Details of Hugh Freeze’s Auburn contract revealed

Auburn Tigers football coach Hugh Freeze is introduced at the Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, Ala., on Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2022. Photo Credit: Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK

Auburn named Hugh Freeze their new head coach back on November 28 but the deal wasn’t officially signed until earlier this month. And now that the ink has dried, details of that contract have been made available to the public.

The six-year deal is worth $6.5 million annually and a potential buyout starts at $5 million should Freeze leave for another school, reports Chris Vannini of The Athletic. Additional incentives could push Freeze’s final-year salary to $10 million.

Also included in the contract is a $225,000 retention bonus that is paid out each February 1. Should Freeze be terminated without cause prior to the end of his contract, there is a 75 percent buyout figure.

Other bonuses included in the contract are $150,000 for each conference win after Auburn’s fifth SEC victory of the season and $200,000 if they win the SEC West and makes the SEC Championship Game. Another $200,000 could be earned if the Tigers win the SEC title. Bonuses for Bowl appearances and Bowl wins range from $50,000 to as much as $2 million for a National Championship Game victory.

Finally, Freeze will earn $75,000 if he’s named the SEC Coach of the Year and another $75,000 if wins Coach of the Year from Bryant, Camp, AP, AFCA, ESPN, Eddie Robinson, Bobby Dodd, Sporting News or Maxwell.

The $6.5 AAV makes Freeze the ninth-highest-paid head coach among SEC public schools.