Auburn HC Hugh Freeze is an exemplary figure when it comes to grit and resilience. He has brilliant numbers in his career, especially during his years at Lambuth and Arkansas State. His best score remains his 12-1 finish with the former in 2009. Expected to repeat those heroics again, he was hired by the Tigers in 2021. However, as he looks at pulling the Tigers out of a slump in his third year, he refuses to back down from another fight he’s battling on the personal front.

Auburn officials announced in February that Freeze was diagnosed with prostate cancer. That news shook up everyone in the program and also in his family. Thankfully, though, Freeze has received a silver lining. His prognosis seems to be on the right track. Officials have announced that his form of cancer is not as aggressive, and he will make a full recovery. Despite the ‘C word’ instilling a sense of fear with the team, Freeze doesn’t seem too bothered about it. “I’m at peace with it,” Freeze told ESPN. Instead, he wants to zero in on his third season as the Tigers’ HC.

The HC, true to his name, is taking things with a cool and calm mindset. He told ESPN that he plans to “wait until January” instead of going under the knife right away. “I’m only 55. We’re a family of faith, and I just didn’t feel like it was time to rush into surgery,” he said. After that timeframe, doctors will “reexamine” his condition. The diagnosis seems to have instilled a new zeal in Freeze, as he focuses on still doing the best for his team at the moment. Those efforts are seeing results because Auburn is having a great time with recruiting. Freeze is in no way taking the situation lightly because 2025 is going to be a crucial year for him as the program’s head coach. So far, he seems to be soldiering through the situation on campus and also with his health.

Support for Hugh Freeze poured in from the staff. He shared a picture yesterday, thanking the East Alabama Medical Center for their wishes. ESPN shares that the HC has been feeling a “sense of freedom” after his diagnosis. Keldric Faulk said, “He’s out here every day, and it gives the whole team the sense that he cares, and that whatever he’s going through, he’s going to push through. It gives us the confidence to just ride behind him.”

That infectious energy is what matters the most for Freeze and Auburn, who are leaving no stone unturned to improve from the past few seasons.

How is the QB battle looking so far for Hugh Freeze?

Jackson Arnold seems to have fit in seamlessly at Auburn; he’s seen two great seasons, personally. In 2024, he produced 1,421 passing yards and 12 TDs and completed 154 of 246 passes. But there were flaws in the team nevertheless, as the Tigers finished with a crippling 5-7 score. Arnold, on the other hand, is keen to look forward. “I know for a fact these coaches believe in me, and they know I can do it. In turn, I’ve been able to play a lot more.” To realize his goals, he must defeat QB1 contender Deuce Knight.

Knight is a brand new face at Auburn and is among the 2025 recruits that put the school at the 8th position in the class. On3‘s J.D. PicKell thinks that, at the moment, Knight will not have it easy against the former starter. He said, “Deuce Knight is going to give Jackson Arnold a pretty good push within this battle. Now, is he going to win the job? [..] I would be surprised if he ended up winning the job outright. But I will say the dude, 6’4 213, runs in the 4’4 range and has a wicked left arm. Not playing him is what we call stupid on this show, just a bad idea when you have a dude with that skill set, and you have the offensive acumen that Hugh Freeze does.” The HC will be calling plays this season and will focus more on the quarterbacks, according to ESPN.

With all these developments and Hugh Freeze’s ‘keep calm’ mindset, things seem to be looking up for the Tigers. That’s a marvel of a coach right there, as he continues to do what he does best. Here’s to hoping that Freeze turns out a victor with his efforts for the 2025 season and against cancer.