Ever since arriving at Liberty, many have questioned when head football coach Hugh Freeze would leave and move on to a Power Five job. He has repeatedly voiced his support for his current position at Liberty, saying how much he loves his current position.

He echoed that sentiment again as Freeze was a guest on the Flames Central Podcast this week and was asked if Liberty fans should be worried about him leaving. Here is his full answer:

“I’m totally at peace here,” said Freeze. “I am. I’ve had a few chances to entertain other things and just none of them felt even remotely right. Obviously, thrilled with the contract extension and thrilled with our staff. My family is happy. I’m very honest in saying that it would take something really, really special and I don’t know what that really is right now.”

“I’m at an age where I want to really enjoy what I do, who I do it with, where I do it at, and enjoy life too,” Freeze continued. “I’m not sure I could do that at many places unless something changes. I have no desire to go out and raise Name, Image, and Likeness money. I’m not against kids getting that, but I think it’s a bad practice for kids to start choosing schools based on – well, I can get this, this, this, and this. Maybe that’s right for some people. I’m not sure that that’s right for me.”

“So, I would never say never, but you know, I don’t know, I probably won’t do this but another…I’ve always told Jill by 60 I’m probably going to be looking for a lake and a golf course. Now, she says, ‘Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.’ So, who knows, but there is not one piece of me that is looking for something else. If it falls at my feet and Jill and I both say, ‘Oh my gosh, this is the special one.’ But, I honestly don’t know what that really looks like right now. So, we’re totally at peace.”

This is not unlike what Freeze has said when asked this question over the past couple of years, but there are a couple of interesting details he provides. One, that he has had opportunities to, as he puts it, ‘entertain’ other job possibilities. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but it is interesting to hear him say this publicly.

Freeze has hinted at not wanting to have to be a big player in NIL, but this is the first time he has gone into as much detail and be as direct on it. Most Power Five schools are having to be a big player in NIL to compete on the recruiting trail since it became a thing for all of the NCAA’s Division I last July.

This is also the first time Freeze has publicly discussed or hinted a timeline for wanting to retire. He is currently 52 years old and will turn 53 in September. So, if he does in fact intend on retiring at age 60 then that only gives him seven more seasons of coaching football. This comment also sheds a little more light on a recent tweet Coach Freeze had as he congratulated his friend Matt Luke on his retirement.

Just prior to the end of the 2021 season, Liberty announced a new contract extension with Freeze. The contract extends the Flames’ head coach through the 2028 season, adding two years onto his deal that was announced last year. Additionally, ESPN’s report states that Freeze’s “total financial package would average more than $4 million annually over the length of the contract.”

Freeze is 26-11 in his three seasons at Liberty. He has guided Liberty to bowl eligibility each of his three seasons in Lynchburg, the first three years the program has been a full FBS member, winning the 2019 and 2020 Cure Bowl and the 2021 Lending Tree Bowl.

Under Freeze, Liberty finished the 2019 campaign at 8-5 following its triumph over Georgia Southern in the Cure Bowl in Orlando, Florida. The following year, behind Freeze and new starting quarterback Malik Willis, the Flames had its best season in school history. Liberty finished the year at 10-1 and defeated its first two ACC opponents in school history with wins over Syracuse and Virginia Tech. The Flames would go on to defeat previously unbeaten and nationally ranked Coastal Carolina to win the 2020 Cure Bowl and finished the year ranked No. 17 in the final Associated Press top 25 poll.

Last season, the Flames finished 8-5, securing a third straight eight-win season for Freeze and Liberty, punctuated by a dominating win over Eastern Michigan in the Lending Tree Bowl.