Are Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn friends? A look at the two coaches' relationship
Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn have been friends since their early coaching days when leading high school teams. The Auburn and UCF coaches worked for schools in Tennessee and Arkansas respectively. In the 2024 SEC Media Days, Freeze himself spoke about their relationship.
“Gus is a dear friend of mine who I talk with about a lot of things,” Freeze said. “He’s just so complimentary of Auburn and the people and the things that can happen there.”
Malzahn coached Auburn between 2013 and 2020, and when Freeze got the job with the Tigers in 2023, he had complimentary words for his friend and the program in general. He tweeted the following on his X account at the time:
“Happy for my friend (Hugh Freeze) for getting the Auburn job! That’s a special place, you’re going to love it. I’ve also got a couple old sweater vests laying around if you ever need them.”
Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn's shared legacy
Both Hugh Freeze and Gus Malzahn hold an important place in the history of the Auburn Tigers. Malzahn also coached the SEC school and carried them to their latest SEC title in 2013.
While Malzahn's debut season at Auburn raised hopes at the Alabama school, they never again rose to those highs under his tenure or after him for that matter. The closest they came was in the 2017 season when they reached the SEC championship game but lost to Georgia 28-7.
Hugh Freeze's importance for Auburn has much more to do with what he might achieve than what he has achieved. Freeze is in his second season with the Tigers, and in 2023, they missed on bowl eligibility by the skin of their teeth after a nail-biting Iron Bowl against Alabama that went down to the final play.
However, there's hope for them doing much better in 2024 with even Nick Saban calling the Tigers the most improved school in the SEC.
Despite not being connected with the Auburn program anymore, it's been noted that Malzahn has provided support to his friend in his new endeavors in the plains. In 2023, ahead of the Iron Bowl, Freeze said he received a call from Malzahn who wished him well against the Crimson Tide:
"Coach (Gus) Malzahn called me this morning just to wish me luck in it, of course, but (also) to say: 'I know you've been part of a really big one across the state lines here, but you just get ready. This one here is another level."
Malzahn would know a thing or two about it, with him having a respectable 3-5 record against Saban in his time in the plains. He was also the coach under whom the Tigers won the famous kick-six Iron Bowl.