Hugh Freeze Lands Contract Extension After Putting Liberty On Map

Before this season, a lot of college football fans probably didn’t even know Liberty University had a team.

But a 7-0 start and No. 22 national ranking have changed all that, and fittingly, coach Hugh Freeze has been rewarded.

As the school announced Wednesday, Freeze was given a contract extension that runs through the 2026 season.

“We are proud of Coach Freeze and the football program,” Liberty president Jerry Prevo said in a prepared statement. “This contract extension demonstrates my commitment and support of him and our program. Dr. Falwell’s vision was for Liberty to compete at the highest level of college football and Coach Freeze is making great strides towards realizing the vision.”

The Flames are in just their second season competing at the FBS level. It’s fair to wonder how long before they also join the ACC.

Hey, why not?

They’ve already beaten Virginia Tech and Syracuse, with a game against N.C. State on the horizon (Nov. 22).

It’s been quite a comeback story for Freeze, who resigned as coach of Mississippi in 2017, when the school accused him of having some improper calls on a university-issued cell phone. The NCAA agreed, issuing a two-year bowl ban.

The ban has been lifted and so has Liberty’s status as a college football secret.

“All aspects of our program are on the rise under Hugh’s leadership,” Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw told ESPN. “We are putting the infrastructure in place to make this one of the top Group of Five programs in the country.”