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Auburn fired coach Hugh Freeze on Sunday, raising the total for buyouts in college football this season to nearly $185 million from 11 FBS firings.
Freeze, who signed a six-year, $39 million deal before the 2023 season, is owed $15.8 million for his exit, according to ESPN. The Tigers went 15-19 during Freeze’s tenure; his best season was a 6-7 campaign in 2023 that included a loss in the Music City Bowl.
With Auburn letting Freeze go, four SEC teams—or 25% of the 16-member conference—have fired their football coaches since the start of the season, accounting for nearly $100 million in buyout money:
- LSU: Brian Kelly ($53 million)
- Florida: Billy Napier ($21.2 million)
- Auburn: Hugh Freeze ($15.8 million)
- Arkansas: Sam Pittman ($9.8 million)
The conference could see more turnover by the end of the year, too. Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin is believed to be a prime target for LSU and Florida’s coaching vacancies, and Kentucky coach Mark Stoops earlier this season had to shoot down rumors he was negotiating a potential buyout.
Meanwhile, South Carolina fired offensive coordinator Mike Shula on Sunday, after Saturday’s loss to Ole Miss dropped the Gamecocks to 3–6 this season. Shula, who was named OC ahead of South Carolina’s appearance in last season’s Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, is owed more than $2.3 million in buyout money, per The State.
Buyouts Still Climbing
With Freeze’s firing, it is now even more likely that coaching buyouts in college football this year—already at a record amount—will surpass $200 million. As the college football coaching carousel spins—see every firing and buyout so far this season in the updated CFB firings tracker.
Other coaches on the hot seat with expensive, eight-figure buyouts include Florida State’s Mike Norvell and Wisconsin’s Luke Fickell.
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