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After visiting Alabama, ex-Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze hopes to land job with Tide
Offensive coordinator Brian Daboll's departure to the NFL has left a void at Alabama
One year after taking the job as Alabama's offensive coordinator, Brian Daboll walked off with one of the most dramatic play calls in college football history: four verts in overtime of the College Football Playoff National Championship to give the Crimson Tide the title.
Less than a week later, he left to take the same role with the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Who will take Daboll's place?
A source tells CBS Sports that former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze was in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on Monday. The Tuscaloosa News first reported Freeze's presence on campus. Freeze and the Rebels topped Alabama twice (2014 and 2015) and put up 43 points on the typically-stout Tide defense in 2015 and 2016. Freeze's interest in working with the Tide, according to a source, is not necessarily exclusive to the offensive coordinator position.
Freeze resigned from Ole Miss in July 2017 after the school uncovered inappropriate calls made from his university-issued phone. The abrupt resignation came during the final months of the NCAA investigation that ultimately tacked on a two-game suspension to Freeze in 2018 that applies only if he's a head coach. He would not have to sit out if he's an assistant or analyst.
During his time in Oxford, Mississippi, Freeze's offenses finished in the top five in the SEC in total offense in four of his five seasons, topping the SEC in 2015 with 517.8 yards per game.
The Tuscaloosa News mentioned in the same report that former Florida coach Jim McElwain is also in the mix to replace Daboll and has had conversations coach Nick Saban. McElwain was let go from the Gators in October after three consecutive losses and tensions within the department rose to a level where athletic director Scott Stricklin had to make a move.
McElwain was the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator from 2008-11 under Saban, helping lead Alabama to the 2009 and 2011 BCS titles.
SOURCE: Barrett Sallee, Barrett. "After visiting Alabama, ex-Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze hopes to land job with Tide." cbssports.com, 16 January 2018,
Last edited by catfishboy (1/16/2018 1:15 am)
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Snippets from the Tuscaloosa News article:
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[Updated at 7:25 p.m.] Former Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze was in Tuscaloosa today and was in the football building, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. Saban has always had a healthy respect for Freeze, who gave Alabama fits with his offense. Freeze was given a head coach restriction and two-game suspension but only if he were to become a head coach. He would face no restrictions as an assistant coach.
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So why all the change this year? R-E-C-R-U-I-T-I-N-G. Saban sees an increasingly tough SEC landscape in which he has to recruit against Fisher/Smart/Muschamp/Pruitt/Etc., and he wasn’t content to stand pat
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One thing of interest is that did you notice Luke is not mentioned as a recruiting threat? Another thing to consider is if Freeze gets the job. He threw Ole Miss under the bus with his statement about the out of control alumni. As a result he only got a three game conference suspension if he is hired as a head coach. Freeze will be back on his feet in a year and Ole Miss will be reeling for at least five years from the disastrous effects of Freeze put the program. There is a reason why he is called "Snake".
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Another thing to consider is that if Freeze were hired by Alabama, he could learn how to cheat and not get caught!!! You can bet he gets more than one cell phone at Alabama. One to use and be checked and the other to be a burner!
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Bruce Feldman
✔
@BruceFeldmanCFB
Former #OleMiss HC Hugh Freeze did meet with Nick Saban today. I don’t think it was all abt the Bama OC vacancy. The hunch here is Saban promotes from within for that..Last yr Saban hired Freeze’s old OC Dan Werner as an offensive analyst. Werner took the SoCar QB job last wk.
9:41 PM - Jan 15, 2018
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He shouldn’t be allowed to coach in the SEC in my opinion.
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Catfish - think it's a 2 game suspension if he were hired as a HC this past season. He can be a HC next season without any suspension.
Having said that, can you imagine Forde and Wolken having to backtrack on their statements about Freeze if Satan hired him?
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Per Chuck.
I talked to Freeze yesterday when all that started circulating about him going to Bama. He said Nick told him he would most likely have an analyst spot for him if he wanted it, but he would have to wait and see how things shook out across the board with other assistants, etc. Hugh said he didn't know what he wanted to do, but he knows he wants to get back to work ASAP.
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Also,
People at Bama are saying Ole Miss secondary coach Jason Jones has reportedly interviewed for one of the Crimson Tide's open secondary positions.
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MustangReb wrote:
Per Chuck.
I talked to Freeze yesterday when all that started circulating about him going to Bama. He said Nick told him he would most likely have an analyst spot for him if he wanted it, but he would have to wait and see how things shook out across the board with other assistants, etc. Hugh said he didn't know what he wanted to do, but he knows he wants to get back to work ASAP.
Foot in the proverbial door....camel nose under the tent approach......
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Kind of ironic if he takes Dan Werner's old job.