Freeze returning to SEC at Auburn

Auburn is hiring Liberty coach Hugh Freeze to take over the football program, more than five years after his resignation from SEC West rival Mississippi amid both personal and NCAA scandals. Auburn athletic director John Cohen, who was hired on Oct. 31, announced the move Monday. Freeze replaces Bryan Harsin, who was fired Oct. 31 after going 9-12 in less than two seasons. Freeze, 53, is officially 76-47 in 13 seasons as a head coach at Lambuth, Arkansas State, Mississippi and Liberty. He had 27 wins at Ole Miss vacated. Freeze led the Rebels to a 39-25 record and four bowl games and even beat Alabama in back-to-back seasons. But he resigned in the summer of 2017 after school officials uncovered a “pattern of personal misconduct” starting with a call to a number used by an escort service from a university-issued cellphone. The NCAA found 21 violations of academic, booster and recruiting misconduct, most of which happened under Freeze’s watch. The rule-breaking landed Ole Miss on probation, including a two-year postseason ban and recruiting restrictions.