Yesterday, news broke out that Charlie Kirk, a renowned conservative activist, was tragically shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem. Kirk, at the time, was giving a speech at the University under a tent with the slogan written, “The American Comeback,” when the incident happened. Now, after the incident, tributes are pouring in for Kirk, including President Donald Trump giving his condolences to Kirk’s family. And at this time, college football, too, is standing with the family, with Auburn’s head coach, Hugh Freeze, sending his support.

“Irregardless of your view on everything, for me, he (Charlie Kirk) modeled what he believed in better than anyone I’ve ever met. Today, I shared with the kids and even texted my daughters this morning. Do I model for you that faith is the most important thing to me, family, and then this room? He did that. He modeled what he believed in. I hope and pray that my daughters, as imperfect as I am, they see that I’ve modelled faith and family, protecting them and providing for them,” said Hugh Freeze in a recent interview. Both Charlie Kirk and Hugh Freeze developed a friendship when Freeze was coaching at Liberty between 2019 and 2022.

Kirk founded his non-profit organization, The Turning Point USA, in 2012 at just the age of 18 with $30,000 seed money from Tea Party donors. Gradually, the organization became a force in America, boasting 3,500 campus chapters and an annual budget reported to be around $80 million. The idea for the organization is to host events like the Student Action Summit, which also drew people like Donald Trump and Ben Shapiro. So, the non-profit organization, through Liberty, a private evangelical Christian institution, and its founder, Jerry Falwell, had ideological and cultural overlaps, which probably facilitated Hugh Freeze’s connection with Charlie Kirk.

“He was a friend of mine. Got to know him well at liberty,” said Hugh Freeze, and called on faith to protect his family. “ I know faith and family and protecting them and providing for them. That’s what I want these young men to get from everything that’s going on. Find out what you really believe in and then live in a way that models it. So many things that we can talk about today. I know, and we will. But I wanted to be sure and get that,” said Hugh Freeze in an appeal to America’s young kids.

Hugh Freeze has three daughters, Ragan (27), Jordan (25), and Madison (22), and the head coach has a deep relationship with them, referring to them as the “rock stars” of his life. The head coach has also instilled immense faith in his family, as they have come together and navigated several tough phases, including Freeze’s move to Liberty from Ole Miss. Ragan is also notably a Liberty alum in sports management and currently works as an executive assistant for Auburn Football.

Hugh Freeze has a deep emotional connection with his daughters

Hugh Freeze’s other daughter, Jordan Freeze McManus, is notably an Auburn University alum and works as an Athletic Liaison for ‘The Other’ collective responsible for Auburn’s NIL payments. Apart from Jordan, Madison especially is a fierce Auburn supporter and last year even sent a fiery message to Paul Finebaum for his harsh take on Hugh Freeze. In response, Hugh Freeze defended her, saying she had the “fire” like him.

“My youngest daughter, Madison, she’s like me,” Freeze said. “She’s got the fire. She said, ‘We love Paul, but tell him to go kick rocks … and then she said, ‘I need to go read my bible now,” said Hugh Freeze last year on the SEC Nation. Not just that, the love for their father for Madison, Jordan, and Ragan goes to some considerable lengths, too.

For instance, the trio has designed a specific suit for Hugh Freeze to wear on College GameDay. “All three of my daughters have designed one of my game day suits, and it’s really cool to have their initials and their birthdates sewn in it,” said Freeze. It’s natural, then, for Hugh Freeze to feel protective of his daughters. For Hugh Freeze, the tragedy underscores his constant message to players and family alike that faith and family must anchor us, even when the world delivers its harshest blows.