Fact-check: Was Hugh Freeze in 'The Blind Side' movie?
Coach Hugh Freeze is a seasoned veteran in the world of college football. During his tenure as Briarcrest Christian School coach, Freeze had the opportunity to train former Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher.
Oher's story of struggle was depicted in the 2009 Hollywood movie, "The Blind Side." And with Freeze being such an important aspect of Oher's initial journey in football, he was bound to have a spot in the movie's script.
So was Hugh Freeze actually in the movie?
The 53-year-old coach has almost 12 years of experience guiding college football teams to glory. Widely known for his stint with Ole Miss starting in 2012, Freeze coached the best tenures for the Rebels till 2016 in their recent history.
Was Hugh Freeze in "The Blind Side"?
The current Auburn Tigers coach did have a character in Michael Oher's Hollywood portrayal. But the role was not played by Hugh Freeze himself.
In the movie, we see Freeze's character played by Ray McKinnon. His depiction was shown through a character called Coach Cotton, who went on to help Quinton Aaron (who plays Michael Oher) realize his football dreams, just like how Hugh Freeze did in reality.
Not only did he coach the offensive lineman in high school, but Freeze molded the former Ravens player into a five-start recruit coming into college and the fifth-ranked offensive lineman prospect.
When Oher joined Ole Miss back in 2005, the then coach Ed Orgeron recruited Freeze as the assistant athletic director of football external affairs. He went on to become an assistant coach and the wide receivers coach in the next two years before being cut from the staff following Orgeron's firing.
Freeze gearing up for a new season at Auburn
Last year, the Auburn Tigers fired Bryan Harsin just eight games into the season and brought in Freeze from Liberty. During his stint with the Flames from 2019 to 2022, he held a 34-15 record and led the team to four bowl games.
While starting the pre-season camp a few days ago with the Tigers, Freeze opened up to reporters about being "a little bit anxious" for the upcoming season. The Tigers have eight transfers joining them, including new players not part of the roster during spring.
The Tigers took a leap of faith and had a restructure of their roster in the offseason. Can Hugh Freeze turn the fortunes at Auburn like back at Ole Miss?