Interest regarding the Auburn head coach opening is 'extremely high' says AD John Cohen

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Several college football fans and experts have debated the pecking order of vacant head football coaching jobs within the SEC. Auburn athletic director John Cohen may have made the case for Auburn to be the best opening at this point in the season.

Cohen recently spoke with Adam Cole of The Montgomery Advertiser about the coaching search. During the exclusive interview, Cohen shared the criteria he is looking for in a head coach and the challenges of finding the right candidate. One of those challenges is finding qualified candidates in a cycle that features over a dozen openings. Cohen says that Auburn has several qualities that have made it a top job among potential suitors.

“I’m sure there is an impact, but the interest in Auburn is extremely high,” Cohen said. “I think a candidate sees alignment. I think they see 19, going on 21, sellouts (of Jordan-Hare Stadium). I think they see one of the best atmospheres, if not the best in college football. I think they see a roster that is loaded with talent. I think they see something that can be turned around pretty quickly. I think they see a great tradition and history of winning football. There’s tremendous interest in our position.”

In another interview with Auburn Undercover, Cohen said that he has spoken to “7 or 8 sitting head coaches” since dismissing Hugh Freeze. He shared with Cole that he does not expect his personal hot board to expand before making a decision, but is open to adding or removing names as the process continues.

“On occasion, a name might surface that you didn’t expect would have interest and they show interest. Some may or may not change their mind about their interest level,” Cohen said. “We had a very large list to start with, and that got whittled down pretty quickly. Now, we’re just having one-on-one discussions with those people and their representation.”

Cohen doubled down on his tentative deadline of “within 24 hours after the Iron Bowl is over” to hire a head coach. However, he understands that the winning candidate may have a postseason obligation to fulfill before beginning the job. A “top candidate” has not been announced for this job, but several names are floating around. For a look at names to watch as Cohen’s search continues, check out Auburn Wire’s two hot boards, which feature names such as Tulane’s Jon Summral and Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key.

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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football job is drawing high interest says John Cohen

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