Hugh Freeze updates Auburn's coaching staff, when he expects to finalize hires

Auburn‘s new head coach Hugh Freeze has been busy recruiting and filling out his coaching staff since being named Auburn’s head coach on November 28. On National Signing Day, Freeze gave an update on the hires he’s made for his new coaching staff, starting with the offense.

“I think we’ve announced our new staff, OC/quarterbacks Philip Montgomery, associate head coach and running backs Carnell Williams, offensive line Jake Thornton, tight ends Ben Aigamaua, yet to hire a wide receivers coach, I’m really close to that I just have been focusing on recruiting,” Freeze said.

Williams has been a member of Auburn’s staff since 2019 and served as the interim head coach following the firing of Brian Harsin last season, while Aigamaua will follow Freeze after serving under him at Liberty. Montgomery has been the head coach at Tulsa for the last eight seasons, bringing 20 years of college-level coaching to the table for Auburn, and on the contrary, Thorton is the youngest offensive assistant coach in the SEC after spending the last two seasons at Ole Miss.

Freeze also spoke on his defensive staff, which from top to bottom has been filled at every position.

“Defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, defensive line Jeremy Garrett, linebackers Josh Aldridge, and secondary coaches Zach Ethridge and Wesley McGriff,” Freeze listed.

Freeze’s defensive staff similar to his offense has a combination of youth and experience, bringing in coaches from outside programs, Liberty, and some already that were previously with the Tigers.

Outside of the X’s and O’s, Freeze also brought in two key members to his support staff from Liberty, and provided a timeline on when the few remaining holes in his staff will be filled.

“Strength and conditioning Dominic Studzinski and Kent Austin is our chief quality control of the program that overseas if we say we’re gonna do something a certain way let’s do it that way. So I’m excited about our staff and we’ll be bringing in the rest of the off-the-field support staff along with the wide receiver coach at the beginning of the new year,” Freeze said.

Between recruiting and building his staff, Freeze’s offseason work will build the foundation for the beginning of a new era at Auburn, and so far all things seem to be running smoothly and on schedule with him newly at the helm.