Hugh Freeze is officially out at Auburn.

The third-year head coach was fired on Sunday following a 10-3 loss at home to Kentucky, which dropped the Tigers to 4-5 on the season and 1-5 in SEC play. Freeze leaves Auburn with just a 15-19 record, including a 6-16 mark against conference foes.

The Tigers now join a crowded coaching market that already features three other SEC openings, including LSU and Florida. As we consider potential candidates for this job, it's important to consider that the Tigers may have some competition for their top options.

With that being said, here are some names who could become targets in the search.

Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach

Key, like several other hot names in this carousel cycle, is currently coaching at his alma mater. His name has also come up for other big jobs, but he would be an excellent fit for Auburn.

He knows the city of Atlanta and its surrounding areas, which is a primary recruiting ground for the Tigers. And though he played at Georgia Tech, he's an Alabama native and has previously coached in the state, serving as Nick Saban's offensive line coach with the Crimson Tide.

He had Georgia Tech off to an 8-0 start for the first time since 1966, and though the Yellow Jackets took their first loss on Saturday, he remains a prime target for more than one opening in this cycle.

Jon Sumrall, Tulane head coach

Though Sumrall's name has potentially lost a bit of luster after the Green Wave's disastrous loss to UTSA on Thursday night, his name has been ubiquitous in coaching carousel discussions this season, to the point that it would be shocking if he's not coaching elsewhere in 2026.

There have been rumors that Sumrall would be near the top of Auburn's list, and it's easy to see why. In addition to maintaining Tulane's spot as a premier Group of Five program, he was also extremely successful working in the state of Alabama in the past during his time at Troy, where he held a 23-4 record.

Sumrall could also be a target for LSU, as well as others, but Auburn could also throw its hat in the ring for him.

Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri head coach

It took Drinkwitz a few years to get things rolling at Missouri, but he's turned the Tigers into a perennial contender to win double-digit games. He's 27-7 since the start of the 2023 season, and he's currently 6-2 in 2025.

That's impressive enough that his name has come up for the openings at Florida and LSU, as well. There's probably going to be some overlap with all three schools' lists, and Drinkwitz will probably draw some level of interest from all of them.

Drinkwitz has also spent time at Auburn in the past, working as a quality control coach in 2010 and 2011 for the Tigers. The question is: Would he view this job as a big enough leap to leave a comfortable situation at Missouri?

James Franklin, former Penn State head coach

While things didn't work out for Franklin in State College, no one is denying that the man can coach. Time will tell if the decision to fire him proves to be a wise one for Penn State, but Franklin has made it clear he wants to coach again, and he'll likely have some pretty good options.

There have been some rumors recently tying Franklin to the opening at Virginia Tech, but Auburn is a better job and could likely sway him if they made a push. It also likely wouldn't be as expensive as poaching a sitting Power Four head coach.

Auburn may prefer someone like Sumrall to Franklin, but he will likely be a name that gets at least some play for this job.

Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State head coach

Like Key, Dillingham is coaching at his alma mater and, by all indications, is very happy in Tempe. Still, it's hard to imagine he wouldn't at least briefly consider if an upper-half SEC job came calling.

The Sun Devils have taken a slight step back this season, but he took them from 3-9 in his first season to 11 wins, a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff appearance in Year 2. Dillingham is just 35, and he's a potential rising star in the sport.

He also has some ties to Auburn, having served as an offensive coordinator under Gus Malzahn in 2019. It may take quite a pitch to get him to leave Arizona State, but it's worth a try if you're the Tigers.

Alex Golesh, South Florida head coach

The first two seasons at South Florida for Golesh weren't exactly spectacular, as he finished 7-6 in both of them. The Bulls have broken through this year, however. They're 6-2 with a win over Florida in the Swamp, and while a loss to Memphis hurt their playoff chances, they remain in the hunt for the G5 spot.

Golesh was a successful coordinator in the SEC at Tennessee, where he had Hendon Hooker looking like the Heisman frontrunner before his season-ending injury. While there's some projection involved in hiring him, he will likely come up for several jobs this season, especially if USF finishes strong.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Auburn coaching hot board: 6 early potential candidates to replace Hugh Freeze

Reporting by Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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