Freeze dismisses OC Philip Montgomery

[PigskinPat 2,579]

So now that we know PM is gone, who do y’all want as our next OC? Freeze wanted Derrick Nix at Ole Miss previously, is he the first call Freeze makes?

[wareaglefan444 85]

i think Nix gets the first call

[bigbird 60,546]

4 minutes ago, PigskinPat said:

...is he the first call Freeze makes?

I believe so.

 

[cctiger 571]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

5 minutes ago, PigskinPat said:

...is he the first call Freeze makes?

I believe so.

Bird, why would Nix leave Oxford and come to the Plains?

 

[passthebiscuits 6,846]

Not bird but off the top of my head…$$$$$, fame, glory…

also not having to work with Kiffin (ask our OL coach) 

also also, when i first heard this, i thought we were talking about Pat Nix. #thatwouldbeweird

[toddc 13,194]

Auburn fires offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

Tigers offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery has been fired after one year on Freeze's staff

Nathan King22 mins

After a highly inconsistent season, Hugh Freeze is making a major change for the Tigers moving into the 2024 offseason.

Tigers offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery has been fired after one year on Freeze's staff, the program announced Friday afternoon.

“I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator,” Freeze said in a statement. “Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy, however, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I’m appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best.”

Hired after eight seasons as Tulsa's head coach, Montgomery was Auburn's primary play caller this season, and his marriage with Freeze — along with a laundry list of offensive issues, particularly at quarterback and receiver — led to a headache of a season for the passing game.

Montgomery's buyout is hefty: According to a copy of his signed contract provided to Auburn Undercover earlier this season, the 52-year-old coach is owed the full $2 million remainder of his three-year contract, on top of the $1 million he was paid this past season. Montgomery was the only member of Freeze's inaugural assistant staff whose deal did not include a mitigation clause that would offset Auburn's buyout total should he take another job. Simply put, Montgomery was always going to be paid the full amount of his contract, regardless of whether Auburn kept him for all three years.

Auburn had the SEC's least efficient offense during a four-game losing streak, as quarterback Payton Thorne and the passing attack struggled mightily to find any consistency running Freeze and Montgomery's run-pass option system. There was a relative breakthrough when the competition level lowered, as Thorne and his supporting cast improved during Auburn's three-game winning streak over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.

The Tigers had an unsightly product on offense in two of their last three games of the season, though, scoring just three combined touchdowns in losses to New Mexico State and Maryland. Auburn finished the season with the SEC's least productive passing offense, and second-to-last in the league in QBR and yards per attempt. As an offense overall, the Tigers were No. 11 in the SEC in both yards per play and scoring.

Freeze admitted even before the season that giving up play calling to Montgomery was difficult for him, but he felt it was necessary to focus more on recruiting and other aspects of the team. As Auburn's offensive issues mounted, though, Freeze said he became more involved with offensive game-planning, saying in November he "put his foot down" about the direction and blueprint for the offense.

Available to the media for the first time all season, Montgomery spoke before the Music City Bowl about working with Freeze and attempting to create a consistent offensive system and game plans.

"Any time you're trying to mesh things together, you're always going to come with some hurdles in there," Montgomery said. "There's been some good give and take on that part of it and trying to make sure that we get the best opportunity for our guys to be successful. I think background-wise, we're very, very similar, but then just the way you approach things and the way you look at it obviously can be different. I think we've done a good job of just trying to make those things work. Again, making sure that we're putting the team in front of everything else."

Freeze will now have to decide if he wants to hire a play caller again, or if he'd be better served taking full control of the offense and filling Montgomery's spot with just a quarterbacks coach.

Auburn will now have at least two new assistant coaches next season, after the Tigers hired Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, an Auburn alum and longtime elite recruiter in the southeast. There was a vacancy on the defensive assistant staff, after cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff moved off the field midway through the season. McGriff has since taken an on-field job at Texas A&M.

[lutzcammed 469]

I would prefer that Freeze call his own plays.

[bigbird 60,546]

46 minutes ago, cctiger said:

Bird, why would Nix leave Oxford and come to the Plains?

 

Better pay, title, and work environment 

[Mims44 1,871]

18 minutes ago, lutzcammed said:

I would prefer that Freeze call his own plays.

I would prefer he did not  

[maryland tiger 616]

Just now, Mims44 said:

I would prefer he did not  

Please elaborate. 

[Lotto 171]

I want freeze to call the plays and hire Matt Luke to recruit

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

38 minutes ago, bigbird said:

Better pay, title, and work environment 

It would only be in title. Hugh will call the shots on offense 

[ScotsAU 1,335]

1 hour ago, lutzcammed said:

I would prefer that Freeze call his own plays.

Still need an OC. The OC does more than just fall plays. 

[Browning4AU 405]

24 minutes ago, Lotto said:

I want freeze to call the plays and hire Matt Luke to recruit

Since Luke got hired at Clemson a month or two ago, I don't see this happening. 

[ScotsAU 1,335]

14 minutes ago, Browning4AU said:

Since Luke got hired at Clemson a month or two ago, I don't see this happening. 

 

39 minutes ago, Lotto said:

I want freeze to call the plays and hire Matt Luke to recruit

It also doesn’t make sense to bring in Luke. We have an OL coach. Need someone that’s a QB coach.

[Browning4AU 405]

4 minutes ago, ScotsAU said:

 

It also doesn’t make sense to bring in Luke. We have an OL coach. Need someone that’s a QB coach.

So who fits that mold to bring in? Because if it's Derrick Nix, he's never coached QBs either. Ever since I saw Matt Luke watching a game from Auburn's sideline this year, I wanted him to replace Montgomery. When he was announced at Clemson I felt like Hugh missed an opportunity.

[KillenTime 127]

2 hours ago, toddc said:

Auburn fires offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

Tigers offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery has been fired after one year on Freeze's staff

Nathan King22 mins

After a highly inconsistent season, Hugh Freeze is making a major change for the Tigers moving into the 2024 offseason.

Tigers offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery has been fired after one year on Freeze's staff, the program announced Friday afternoon.

“I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator,” Freeze said in a statement. “Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy, however, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I’m appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best.”

Hired after eight seasons as Tulsa's head coach, Montgomery was Auburn's primary play caller this season, and his marriage with Freeze — along with a laundry list of offensive issues, particularly at quarterback and receiver — led to a headache of a season for the passing game.

Montgomery's buyout is hefty: According to a copy of his signed contract provided to Auburn Undercover earlier this season, the 52-year-old coach is owed the full $2 million remainder of his three-year contract, on top of the $1 million he was paid this past season. Montgomery was the only member of Freeze's inaugural assistant staff whose deal did not include a mitigation clause that would offset Auburn's buyout total should he take another job. Simply put, Montgomery was always going to be paid the full amount of his contract, regardless of whether Auburn kept him for all three years.

Auburn had the SEC's least efficient offense during a four-game losing streak, as quarterback Payton Thorne and the passing attack struggled mightily to find any consistency running Freeze and Montgomery's run-pass option system. There was a relative breakthrough when the competition level lowered, as Thorne and his supporting cast improved during Auburn's three-game winning streak over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.

The Tigers had an unsightly product on offense in two of their last three games of the season, though, scoring just three combined touchdowns in losses to New Mexico State and Maryland. Auburn finished the season with the SEC's least productive passing offense, and second-to-last in the league in QBR and yards per attempt. As an offense overall, the Tigers were No. 11 in the SEC in both yards per play and scoring.

Freeze admitted even before the season that giving up play calling to Montgomery was difficult for him, but he felt it was necessary to focus more on recruiting and other aspects of the team. As Auburn's offensive issues mounted, though, Freeze said he became more involved with offensive game-planning, saying in November he "put his foot down" about the direction and blueprint for the offense.

Available to the media for the first time all season, Montgomery spoke before the Music City Bowl about working with Freeze and attempting to create a consistent offensive system and game plans.

"Any time you're trying to mesh things together, you're always going to come with some hurdles in there," Montgomery said. "There's been some good give and take on that part of it and trying to make sure that we get the best opportunity for our guys to be successful. I think background-wise, we're very, very similar, but then just the way you approach things and the way you look at it obviously can be different. I think we've done a good job of just trying to make those things work. Again, making sure that we're putting the team in front of everything else."

Freeze will now have to decide if he wants to hire a play caller again, or if he'd be better served taking full control of the offense and filling Montgomery's spot with just a quarterbacks coach.

Auburn will now have at least two new assistant coaches next season, after the Tigers hired Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, an Auburn alum and longtime elite recruiter in the southeast. There was a vacancy on the defensive assistant staff, after cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff moved off the field midway through the season. McGriff has since taken an on-field job at Texas A&M.

LOL - particularly at WR and QB.  Geez.   It starts up front.  It always has and always will.  If you can't block your skills positions look terrible.  Great blocking can make average skill players look great.  

[Elephant Tipper 430]

1 hour ago, bigbird said:

Better pay, title, and work environment 

Careerist, 16 years.  

Kliff Kingsbury ?

[japantiger 4,051]

Firing a coordinator after year 1.  Priceless.....

[LPTiger 5,167]

2 hours ago, bigbird said:

Better pay, title, and work environment 

And he is an Alabama native.   Bring him home.  He, Jake and CHF are all familiar with one another.

Edited January 5 by LPTiger

[Mims44 1,871]

2 hours ago, Mims44 said:

I would prefer he did not  

2 hours ago, maryland tiger said:

Please elaborate. 

I've had my fill of 'let's have a HC that still does his old job too'

I'd like to have a HC that is just a HC, and an OC that is an OC and not a 'I'm here to help the OC/HC and be a scapegoat".

We've gotten alot of that at Auburn the past decade, so much so that I think it's become normalized for alot of the fanbase.

[RunInRed 16,422]

 

[auburnatl1 4,942]

8 minutes ago, RunInRed said:

 

Per Willie - “To all the OCs we’ve loved before…”

[EagleEye67 1,939]

3 hours ago, passthebiscuits said:

 

also also, when i first heard this, i thought we were talking about Pat Nix. #thatwouldbeweird

Not as weird as Bo 

[AlaskanFAN 1,666]

top 14 offenses in 2023