Auburn football's Hugh Freeze says previous game against Ole Miss 'actually helps a lot'
AUBURN — Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze was ousted from Ole Miss amidst controversy in 2017. And it took him more than five years to break back into the conference after a stint at Liberty.
When the Tigers host the Rebels on Saturday (6 p.m. CT, ESPN), it'll be the first time Freeze is pitted against his former employer as a coach of an SEC program. But it won't be the first time he's competed versus Ole Miss in any capacity.
During his time with the Flames, Freeze led Liberty into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for a matchup with the Rebels in 2021. His team lost, 27-14, but he said that experience will assist in keeping his emotions in check this time around.
"It actually helps a lot," Freeze said of the Liberty-Ole Miss game. "(My wife) Jill and I actually talked about that because that removes the, 'Hey, this is your first time playing Ole Miss since your departure from there.' I think it's very helpful. That was an emotional day originally. But I was, truthfully, overwhelmed by — I have a lot of friends there and a lot of people that, I think, appreciate the good things that we did and certainly wish that some things were different at the ending. Just like I do.
"But I think time — we're what? Seven, eight years now removed from my seasons there? I think most people have — I don't know, I've got a lot of friends there. The trip back there (in 2021) absolutely helps with it (because) now this is not something that's new."
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Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football's Hugh Freeze talks emotions of playing Ole Miss
