“Hugh Freeze Won’t Put Number On Wins Auburn Needs in 2025”:
Hugh Freeze Won’t Put Number On Wins Auburn Needs in 2025
In a college football world driven by pressure, expectations, and the ever-churning coaching carousel, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze is taking a different approach as the 2025 season approaches. With boosters, fans, and media all expecting the Tigers to take a major step forward in his third year at the helm, Freeze made headlines this week by stating he won’t place a specific win total on what constitutes success this fall.
“I’ve never been a fan of saying, ‘Hey, we need to win this many games,’” Freeze said during his recent media availability. “Because the truth is, every season has its own story, its own adversity. I want us to compete. I want us to be mentally tough, to grow, and to get better every week. The wins will take care of themselves if we do that.”
This stance may come as a surprise to some Auburn faithful, especially those who remember the glory days of the early 2010s, when Auburn played for two national championships and won one under Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn. The bar at Auburn has always been high. Competing with Alabama and Georgia in the Southeastern Conference demands success measured in tangible results.
But after a bumpy 2023 and a rebuilding-focused 2024 campaign that ended with a modest 7-6 record and a Birmingham Bowl appearance, the Tiger faithful want more. Freeze was brought in to rejuvenate the program, bring in top-tier talent, and compete for championships again. Many see 2025 as the season where patience must give way to performance.
And yet, Freeze refuses to define the year by a simple win-loss figure.
“I understand the noise,” Freeze admitted. “It’s Auburn. Expectations come with the territory, and they should. But I can’t coach this team with a number in mind. I have to coach them to be their best, every day, every practice, every rep.”
Part of the heightened expectations is due to Freeze’s success on the recruiting trail. Auburn landed the No. 7 recruiting class nationally in 2024, and they’ve already secured key commitments for the 2025 cycle, including multiple blue-chip prospects on both sides of the ball. The infusion of talent is clear, and it’s paired with more stability in the program after the chaotic final years of the Bryan Harsin era.
Among the highlights of the 2025 roster: five-star quarterback recruit Malik Washington, who is expected to push for starting reps immediately, and junior defensive lineman Keldric Faulk, now a team captain and potential first-round NFL Draft pick. Freeze and his staff have also been active in the transfer portal, adding veterans to bolster depth across key positions.
“We’ve built this roster to compete now,” Freeze said. “But you can’t microwave greatness. It takes time, and it takes belief in the process.”
That process-oriented mindset is at the heart of Freeze’s refusal to put a number on success. He sees 2025 as a continuation of a journey, not an end destination..
“Coach Freeze just wants us to compete hard and trust each other,” Cobb said. “He doesn’t get up there and say, ‘We need to win 10 games or it’s a failure.’ He wants us to give everything every game, and that kind of belief really gets the team going.”
Linebacker Eugene Asante, a senior leader and vocal presence on the defense, added, “The way Coach Freeze leads, it’s not about pressure. It’s about pride and preparation. That’s what drives us.”
Still, both players acknowledged the team’s internal goals are lofty. While Freeze may not declare a win total, the team knows what’s expected.
“We want to be in Atlanta come December,” Asante said, referring to the SEC Championship Game. “That’s the goal.”
Even with a talented roster and positive momentum, Auburn’s path to SEC contention is anything but easy. The 2025 schedule includes home matchups against Alabama, LSU, and Oklahoma, as well as road trips to Georgia, Texas A&M, and Florida. Navigating the new-look SEC—with Oklahoma and Texas officially joining—adds even more intrigue.
That’s one reason Freeze is hesitant to make bold predictions.
“I’d love to say we’re going to go out and win 11 games, but you’ve got to respect how hard this league is,” he said. “It’s brutal. Every week is a war.”
Freeze has been in the league long enough to understand the landscape. As head coach at Ole Miss from 2012–2016, he led the Rebels to wins over Alabama and back-to-back New Year’s Six bowl appearances. But he also knows how fast things can change. Injuries, turnovers, and close losses can derail even the best-laid plans.
At the heart of Freeze’s comments is a deeper philosophy: he’s building a program that can sustain success, not just chasing a single successful season.
“We’re laying bricks,” Freeze said. “I know fans want the house built now, but you don’t want to build it on shaky ground. You want to build it on culture, toughness, discipline, and belief.”
To that end, Auburn has invested heavily in strength and conditioning, sports psychology, and leadership development. Freeze brought in former Navy SEALs during the offseason to lead mental toughness drills and has emphasized servant leadership and accountability as core principles.
“You can’t fake being a championship team,” Freeze said. “It’s got to be in your DNA. We’re building that DNA.”
Of course, while Freeze may not want to focus on numbers, others certainly will. College football is a results-driven business, and coaches at Auburn don’t typically get long leashes. Gene Chizik was fired just two years after winning a national championship. Gus Malzahn made eight straight bowls and was let go. Bryan Harsin barely made it past year two.
Freeze’s contract and recruiting success have bought him goodwill, but another sub-.500 or mediocre season could reignite the pressure. Auburn fans are passionate and impatient in equal measure, and many believe the window for a breakthrough is open now.
“I get it,” Freeze said. “They want to win. I want to win. But I’ve been around long enough to know it doesn’t help to obsess over the scoreboard. Obsess over the work.”
It’s a bold stance in an era defined by instant gratification and coaching hot seats. But Freeze, for better or worse, is betting on the long game.
So, if Freeze won’t define a successful season by a specific win total, what does success look like in 2025?
According to Freeze, it comes down to identity.
“I want people to turn on Auburn football and say, ‘That team plays hard. That team plays smart. That team is physical. That team doesn’t quit,’” he said. “If we do that consistently, the wins will follow.”
Still, it’s hard not to envision the benchmarks that might signal a breakout: beating Alabama in the Iron Bowl, returning to a New Year’s Six bowl, or competing for the SEC West (or whatever format the SEC decides on with expansion).
For Freeze, all of that is within reach—but not the focus.
In 2025, Auburn football will be one of the most closely watched programs in the country. With a talented roster, a demanding schedule, and a coach with a proven SEC pedigree, the pieces are in place for a special season.
But don’t expect Hugh Freeze to talk about 10-win targets, championship expectations, or anything involving numbers. He’s playing a different game—one built on culture, consistency, and character.
“In the end,” Freeze said, “we’ll be judged by how we respond to adversity, how we grow, and how we compete. And I’m good with that.”
