LOOK: Hugh Freeze coaches Liberty opener, holds press conference from a hospital bed
Freeze is recovering from a scary staph infection surgery earlier this month

Well, I guess no one can ever accuse Liberty coach Hugh Freeze of not being a football guy. Freeze has been in the hospital as he continues to recover from complications from a recent back surgery procedure. He had a potentially life-threatening strand of staph infection that, thankfully, has been handled. However, he was expected to stay in the hospital for the next four-to-six weeks while recovering from the surgery.
That of course would affect his ability to coach the Flames in their season opener against No. 22 Syracuse.
Or maybe not.
Freeze on Saturday coached Liberty from ... a hospital bed ... located in the coaching booth. And while no, he wasn't on the sideline, Freeze was looking on while laid back with a headset. Here's Freeze pumping up his team before the game via video conference.
Coaching from a hospital bed, @CoachHughFreeze gets @LibertyFootball fired up to take on @CuseFootball. #TougherTogether pic.twitter.com/f5IPQmESpZ
— Game On LU (@GameOnLU) August 31, 2019
Sure enough, television cameras from ESPN+ later caught Freeze looking at his play sheet and donning a headset while propped up.
Here’s a look at Hugh Freeze’s seat in the coaches’ booth.
— Nate Mink (@MinkNate) August 31, 2019
Freeze will essentially videoconference with his team pregame and at halftime and do so during postgame press conference.
The plan is to fly him to Louisiana next week to be with the team on the road. pic.twitter.com/YA1HAXiQ43
It didn't end there.
After Liberty fell 24-0 to Syracuse, coach Dino Babers had a virtual handshake with Freeze.
Weirdest sport on earth pic.twitter.com/rLw5RkvkGK
— Sharks with rabies (@thejasonkirk) September 1, 2019
Freeze was true to his word, and he conducted his postgame press conference via video conference.
Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze with a different style of press conference tonight. He coached from a hospital bed in a coaches booth due to a back injury which he says he’ll have more of an update on in a few days.
— Josh Schafer (@Schafer_44) September 1, 2019
Freeze on how he coached from the booth tonight: pic.twitter.com/EftJ7wFSUr
In many ways, this is so on-brand for Freeze, who was in contact with his team through walkie-talkie during preseason camp.
That said, no one would have blamed Freeze if he decided to take a few weekends off to help in his recovery efforts. Who knows, though, maybe Liberty fans will take a page from the Iowa book and turn to wave at Freeze during the game.
















