Paul Finebaum Puts Hugh Freeze on Blast, Tells Auburn to Stop Blaming Bryan Harsin and Start Owning Their Own Failures

Paul Finebaum has never been one to mince words. But even by his standards, his latest tirade hit especially hard—this time directed at Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and the program’s persistent habit of scapegoating former coach Bryan Harsin for its ongoing struggles. On Monday’s edition of The Paul Finebaum Show, the SEC Network personality unloaded his frustration with how Auburn continues to spin its narrative around the past while ignoring the present accountability crisis.

Finebaum’s message was blunt: Hugh Freeze’s first season ended with a whimper, not a bang, and if Auburn wants to return to prominence, it’s time to stop talking about Harsin and start facing the truth.

“Enough is enough,” Finebaum said. “You can’t keep pointing to Bryan Harsin like he’s the ghost haunting Jordan-Hare Stadium. The guy’s been gone for nearly two years. This is Hugh Freeze’s team now. And if you’re losing to New Mexico State 31-10 at home, that’s not on Harsin. That’s on Freeze. That’s on Auburn.”

His frustration has been shared by fans, alumni, and rival fanbases alike. Auburn entered the 2023 season with tempered expectations but reasonable hope. Freeze, known for orchestrating dramatic turnarounds and his reputation as an offensive mind, was expected to stabilize the program, recruit well, and—most importantly—beat rivals. Instead, the season spiraled into inconsistency, culminating in a shocking blowout loss to Group of Five opponent New Mexico State, followed by a heartbreaking loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl thanks to a last-second, fourth-and-31 touchdown.

“You can’t preach progress and get beat by 21 at home to a school you’re paying $1.8 million just to show up,” Finebaum said. “That’s coaching malpractice.”

Finebaum’s criticisms aren’t just rooted in the losses. It’s the excuse-making, the shifting blame, and what he perceives as a lack of leadership from Freeze that has him concerned. According to Finebaum, Auburn fans aren’t delusional—they just want honesty and accountability. Instead, they’re being fed a narrative of inherited dysfunction and lack of roster depth, all of which circles back to Bryan Harsin’s controversial tenure.

Harsin, who came to Auburn in 2021 after success at Boise State, lasted less than two seasons amid a swirl of controversy, lackluster recruiting, and fan disapproval. His firing was met with applause from the Auburn faithful. But Finebaum believes the university has leaned on Harsin’s failures for far too long.

“Yes, Bryan Harsin was a bad hire. Yes, he wasn’t ready for the SEC. But Auburn made that hire. Auburn boosters forced out Gus Malzahn, another guy they said they couldn’t win with. Then they ran Harsin out and brought in Freeze. At what point does Auburn stop pointing fingers and start looking in the mirror?”

Finebaum, who has covered the SEC for more than four decades, noted that the blame culture is a hallmark of dysfunction. And that dysfunction, he says, has been institutional at Auburn for years.

“The boosters meddle. The coaches come and go. The expectations are sky high but the patience is nonexistent. It’s a pressure cooker, and until someone grabs control and says, ‘We’re owning this program,’ Auburn will stay stuck.”

This public dressing-down comes at a critical juncture for Freeze, who enters Year Two with mounting pressure and a fanbase divided on whether he’s the right man for the job. His recruiting has been strong—particularly in the portal—but the on-field product has not reflected a team poised to climb the SEC ranks. The 6-7 finish in 2023 included ugly losses to LSU and Texas A&M, and the team’s offensive identity remained unclear throughout the season.

And Finebaum didn’t stop with the coaching staff. He also took aim at Auburn’s athletic department and the powerful booster contingent that continues to wield influence over the football program.

“You can’t build a winning culture when you have one foot on the field and the other in the donor’s suite,” Finebaum said. “Let your coach coach. Hold him accountable, yes. But give him the autonomy to fail or succeed on his own terms—not while carrying the baggage of someone else’s mistakes.”

To Freeze’s credit, he hasn’t publicly blamed Harsin by name. But the messaging from within the program has continually alluded to the state of disrepair in which Freeze inherited the team. The whispers about a broken locker room culture, recruiting misses, and lack of leadership have all been tied to Harsin’s tenure—consciously or not.

But in Finebaum’s view, that excuse card is maxed out.

“That story’s been told. People have moved on,” he said. “If Auburn doesn’t want to be left behind in the SEC arms race, they’d better move on too. Look at what DeBoer is doing at Alabama. Look at what Drinkwitz is building at Missouri. Everyone else is working. Auburn is still making excuses.”

Indeed, the contrast with rival Alabama is hard to ignore. Despite losing Nick Saban to retirement, the Crimson Tide have maintained momentum under Kalen DeBoer, who has quickly reshaped the roster and culture with discipline and vision. Meanwhile, Auburn is still trying to find its footing.

Auburn’s upcoming season schedule won’t do Freeze any favors either. The Tigers face Georgia, Oklahoma, and Alabama, along with a slate of dangerous SEC teams like Arkansas and Texas A&M. A slow start could spell disaster not only for Freeze’s momentum but also for the program’s long-term stability.

“You’ve got to beat someone that matters,” Finebaum said. “Moral victories against Georgia and heartbreak losses to Alabama might earn sympathy in Year One. But in Year Two? You better start stacking wins.”

Finebaum also cautioned Auburn fans not to fall into the trap of constantly chasing the next big savior. In his words, “coaching turnover isn’t always the answer—sometimes, it’s the problem.”

That’s especially true at Auburn, a program that has burned through four full-time head coaches since 2008. Despite championship highs under Gene Chizik and Malzahn, the lack of long-term stability has prevented the Tigers from building a consistent national contender. Freeze was supposed to be the reset button. Now, the clock is already ticking.

The national media figure also pointed out that success stories across the country are built on stability, patience, and accountability—not on public relations campaigns aimed at distancing current results from past failures.

“You don’t see Kirby Smart talking about what he inherited from Mark Richt,” Finebaum said. “You don’t hear Brian Kelly at LSU still blaming Ed Orgeron. And you certainly don’t hear Kalen DeBoer whining about what Saban left behind. Winners adapt. Losers complain.”

Still, Finebaum didn’t completely write off Freeze. He acknowledged the coach’s track record at Ole Miss and Liberty as evidence that a turnaround is possible. But he emphasized that success has to be earned—on the field and in the locker room.

“Hugh Freeze can turn this around. He’s done it before. But he needs to take control, take responsibility, and stop allowing the program to live in the past. The fans deserve better. The players deserve better. And frankly, the SEC deserves better from a program with Auburn’s resources and tradition.”

Whether Freeze listens—or whether Auburn as a whole takes Finebaum’s fiery advice to heart—remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: the narrative surrounding Auburn football is changing, and no amount of finger-pointing will shield the program from the demands of the SEC gauntlet ahead.

As the offseason gives way to fall camp and the 2025 season looms, all eyes will be on The Plains—not to see if Auburn can make excuses, but to see if it can finally make a statement.