An Open Letter to Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen
Subject: The Car’s Not Starting — It’s Time to Turn the Keys Over
Mr. Cohen,
As I sit here at Talladega, watching the YellaWood 500, surrounded by roaring engines and loyal fans, I can’t help but think about Auburn football — and how one machine keeps breaking down every Saturday in the fall.
You said when you evaluate a coach, you ask three questions:
- Is the locker room still buying in?
- Are we still bringing in the right types of student-athletes?
- Are our kids getting better — are we winning games and executing when it matters?
After watching Auburn fall 23–17 to Missouri in double overtime, it’s time to face the truth. On all three counts, Hugh Freeze is failing your standard.
1. The Locker Room Has Checked Out
Auburn doesn’t have a culture problem — it has a leadership problem.
The dismissal of captain Damari Alston days before the Missouri game exposed how fractured this locker room has become. Players saw a respected leader pushed out midseason, and instead of it uniting the team, it created more doubt.
Meanwhile, on the field, the defense fights like a team that still believes, while the offense plays like a group that doesn’t trust its direction. That split is on the head coach. When your team stops believing in your plan, you’ve already lost.
2. The “Right Types” of Players Are Being Wasted
Auburn has SEC talent on this roster.
Jeremiah Cobb rushed for 111 yards. Cam Coleman — a future NFL receiver — had 108. D.J. Durkin’s defense held one of the top offenses in college football to 17 points in regulation. That’s enough to win every single time.
But Freeze’s offense can’t cash those checks. He was hired as an offensive guru, yet Auburn hasn’t averaged 28 points a game in any season under him. The system doesn’t develop talent — it buries it. Players are producing in spite of the scheme, not because of it.
3. Auburn Isn’t Getting Better — It’s Getting Beaten by the Same Mistakes
The record tells the story:
- 14–18 overall.
- 5–15 in SEC play.
- 1–12 against ranked teams.
- 0–4 in the SEC for the third straight season.
That’s not progress. That’s purgatory.
Against Missouri, Freeze’s team once again folded under pressure. Three missed field goals. Conservative calls in overtime. A run on 3rd-and-6 that lost two yards in the biggest moment of the season. This wasn’t a lack of talent — it was a lack of leadership.
Auburn’s defense gave him every chance to win. Freeze gave it right back.
The Buyout Excuse Has Expired
You’ve said before that you’d evaluate a coach like a car that doesn’t start — you expect it to work, but if it keeps stalling, you’ll reevaluate.
Well, this car hasn’t started in four straight SEC games. It hasn’t started in three straight conference seasons. At some point, you stop waiting for a jumpstart and admit you bought the wrong model.
The buyout — roughly $15 million — is manageable. What’s not manageable is wasting another season, another defense, and another generation of Auburn players while hoping a car that keeps dying will magically roar to life.
What Auburn Needs From You
Auburn needs decisive leadership.
Announce a clear evaluation timeline.
Tell the fanbase what the standard is — and what happens when it’s not met.
And if that standard truly is “buy-in, character, and progress,” then by your own measure, the decision is already made.
The Hugh Freeze era has produced elite defensive effort, offensive chaos, and nothing but excuses. The players deserve better. The fans deserve better. The program deserves a leader who can start the engine and keep it running.
It’s time to turn the keys over.
Respectfully,
Jonathan Matlock
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