Hugh Freeze reveals if he would return to SEC

After he resigned from Ole Miss, Hugh Freeze landed at Liberty in 2019 and has been there ever since. But could he return to the SEC down the road?

During an appearance on The Paul Finebaum Show on Thursday, he revealed the answer to that question.

Freeze coached at Ole Miss from 2012-16 before resigning amid multiple alleged recruiting violations and other scandals. At the time of his resignation, the Rebels were 0-7 through the 2016 season, and he finished with a 12-25 record in Oxford.

He became the head coach at Liberty three years later and has taken the Flames to a 26-11 record and three consecutive bowl games. He also helped develop Malik Willis into a potential first-round NFL Draft pick.

Finebaum asked Freeze if he’d consider leaving to head back to the SEC. It sounds like he’s enjoying his time in Liberty — but admitted the opportunity that “makes sense” hasn’t come along yet.

“It would take something extremely special for me to consider leaving here,” Freeze said. “Jill loves it here on the mountain, my kids love it here on the mountain. My daughter is my personal assistant here and you can’t do that just everywhere. I’m just so blessed with a great administration here.

“I’m very honest and candid with my players and them that, should an opportunity ever present itself that makes sense for Jill and I and our family, they would be the first to know. To this point, none of those have come my way and I’m quite OK with that, because I truly am at peace.”

Hugh Freeze: ‘I love our kids here, I love our staff here’

Freeze further explained why he’s not necessarily looking to leave Liberty at the moment. He said there are aspects about the SEC he misses, but he reaffirmed his happiness with the Flames — who are an independent program.

“You know me, Paul,” Freeze told Finebaum. “We’ve talked about this a lot of times. Are there things you miss about playing in what’s considered to be the greatest conference — or, coaching in the greatest conference in college football? Certainly. But there’s some things I don’t miss at all that I don’t have to worry about here also.

“Right now, if I’m in that league, I’m probably on the phone with a recruit because I’m scared somebody else is like Nick [Saban], or Kirby [Smart], or some of those guys who I love and respect dearly. We’ll see what happens with that, but again, I want it to be clear. I love our kids here, I love our staff and certainly love what we’re doing here.”