Inside the Tuberville home
Vasha Hunt | Opelika-Auburn News
Olive Tuberville greets her son Tommy at the beginning of TigerWalk during the Auburn-Alabama game Saturday.
Staff writer
Published: December 3, 2008
Updated: December 4, 2008
Tommy Tuberville opened the front door to his Auburn home Wednesday night, grabbed the back of his neck and grimaced as he slowly strolled inside, where friends and loved ones waited.
His face torn with the emotional scars of the day, eyes nearly closed and mouth pressed shut, he didn’t immediately stop to say hello.
Not to his wife. Not to his mother.
Instead, Auburn’s head football coach for the last 10 years massaged his neck and continued into a back room, where he methodically closed the door and disappeared.
His wife, Suzanne, who returned home a few minutes before the coach with eyes red and swollen, was surrounded by comforting friends. She was gracious but did not talk about the events of the day.
Olive Tuberville, the coach’s mother, was disappointed, but strong as a rock.
Three hours earlier, her son resigned from the job he held so dear in the wake of a surprising 5-7 season.
“He didn’t resign,” Olive Tuberville said. “He was fired.”
She said she didn’t learn the news from media reports. Instead, she heard it straight from the man who lost his job.
“He called and told me,” she said. “He made it through (the phone call to her) pretty good. He was dreading telling the players.”
Tuberville did that at a scheduled 6 p.m. player meeting.
“Tommy said he’s going to go fishing and hunting for a while and just rest,” said Olive Tuberville.
Asked if she felt her son was betrayed by the school he led to 85 wins and an SEC championship over 10 seasons, she replied, “I would say yes to a certain extent.
“This went on too long. They had their minds made up days ago, I imagine. It was tough. He didn’t know what to expect. All of his friends have stayed with him.”
Even with a 54-year-old son, Olive Tuberville’s maternal instincts were strong as ever.
“I have been worried about him. He’s at an age where something could happen to him,” she said.
“Heart problems are all through my family. I didn’t want him getting stressed out. I’d say there has been some stress. This has got to hurt — as much as he’s put into the program and done for the program.”
Vehicles of several well-wishers could be spotted outside the well-lit Tuberville home.
A bit of irony, however — located near the front yard stood a familiar white, orange and blue sign that read, “We believe in Auburn.”
And Olive said she still loves it.
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Reader Reactions
Good bye Coach It looks like besting my Tide 6 times out of the last 7 was not enough. Jetgate has now becom Auburngate.
Shame on Jay Gogue and the rest on that pack. Fish, hunt, and relax, you will never have to do what most of the rest of will have to do. You will not have to go to work tomorrow. It will take years for the Auburn football program to recover from this one. I believe that other heads will roll before this is all over.
is there anyway we can start a petition to bring tommy back. and get rid of lowder and jacobs
My heart aches for Coach Tuberville and his family.
I worked for AU for 25 years before retiring a few years ago. During those years, I had season tickets to AU football every single year, and attended most home games. I’ve seen coaches come and go. Some of them left oily trails on their way out of town. Coach Tuberville was different, though. He was special. He made me feel proud to be an “Auburn Tiger.“ Always.
I so hoped Jay Gogue would not allow this to happen. I don’t know who is behind it—I have suspicions, like everyone else. All I really know is that AU has lost a very fine football coach, and a very fine man ... and they’ll have to look awfully hard to find someone to fill his shoes.
I understand everyone’s frustration with some of Auburn’s faculty, what I ask is to separate them from Auburn. Auburn is still the same wonderful place and being a part of the Auburn family still means that you are part of something amazing, it is not something to ever be embarrassed of but something to always be proud of.
I love Tubbs, I think he personified the Auburn man fantastically. It makes me very happy that he is staying in Auburn and helping with the transition (hopefully he can stay in Auburn and help with Jay Jacobs transition out and then Tubbs can transition into athletic director).
Don’t lose faith, this is not the first difficulty that Auburn has ran into. But it will take more than Bobby Lowder to demean everything that is tied to being a part of the Auburn family. It is obvious that Lowder is really not a part of the family. It is our time to continually recognize fantastic members of the family, and Tubbs definitely fits this description.
WAR EAGLE! It is always great to be an Auburn tiger
Jay Jacobs, Bobby Lowder and company are only worried about themselves. They have no morals, ethics or scruples. They should be the ones who are fired. They have truly screwed Auburn for profit. They will continue to screw Auburn for their benefit. Auburn will once the be lovliest village on the plains with their resignation. Tommy really believed in the Auburn Family. I am ashamed that I bought season tickets to help fund Bobby, Jay, and company’s greed. Tommy has been there for all Auburn players for years. He has not left a player behind. He is a mentor and father to most. I wish nothing but the best for Tommy and his family. Every coach has a couple of bad seasons. It seems obvious that Bobby, Jay and company dont care. They are only worried about numbers. Regardless of how many games Auburn lost the stands were still full. The reason being is that so many people believe in Auburn and Tommy. Who cares if we went 5-7. I know to some tighwads (Bobby, Jay, and company) that they dont like it. I have one thing to say to you but I cant put it on here. You catch my drift. Auburn and Tommy need a couple of rebuilding years. They seem to think that by forcing a great coach out after one bad season will make it any better on Auburn. Well I got news for you- IT WONT. Tommy knows Auburn’s football program like no other. He deserves to be here not Bobby, Jay and company. If you dont know who I am referring to as in Bobby, Jay, and company just look up the top 5 most crooked people in Alabama. I guarantee you there name will come up along with Bham’s mayor, Roy Johnson, and Don Siegleman. Auburn deserves Tommy. Tommy deserves to be here and lead Auburn to another National Championship. A new coach will only drag us down even further. There will be several rebuilding years before we become elite again. Bobby, Jay and company wont like that and then force out another coach out of greed. So I again I have one thing to say to you guys. Your resignations will ease all the trouble and suffering that the whole Auburn family has goon through.
Coach Tuberville, my heart goes out to you, your family and the team. We will greatly miss you and all of the wonderful things you have done for Auburn. I wish the best for you and your family and will support you wherever you go. I am greatly ashamed to be an Auburn Tiger and associated with all of the unethical decisions made by the powers that be at this once beloved University. If only we could get rid of the “powerhouse supporter” that seems to be calling all of the shots from his banking office, via the Athletic Director’s Office and the President’s Office. We lost a great coach and a great mentor and supporter to our players when we lost Coach Tuberville. Hope it was worth it to the “powers that be!“
My heart goes out to The Tubberville’s and the athletes! I am also ashamed to say I am an Auburn Tiger fan, not because of the players or the coaches, but because of the BIG WIGS!! You should really set aside personal feelings and let a GREAT COACH DO HIS JOB!!! My orange and blue will be “resigned” for awhile!! Good luck to Tommy and the team!! You will be greatly missed!
Sounds to me like Jay Jacobs and cohorts are a group of liars.
I am very sad at the loss of Tommy Tuberville as our coach. To me he was the rock of the Auburn Football Team. I wish Coach Tuberville, his wife and boys the best. Things will never be the same for me, my Auburn spirit has been dampened and I am ashamed of how this has been handled by Auburn University. Bye Coach, you will be greatly missed.
For the first time on my time I am ashamed to be part of the Auburn family.This morning I even put my orange and blue away. We all know this goes back to Jet Gate and the trustees way of getting back at the Auburn people. I think Jay Jacobs needs to go and I am very upset that the President did not do the right thing. I thought the Auburn Creed tells us to work hard - but when we have one losing season we act like spoiled kids. My husband and I will not longer go to Auburn football games and we will not longer pay our Tigers unlimited, I guess Auburn does not need our money if they have 6 million plus to spend - when the school could use it
au72
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