History is rife with examples that showcase that authority in the hands of multiple people has always wreaked havoc. Be it the Roman Empire’s first Triumvirate, which was between Julius Caesar, Pompey, and Crassus, led to civil war and long-term instability. Or take Germany, which suffered from fragmented authority after the First World War, leading up to none other than Hitler’s reign, bringing widespread destruction to the world. Of course, this isn’t about Germany or Ancient Rome, but one thing is clear: Hugh Freeze either is ignoring history lessons or just ignorant about them.
Last year, Hugh Freeze had a triumvirate-like play calling system at his team where offensive coordinator Derrick Nix, QBs coach Kent Austin, and the head coach himself were involved in the offensive play calling. The result was then apparent with widespread losses and an offense regressing lower than some G5 teams. For context, the team ranked last nationally in turnover margin (-11) and finished 93rd nationally in total offense, finishing 5-7 overall. Now, in 2025, one would guess the triumvirate would finally disappear at Auburn, right?
Not quite!! Instead, the head coach is set to bring the 2024 play-calling strategy again, where Freeze will have full authority to veto any decisions and overrule them. “Nix handles 1st down strategy/play-calling. Austin handles 3rd-down strategy/play-calling. And as Nix said of Hugh Freeze, ‘the head coach has the authority to overrule anything we say or do,’” reported Justin Hokanson of On3 on X. Moreover, as for the overruling power of Freeze? It’s quite extensive.
Since we spoke with Derrick Nix and Kent Austin yesterday, just to reiterate…
Nix handles 1st down strategy/play-calling. Austin handles 3rd down strategy/play-calling. And as Nix said of Hugh Freeze, “head coach has the authority to overrule anything we say or do.”
How often…
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) August 12, 2025
“It depends on how the game is going. But he’s highly involved. To me, he’s an outstanding play caller, and I’ve learned everything from him,” noted Justin Hokanson about Nix and Austin’s stance. Furthermore, Hugh Freeze would also handle second-down situations, and Justin Hokanson reiterated that Freeze to be the primary play caller. But how is this decision prudent for Freeze, considering he is probably on a hot seat, and without results, he will see the exit door?
To be honest, it all may seem like three different individuals calling the plays. But in truth, we could most likely see just Hugh Freeze being the main play caller while both Derrick Nix and Kent Austin being restricted to secondary duties. This year, though, Freeze has Jackson Arnold as his new QB, coming from Oklahoma after passing for 1,421 yards. Apart from that, Freeze has also brought playmaking additions like Eric Singleton Jr. and Horatio Fields, along with Preston Howard as the tight end. So, it may be possible that the triumvirate finally works, although it’s highly unlikely.
Hugh Freeze’s choice to stick with his old model is a massive anomaly
Other head coaches, like Billy Napier, called the offense last year, and with DJ Lagway’s promise is coming back in 2025 to do the same. Apart from him, the other head coaches who are touted to be on the hot seat are Brent Venables and Mike Norvell. And both have given their play-calling responsibility to Ben Arbuckle and Gus Malzahn, signaling caution, as one misstep could lead to massive repercussions. It’s strange, then, that Hugh Freeze, who is in the same situation, has decided to adopt the 2024 strategy again.
“It’s a combination. Obviously, the game plan is done by all of us sitting in a room as to what we like on base downs and shot plays and third down, and redzone. It’s usually a mixture. Kent (Austin) handles most of the third-and-longs, and (Derrick) Nix and I kind of combine on the rest of it, truthfully. When you look at the yards-per-attempt and stuff, it’s something that you kind of like, but the points are not coming,” said Hugh Freeze last year when asked about the play-calling responsibilities.
In his tenure, Freeze has accumulated an 11-14 record and has led the team to two consecutive losing seasons. Moreover, it’s also to be noted that Auburn, in its history, has never kept a head coach after three consecutive losing seasons, and that places Freeze in a precarious situation. Notching up two consecutive 8th-ranked classes does help, but unless those recruiting exploits translate into on-field results? Freeze would have a hard time convincing Auburn fans about the choices he is making.
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