Jacobs supports Tuberville, program

In the wake of comments from a member of Auburn’s board of trustees and the Tigers’ continued struggles, Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs affirmed his support for coach Tommy Tuberville.

“As I do with every coach, I evaluate their job performance based on the body of work,” Jacobs said Wednesday evening in a released statement. “That being the case, we will continue to support Coach Tuberville and the program as we always have, and are looking forward to the next four games.”

In an e-mail, Auburn president Jay Gogue’s spokesperson, Brian Keeter, said Gogue and Jacobs will meet with Tuberville at the end of the season, just as they have in the past. Gogue and Jacobs meet with all Auburn head coaches at the end of their respective seasons, Keeter said.

Also, any decisions on the overall direction of the football program or any other Auburn sports program are made at the recommendation of the athletics director, Keeter said.

Paul Spina, president pro tempore of the Auburn Board of Trustees, offered support to Tuberville in published reports Wednesday. He said he would “fight” to have Tuberville remain Auburn’s head coach, though “others like to tear things down.”

“I’m a builder. So is Tommy,” Spina told the Birmingham News. “His body of work over 10 years is more important than three or four ballgames.

“I think Tommy is good for Auburn. Given the opportunity, I think he can continue to be good for Auburn.”

Tuberville is 84-37 in his time at Auburn. The Tigers have been SEC West co-champions four times and SEC champions once during his tenure. Auburn went 13-0 in 2004, but ultimately finished second in the final rankings.

Spina did say, however, that Tuberville has “made a couple staff mistakes.”

Tuberville fired Al Borges and hired spread-offense guru Tony Franklin as offensive coordinator before Auburn’s appearance in the 2007 Chick-fil-A Bowl in hopes of rejuvenating an offense that had become stagnant over the previous two seasons. Six games into the 2008 season, with Auburn’s offense moving downward in the rankings by the week, Tuberville abruptly fired Franklin.

He has since admitted that hiring Franklin was his mistake.

Tuberville was aware of Spina’s comments after Wednesday evening’s practice.

“You look at it and appreciate it,” Tuberville said. “You just have to do your job. Just keep going and work at it and try to get better.

“You always look for support, obviously. I know we just have to keep trying to get better and win games.“

Auburn currently sits at 4-4, in the midst of a three-game losing streak. The Tigers need two wins in their next four games just be bowl-eligible, which could prove difficult. Auburn’s final two games are against No. 8 Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium and at No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa.

The last time Auburn didn’t make a bowl appearance was 1999, Tuberville’s first year with the program.

Rumors swirling around the 10-year coach are nothing new to the Plains.

Amid rumors that he had agreed to become the new coach at Arkansas shortly after the 2007 regular season ended, Tuberville signed a two-year contract extension, which included a $200,000 annual raise. The extension elongated his contract through 2013 and included a buyout that will be at $6 million in 2008, $5 million in 2009 and $4 million after that if Tuberville leaves for another job or is fired.

Last Monday, in an unprompted opening statement at his weekly press conference, Tuberville lashed out against a number of rumors that have swirled about his health, his desire to coach and whether or not he had met with Jacobs and university president Jay Gogue to renegotiate his contract.

“Listen, I’m not a quitter,” Tuberville said. “I don’t know where stuff like that gets started.

“I’ve been here 10 years. I plan on being here 10 more. I’m looking forward to it I’m 10 years an Auburn man and I’m 10 years more of an Auburn man than most because I put my heart and soul in this thing and we ain’t going to stop now.“

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