Trying to find the winning ways for Auburn was not the only battle Hugh Freeze was fighting. It was February when the former HC revealed he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer. At the time, he did not opt for immediate surgery since the cancer was deemed low-aggressive. Now, a month after his firing, the 56-year-old delivered a major health update that surprised many.

“Well, I’m not through coaching, I don’t believe that for one minute,” Freeze said emphatically in an exclusive interview with David Pollack on the “See Ball Get Ball” podcast. “I’ve got this little back surgery I had. I’ve been needing that for about a year. And it’s gotten extremely painful. And I don’t know how many really knew it. But my doctor knew it. But he had to give me a lot of shots. I am moving around without pain for the first time in a long time. And so I’m feeling energetic. I feel really good and healthy. My wife takes great care of me with what I eat most of the time and all kinds of supplements, so I want to coach again.”

This adds a layer of context to Auburn’s struggles that few outside the program knew about.​ The pain was so debilitating that his doctor had to administer repeated injections just to keep him functioning. But him struggling with back issues is not new. 

Freeze’s back issues have plagued him since 2019, when what should have been routine surgery for a herniated disk turned into a life-threatening medical emergency. While serving as head coach at Liberty, Freeze underwent the procedure to address chronic back pain. But complications arose when a staph infection entered his bloodstream during or shortly after the surgery. 

The staphylococcal infection became so severe that Freeze was hospitalized for an extended period. Yet incredibly, he refused to step away from his team, coaching games remotely from a hospital bed in his coaching box while battling the potentially fatal infection. That 2019 episode left lasting damage to his spine and created recurring issues that required ongoing medical management.

His daughter Madi revealed after his Auburn firing that her father’s health had “declined in the months” following his cancer diagnosis and that she was “thankful there’s relief that my dad finally gets to have the surgeries that he needs, and they’re scheduled, and he’s going to get healthy.”

Even earlier this year, while the former HC was feeling “great” amid his struggle with prostate cancer, his main issue still remained a sore back. “zero symptoms other than an old arthritic back that bothers me from time to time.”

Looking back, Freeze’s health challenges were at precisely the wrong moment for his Auburn tenure. Doctors detected the cancer early and classified it as highly treatable. However, the combination of cancer treatment, chronic back pain requiring frequent injections, and the intense pressure of coaching at Auburn created a perfect storm of physical and professional stress. 

Now, with the back surgery completed and his cancer treatment presumably progressing well, Freeze sounds rejuvenated and ready to prove he still belongs on the sidelines. 

Freeze admits he is “Pissed Off” about the Auburn exit

Hugh Freeze didn’t come on David Pollack’s podcast to play diplomat or spin his Auburn failures. The 56-year-old coach made it abundantly clear he’s carrying a chip on his shoulder the size of Jordan-Hare Stadium.

“I’m kind of pissed off,” Freeze said bluntly when Pollack asked what he plans to do next. “I have a little something to prove. So if somebody’s looking for that, I think my resume speaks for itself.”

Freeze acknowledged the “mixture” of emotions he’s dealing with: disappointment, failure, and even a sense of gratitude for the chance Auburn gave him. But anger is clearly driving him right now. He noted he picked up those negative feelings “200 times the day after I was fired” but now only deals with them “maybe 20” times a day, suggesting the sting is fading but far from gone.​​

Hugh Freeze admitted that his 15-19 record represents the only real blemish on an otherwise impressive coaching resume. “I’ve won everywhere I’ve been except for Auburn,” Freeze said, almost incredulously. “You’ve got to deal with that. It’s a dose of humility. But I’m thankful for Auburn, thankful for President Chris Roberts and John Cohen for giving me the chance, and hate like heck that we didn’t get it across the finish line.”

His career record of 91-66 over 15 seasons backs up his claim that Auburn was the outlier, not the norm. With Auburn now moving forward under Alex Golesh and owing Freeze $15.8 million in buyout money, the stage is set for a potential revenge tour if Freeze can find the right landing spot.​​