Auburn football will finish the 2024 season with seven losses, marking the fourth consecutive year the team has ended the season with a losing record. Under second-year head coach Hugh Freeze, the Auburn Tigers took a step backward, posting a disappointing 2-6 record in SEC play. This poor performance has resulted in the team failing to reach a bowl game for the fourth time this century, signaling a continuation of struggles for the once-proud program. While Freeze was brought in with hopes of rejuvenating Auburn’s football fortunes, his inability to build on a mediocre 2023 season has left the fan base frustrated and anxious. Auburn supporters are hoping for a significant turnaround, but after two seasons of underwhelming results, there is growing concern about the team’s future under Freeze’s leadership.
Hugh Freeze, who previously served as head coach at Ole Miss and Liberty, was hired by Auburn to replace Bryan Harsin after his firing in 2022. Harsin, who had a successful tenure at Boise State, was expected to bring stability to the program when he took over at Auburn in 2021. However, his two years with the Tigers were marked by challenges, including a mass exodus of transfers following his first season. The departure of key players, including star quarterback Bo Nix, played a significant role in Harsin’s struggles. The combination of a lack of success on the field and off-field issues, including his controversial stance on COVID-19 vaccinations, led to his dismissal after just two seasons.
Despite his time at Auburn being relatively short and filled with challenges, Bryan Harsin has made a return to the world of college football. On Monday, the Cal Golden Bears announced that Harsin would be joining their coaching staff as the new offensive coordinator. Harsin’s hiring comes after two years of being out of coaching, and it has sparked mixed reactions, particularly from Auburn fans. Many have taken to social media to express their dissatisfaction with Harsin’s tenure at Auburn, criticizing him for his underperformance and his handling of the vaccination controversy during his time in the SEC.
Harsin’s career before Auburn was marked by success at Boise State, where he accumulated a 69-19 record, including a five-year stint as the team’s offensive coordinator before becoming head coach. His time at Auburn, however, was far less successful. After being hired as the head coach of Auburn, Harsin posted a 9-12 record, which included a difficult 2021 season that saw significant player departures and instability within the program. One of the most notable departures was that of quarterback Bo Nix, who transferred to Oregon and went on to have a standout career there. Harsin’s inability to build a competitive team, along with a series of off-field controversies, including his refusal to disclose his COVID-19 vaccination status, contributed to his downfall at Auburn.
The vaccine issue became a particularly contentious point during the height of the pandemic when Harsin opted not to disclose whether he had been vaccinated, a decision that drew criticism from various quarters, including the media and fans. Earlier this year, Harsin even took to Twitter to celebrate the anniversary of his refusal to get the vaccine, which reignited the debate surrounding his time at Auburn. Fans who were already upset about his on-field performance at Auburn were quick to criticize his stance on the vaccine, with many seeing it as emblematic of his tenure with the Tigers—one that was filled with controversies and challenges.
Now, as Harsin takes on a new role at Cal, Auburn fans have not forgotten the struggles of his time at the helm. Many have expressed their disappointment with his performance as head coach, and the news of his hiring at Cal has reignited criticism on social media. Some fans expressed frustration at the fact that Auburn had already played a home-and-home series with Cal, wishing they could have faced Harsin again in a more competitive setting. Others simply felt that Harsin’s time at Auburn should have been forgotten, but with his return to coaching, it has been brought back into the spotlight. The reaction on social media has been swift, with some fans continuing to blast him for his underperformance and controversial decisions during his tenure.
As Auburn football looks to the future, the search for a successful and stable program remains a priority for fans and administrators alike. Hugh Freeze’s ability to turn things around will be closely scrutinized, especially after the disappointment of the 2024 season. Meanwhile, Bryan Harsin’s return to coaching at Cal may offer him a chance to rebuild his reputation and resume a successful career in football, but it remains to be seen whether he can recapture the success he had at Boise State. For Auburn, however, the hope for a brighter future rests squarely on the shoulders of Freeze, as fans continue to look for signs of improvement and a return to prominence in the SEC.
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