Auburn Tigers head coach Hugh Freeze has been diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer, the program announced on Friday. According to AuburnLive, Freeze informed the team of his diagnosis during a meeting earlier that morning. The Auburn program released a statement, saying, “Recently, Coach Freeze was diagnosed with an early form of prostate cancer. Thankfully, it was detected early, and his doctors have advised that it is very treatable and curable. He will continue his normal coaching duties and responsibilities, and with proper treatment, is expected to make a full recovery. Coach Freeze is incredibly appreciative of our medical professionals and has asked that we use his experience as a reminder of the importance of prioritizing and scheduling annual health screenings.”
Freeze, who is entering his third season at Auburn, has compiled an 11-14 overall record and a 5-11 mark in SEC play during his first two years with the Tigers. This isn’t the first time Freeze has faced health challenges as a head coach. In 2019, just before his first season at Liberty, the 55-year-old was hospitalized for emergency surgery to treat a potentially life-threatening staph infection. Despite his recovery, Freeze famously coached Liberty’s season opener against Syracuse from a press box suite that was converted into a makeshift hospital room.
With six months remaining until Auburn’s 2025 season opener against Baylor, Freeze has ample time to focus on his treatment and recovery. However, it remains unclear how his diagnosis will affect his availability for the Tigers’ upcoming spring practices, which are scheduled to begin on March 25. If Freeze needs to step away temporarily, Auburn has a deep bench of experienced assistant coaches who could step in on an interim basis. Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, who previously served as head coach at Maryland from 2016 to 2017, and quarterbacks coach Kent Austin, who has head coaching experience in the Canadian Football League (2013-2017) and at Cornell (2010-2012), are both capable of leading the team during this time.
The Auburn community is rallying behind Freeze, hopeful for his full recovery and return to the sidelines.
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