Hugh Freeze

'Hugh "Beaver Man" Freeze (born September 27, 1969) is an American football coach. He is currently the head coach at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), a position he assumed in December 2011. Freeze served as the head football coach at Lambuth University from 2008 to 2009 and at Arkansas State University in 2011. He was previously a successful high school football coach at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee, and was depicted in the book and motion picture The Blind Side. However, in the film, he was portrayed through the character "Coach Cotton," played by actor Ray McKinnon. Freeze received national attention on National Signing Day 2013 as Ole Miss welcomed the 5th ranked recruiting class in the country[10] including the #1 DE, OT, & WR in the country.

Early life
Freeze attended Senatobia High School and the University of Southern Mississippi, from which he graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Science degree in mathematics and a minor in coaching and sports administration.

Briarcrest Christian School
In 1992, Freeze joined the coaching staff at Briarcrest Christian School in Memphis, Tennessee as the football team's offensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. In 1995, he was promoted to head coach. Freeze ran the no huddle spread offense and led his team to the state championship twice, in 2002 and 2004, and the regional championship each year from 1995 to 1998 and in 2001 and 2002. He received Region 8-AA Coach of the Year honors five times and Associated Press Coach of the Year honors six times. In ten years at Briacrest, Freeze was 94-30 as head coach (.785 winning percentage) and 126-37 overall. Freeze was depicted in the book and motion picture The Blind Side, about one of his former players, current Baltimore Ravens offensive tackle Michael Oher.

Ole Miss
In 2005, the University of Mississippi hired Freeze as an assistant athletic director for football external affairs. The following season, he became the tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator, positions he held through 2007. After that season, he replaced head coach Ed Orgeron on an interim basis before the hiring of Houston Nutt. Freeze interviewed for the offensive coordinator position with Houston Nutt; a position that eventually went to Kent Austin.

Lambuth University
In January 2008, Lambuth University, a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), named Freeze its head coach. In 2008, He led the Lambuth to a 8-4 record and a first round loss in the NAIA playoffs, marking their first appearance in the playoffs since 2004 under then head coach Vic Wallace. He was considered for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's head coaching position following the 2008, but remained there for another season and compiled a 20–5 overall record, and defeating opponents 41-17 on average. In 2009, he led the Eagles to their best regular season record in school history with an unblemished 11–0 mark. Lambuth advanced to the second round of the NAIA playoffs for first time in 11 years—having won one game before suffering elimination to finish 12–1 as the sixth-ranked team in the NAIA.

Arkansas State
In 2010, he joined the staff at Arkansas State as offensive coordinator after a brief stint as offensive coordinator at San Jose State University under Mike MacIntyre. The Red Wolves finished with a 4–8 record, but their offensive rankings jumped from 95th in total offense and 90th in scoring offense in the NCAA Division I FBS to 43rd and 46th, respectively. The Red Wolves' offense broke 9 school records including total plays (856), first downs (262), pass attempts (438), pass completions (266), completion percentage (.607), passing yards (3,057), passing yards per game (254.8) and passing touchdowns (23). The Red Wolves' offense averaged 403.4 yards per game, eclipsing over 300 yards all 12 times it took the field for the first time in the history of the program. A-State posted at least 400 yards of total offense in seven games during the 2010 campaign, the most ever as an NCAA FBS member; all in his first year as offensive coordinator. After the season, Freeze was promoted to replace head coach Steve Roberts.

In 2011, his only season as head coach at Arkansas State, he led the Red Wolves to a 10-2 record and their first Sun Belt Conference title since 2005. The Red Wolves' offense averaged 447.8 ypg (28th nationally, 1st in Sun Belt Conference) including 293.6 ypg passing and 154.2 ypg rushing. Freeze left Arkansas State before the GoDaddy.com Bowl following the season.

Ole Miss
On December 5, 2011, Freeze was announced as the new head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels football team. He is the 37th head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. During the press conference to introduce Freeze as the head coach, he stated that he wanted to "retire at Ole Miss." He was signed to a four-year contract with an annual salary of $1.5 million plus incentives up to $2.5 million.

In his first season at Ole Miss, Freeze led the Rebels to a 6-6 record in the regular season, making Ole Miss bowl eligible for the first time since 2009 with a 41-24 victory over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. His Rebels accepted a bid to play in the BBVA Compass Bowl in Birmingham, Alabama, on January 5, 2013. They beat the University of Pittsburgh 38-17 to finish 7-6.

Freeze received national attention on National Signing Day 2013 as Ole Miss brought in the 5th ranked recruiting class in the country including the #1 DE, OT, & WR in the country.

Personal life
Freeze was born in Oxford, Mississippi and grew up in Independence, Mississippi. He has three daughters with his wife, Jill.

Head coaching record

 * Departed Arkansas State for Ole Miss before bowl game