bowl, won that one 28-14. That dropped Hugh Freeze to 0-2 against Alabama as Auburn’s head coach and 2-4 overall.
But Hugh Freeze‘s firing means he won’t get another shot at Alabama. On3’s Blake Blyer notes that it means for the 7th straight season, the Iron Bowl will feature a different coaching combination.
In 2019, Nick Saban faced Gus Malzahn, but in 2020, Saban wasn’t on the sideline due to COVID — meaning Steve Sarkisian served as the Tide’s acting head coach that day. Malzahn was fired after the 2020 campaign, meaning Saban faced Bryan Harsin in 2021. But Harsin’s firing 8 games into the 2022 season led to Auburn great Cadillac Williams serving as interim head coach against Saban.
After the lone Saban vs. Freeze Iron Bowl in 2023, DeBoer and Freeze faced off for the first, and ultimately, only time in 2024. In 2025, DeBoer’s third Iron Bowl, he’ll coach against Auburn interim head coach DJ Durkin.
There’s a great chance this stretch will continue into 2026, too. That’s unless Durkin gets the permanent job at Auburn, though that’s admittedly unlikely barring an unforeseen turn of events.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
