Auburn University is reportedly pulling out all the stops to bring homegrown hero Carnell “Cadillac” Williams as its next head football coach, dangling a jaw-dropping contract “in excess of $200 million” over 10 years to seal the deal, according to sources close to the situation. The move comes hot on the heels of Hugh Freeze’s abrupt firing on Sunday after a dismal 3-5 start to the 2025 season—marking Auburn’s fourth head coaching casualty in five years and igniting a full-throated roar from War Eagle faithful desperate for stability. Williams, the 43-year-old Auburn icon who electrified Jordan-Hare with 3,831 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns from 2001-2004, is “strongly considering” the offer, with insiders telling AL.com there’s an “increasing likelihood” he’ll be pacing the sidelines come fall 2026, potentially ending a three-year NFL detour with the Las Vegas Raiders where he served as running backs coach before his February 2025 release.
The Tigers’ desperation traces to a program mired in mediocrity: 15-19 under Freeze, who pocketed $6.5 million annually but couldn’t crack six wins in any of his three seasons, capped by a 28-14 home thumping to Vanderbilt that prompted AD John Cohen to pull the trigger. Auburn’s boosters, flush with $150 million in NIL commitments via the A-Day Collective, view Williams as the antidote—a magnetic figure whose 2022 interim stint (2-2 finish, including a gritty 13-10 upset over Texas A&M that snapped a five-game skid) galvanized a fractured locker room and sparked “Hire Caddy!” chants that drowned out the Black Friday Iron Bowl loss to Alabama. “Cadillac didn’t just coach; he healed,” one source said, echoing sentiments from that emotional November 2022 run where Williams, promoted from running backs coach, led Auburn to a near-upset of Nick Saban’s Tide before falling 49-27. Sources say Cohen, regretting the 2023 hire of Freeze over Williams, has pitched a deal eclipsing Deion Sanders’ Colorado pact: $18-20 million base salary, $5 million in performance incentives (tied to SEC titles and CFP berths), and full roster autonomy to combat the transfer portal bleed that’s seen stars like QB Hank Brown bolt for USC.
Williams’ path back to the Plains is a redemption arc scripted for ESPN Films. After his Auburn playing days—capped by a 2004 undefeated regular season, SEC championship, and Sugar Bowl rout—he grinded through NFL Rookie of the Year honors with the Buccaneers (1,178 yards in 2005) before knee injuries sidelined him by 2012. Coaching beckoned: a 2015 stop at Henderson State, then a 2019 return to Auburn as Gus Malzahn’s running backs coach, where he molded Tank Bigsby into a first-round pick. Retained by Bryan Harsin and elevated to associate head coach under Freeze (earning $1.1 million in 2023), Williams resigned in January 2024 amid whispers of burnout, landing with the Raiders under Antonio Pierce—another Auburn alum. But his 2025 release, tied to Las Vegas’ 4-7 skid and RB Zamir White’s fumble-prone woes, has sources buzzing: “Caddy’s itching for the head spot where his heart is. Auburn’s the only call he’d take.” Williams, reached via text by The Athletic, demurred: “Prayers for the Plains. War Eagle always.”
The seismic shift could reshape Auburn’s fortunes overnight. With a 3-5 ledger staring down a bowl ban whisper and recruits like 2026 five-star QB Julian Lewis decommitting for LSU, Williams’ homecoming would stem the tide—his interim charisma once turning a toxic locker room into a family, per ex-player D.J. Williams. Boosters, led by the late Charles Barkley’s circle, have pledged $50 million upfront for facility upgrades if Caddy signs, envisioning a run-heavy attack blending his RB wizardry with OC Philip Montgomery’s air raid. “It’s not just money; it’s legacy,” Cohen reportedly told Williams in a Monday sit-down at Toomer’s Corner, where the oaks still bear scars from 2022’s “Hire Cadillac” rally. Rivals are sweating: Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer quipped, “Caddy’s got that ‘04 fire—hope he’s rusty,” while Georgia’s Kirby Smart texted congratulations laced with shade: “Plains legend? We’ll see in Athens.”
Social media’s a War Eagle whirlwind, #BringBackCaddy exploding to 1.4 million mentions since dawn, with alums like Ronnie Brown posting throwback clips of Williams’ 71-yard NFL debut scamper: “From Oma to Orange—time to run it back!” Fans flooded Cohen’s mentions with petitions (”$200M? Make it $300M!”), while memes splice Caddy’s 2004 Heisman pose over Freeze’s sideline scowl. SEC Network’s Paul Finebaum, a vocal Williams advocate, thundered on his show: “Auburn, if you whiff this, you’re dumber than a screen door on a submarine. Caddy’s your Bo Jackson in cleats—hire him or hire a hearse.” Even ex-Tide great Derrick Thomas’ estate chipped in: “Cadillac over the Plains? That’s poetry.” For a fanbase scarred by Malzahn’s 2020 bolt, Harsin’s 2022 implosion, and Freeze’s scandals, this feels like vindication—a $200 million bet on blood and orange.
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