For the third time since the decade began, the Auburn Tigers are in search of a new head coach for their football program.

Hugh Freeze was relieved of his duties following the Tigers' 10-3 loss against the Kentucky Wildcard on Saturday night. DJ Durkin has been elevated to fill the role on an interim basis.

With the coaching search officially underway, who are five candidates to become Auburn's next head coach?

DJ Durkin

Unlike the last time Auburn called upon an interim head coach, Durkin has experience as a head coach on his resume already.

Durkin, who has served as the Tigers' defensive coordinator since 2024, was the head coach of the Maryland Terrapins from 2016-2018. Additionally, he took over as the interim head coach of the Florida Gators in 2014. Durkin's record as a head coach is 11-15 with a 1-1 record in bowl games. 

Durkin has been performing well this season, as the Tigers' defense has helped them remained competitive in games, despite the offense struggling to put points on the board.

Removing the interim tag from Durkin could help ensure defensive prospects who are committed to Auburn don't reopen their recruitments.

Jon Sumrall

Sumrall has been linked to multiple head coaching vacancies throughout this cycle, as he has been successful in the mid-major ranks over the last few seasons.

Sumrall has been the head coach of Tulane since 2024, and the Green Wave went 9-5 last season, two of those losses coming in the postseason. Tulane is 6-2 in 2025 under Sumrall's leadership.

Sumrall has coaching experience in the SEC as well, coaching linebackers at Ole Miss and his alma mater Kentucky.

Landing Sumrall, who is only 43, could set the Tigers up for success for many years to come.

Brent Key

While Key currently serves as the head coach for Georgia Tech, his alma mater, he did grow up in the Birmingham area, giving him proximity to Auburn.

After coaching the offensive line at Alabama for two seasons, Key has been on staff with Georgia Tech since 2019. After he was named interim head coach in 2022, he was awarded the permanent role in 2023.

The Yellow Jackets are 26-17 under Key's leadership and 1-1 in bowl games.

James Franklin

The Penn State Nittany Lions parted ways with Franklin earlier this season, a move many found confusing.

As a result, Franklin will be one of the most sought after coaching candidates this cycle.

Franklin was with Penn State since 2014, but was Vanderbilt's head coach for three seasons prior to that.

The Commodores saw an unprecedented amount of success under Franklin's leadership, including three bowl game appearances and back-to-back nine-win seasons.

Franklin knows how to win the SEC, and how to stabilize and build a program. Those are two things that will make him an attractive target for Auburn.

Kenny Dillingham

Dillingham has prior experience coaching at Auburn, serving as the program's offensive coordinator in 2019.

He has been leading the Arizona State Sun Devils since 2023, and has been tabbed as a rising star in college football coaching after leading them on a playoff run last season.

Like Sumrall, Dillingham could be the Tigers' head coach for many years to come.