Athletics director Jay Jacobs remained generic when addressing the future of the Auburn football program Wednesday in a press release.
“I will begin the search immediately for Auburn’s next head football coach,” Jacobs said in a statement. “We will move as quickly and efficiently as we possibly can, but we’re going to be thorough and strategic with our search to find the best fit for Auburn.”
According to the New York Times, Auburn contacted Texas Tech coach Mike Leach through the search firm of Bill Carr, who runs many coaching searches for big programs, including Auburn’s search for its baseball coach that resulted in the hiring of John Pawlowski.
Leach met with the University of Washington this week to discuss the Huskies’ open job, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and ESPN.
Texas Tech athletic director Graham Hays said the school is in the process of renegotiating Leach’s contract, but Leach’s agent, Gary O’Hagan, denied those reports, according to ESPN.com. Leach has two years remaining on a five-year contract and is making $1.75 million this season.
Tommy Tuberville was making $2.8 million this season.
A number of other names have surfaced through the national media as potential candidates for open coaching jobs across the country.
Georgia Tech’s Paul Johnson, Buffalo’s Turner Gill, Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, Minnesota’s Tim Brewster, North Carolina’s Butch Davis and Boise State’s Chris Petersen could be current coaches looking to make the jump to the SEC. Florida State offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher and Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp could also be considered, but both currently serve as their respective schools’ “coach in waiting.”
Whomever the coach is will inherit a team littered with holes and weaknesses that may need more than a year to repair.
Auburn graduates a small senior class, but could lose key defensive players Sen’Derrick Marks, Antonio Coleman and Jerraud Powers, who are still weighing the possibility of entering the 2009 NFL Draft.
Though Auburn settled with Kodi Burns at quarterback midway through the season, the new coach will likely open up the competition. Tailback Mario Fannin emerged as a potential big-play option late in the season, but the backfield depth chart also promises to be wide open heading into 2009.
Leading receiver Rod Smith departs an already weak receiving core and the offensive line is down a center (Jason Bosley) and an NFL-ready left guard (Tyronne Green).
Auburn’s 2009 recruiting class, which boasted 26 commitments before Tubervile’s resignation, took a hit within hours of news that Tuberville was gone.
Top recruit quarterback Raymond Cotton’s father said his son will rescind his commitment to Auburn early next week, according to AuburnUndercover.com.
According to AuburnSports.com, Cotton of Fort Meade, Md., and tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen of Marietta, Ga., will wait to see what happens at Auburn before making a decision.
High school defensive back David Conner (Batesville, Miss.), defensive lineman Terrance Coleman (Mobile) and 2010 prospect B.J. Chitty (Dothan) have all rescinded their commitments, according to AuburnSports.com.
Running back Rodney Scott (Cross City, Fla.) could also be wavering, according to ESPN.com.
agribble@oanow.com | 737-2561
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