Holding out for another job? Paul Finebaum thinks South Carolina may miss out on Hugh Freeze
By Keith Farner
Published:
Much of the talk since Will Muschamp’s firing at South Carolina has been on Hugh Freeze as a potential replacement.
The Liberty coach is a hot name in SEC circles, and many people believe he would return to the SEC after having success at Liberty and rehabilitating his image following scandal and recruiting violations at Ole Miss. SEC Network host Paul Finebaum weighed in on the matter during his regular appearance on “The Roundtable” on WJOX 94.5 in Birmingham, Alabama.
“(Ray Tanner) is very close to Commissioner (Greg) Sankey,” Finebaum said. “I have to believe these conversations have already taken place. I think it’s great that everyone has gone into the SEC bylaws to let the SEC know what they can or can’t do here. I think this is something that Ray Tanner already knows. I don’t know the answer to that, but I know the sentiment is very heavily towards Hugh Freeze right now. I don’t know how that decision will be made because Ray Tanner has always been a coach’s coach. He was a former baseball national championship coach. This was, not only his hire, he was the one that made the decision to give Will Muschamp the extension after the big win over Jim Harbaugh a couple of years ago down in Florida. I don’t know where this thing lies.”
The landscape across the SEC could change dramatically in the coming two years, and South Carolina may be far from his only option.
“I think it’s more than a possibility,” Finebaum said. “Nobody knows the SEC like Hugh Freeze. He not only knows what’s available today, but he’s looking next year to see what’s available then. You can do the math on what could come open. You have to weigh, do I want to go to South Carolina and be in Clemson’s shadow. Or, do I wait for what may be a better job next year, or more than one job next year. By the way, we’re not talking about Vanderbilt in this conversation. I don’t know if that job will come open or not. He’s looking at the bigger schools that could come open next year.”
Tennessee and Auburn?
“No doubt,” Finebaum said.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
