SEC Network's Paul Finebaum praised Auburn head football coach Hugh Freeze this week on ESPN College Football's "The Matt Barrie Show," giving him an "A-plus-plus" for getting the fans back on board with the program.
Freeze's hiring led to some backlash from the Auburn fanbase, given how his tenure at Ole Miss ended. Under Freeze, the Ole Miss program was hit with 15 Level-1 violations from the NCAA, and the Rebels were forced to vacate 33 wins. It was also discovered that Freeze had been dialing an escort service from a company phone while at Ole Miss.
During his November press conference to be introduced as the Auburn head coach, Freeze asked the fanbase to give him a chance to earn their trust.
According to Finebaum, Freeze's transition, despite the immediate backlash, "happened flawlessly." He added that Auburn fans were "on board" with their new coach after two disastrous seasons with Bryan Harsin.
"[N]ot only did it happen ... it happened flawlessly," Finebaum outlined. "All the hue and cry about what he did or didn't do or why he got fired, it was over in five seconds. He handled his introduction brilliantly. I've seen Hugh a couple of times at events, and he's just very cool. You know Hugh very well. And I give him ... an A-plus-plus for the way he's handled it."
"And not only that, Auburn fans are just enthusiastic," he continued.
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"Really? They're on board now?" host Matt Barrie asked.
"They are on board," Finebaum replied. "And it has as much to do with the person he replaced."
"Bryan Harsin, no debating here whether he's a good football coach. He was a terrible fit. Not his fault; he took the job. But he neutered any level of enthusiasm. Freeze has said, 'You know what? I know this league. I'm not afraid of big, bad Nick Saban. I've already beaten him twice. I can handle these guys.' And Auburn fans are just clapping and screaming and chanting and think that they're back. ... It won't take much for Hugh Freeze to seal that deal, and I think he's got a good chance of doing it."
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