Auburn football head coaching hot board 2.0: More names to replace Hugh Freeze
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Auburn football’s search to find Hugh Freeze’s replacement has entered its second week, and more names are beginning to appear in head coaching discussions.
Auburn interim head coach DJ Durkin had a stellar audition last Saturday in a losing effort. Auburn gained 563 yards of total offense, its most in an SEC game since the 2019 game vs. Mississippi State, when it gained 578 yards. The Tigers lost to Vanderbilt in overtime, 45-38, but it was obvious that Durkin’s adjustments from previous game plans made a major difference.
Durkin made an effort to show appreciation to offensive coordinator Derrick Nix and his players for their efforts in an emotional week leading up to the Tigers’ road contest at Vanderbilt.
“First off, I just want to say I’m really proud of Coach (Derrick) Nix and our offense and how they prepared these guys and what they did,” Durkin said Saturday. “We laid out a plan earlier in the week of what we needed to get done, and credit goes to our players, our coaching staff for getting that done. I thought they did a really good job.”
Did Durkin take a step forward in landing the head coaching job permanently? It is still too early to tell. However, more names are being tied to the vacant head coaching job at Auburn. Auburn Wire’s first hot board featured the likes of Tulane head coach Jon Summral, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz, and former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher. Below are five more names to watch for as Auburn Athletic Director John Cohen works to trim his list of worthy candidates down.
Alex Golesh, USF head coach
Alex Golesh is a hot name to watch for this cycle as he has led the USF Bulls to 21 wins, including two bowl wins. In year three, he is on pace to lead the Bulls to their highest win total since 2017, when USF won 10 games. His resume includes spending time with Josh Heupel at Tennessee and UCF as an offensive coordinator and tight ends coach. He has found success everywhere he has coached, including Tennessee, where the Volunteers went from a 3-7 record to an Orange Bowl win in two seasons with Golesh on staff.
This season, the Bulls rank No. 2 in the American Athletic Conference by gaining 485.2 yards per game and scoring 42 points per game. Defensively, USF allows 110.1 rushing yards per game.
He has the makings of being a successful head coach at the Power Four level. Will Auburn give him his first chance?
Brent Key, Georgia Tech head coach
Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key is another name tied to several jobs, although it seems unlikely that he will leave his current position. Key led Georgia Tech to seven wins in each of his first two seasons and is 8-1 in his third season on the Flats. Before Key, Georgia Tech had won seven or more games only once since 2018.
What makes Key a hard target to read is that he is coaching at his alma mater. Key appeared to display his intention to stay in Atlanta last week during a press conference, but that will not keep programs such as Auburn or Penn State from pursuing him to fill their vacancies.
Ryan Silverfield, Memphis head coach
Memphis head coach Ryan Silverfield may be a head coach in the SEC next season. Could it be Auburn? Silverfield, who is in his sixth season as the head coach at Memphis, has led the Tigers to two-straight 10-win seasons, and could easily extend the streak to three this season as he sits with an 8-2 record through 10 games. His name has been quiet in Auburn’s coaching search, but he has trended to Arkansas in recent weeks. Silverfield may be a long shot, but it is worth it to keep an eye on him and the Memphis Tigers as the season winds down.
Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss head coach
Could Auburn go down this road again? With four SEC head coach openings this cycle, Kiffin is, of course, at the forefront of most of them. Kiffin was interested in coming to Auburn before Hugh Freeze’s hiring, but his daughter, Landry, convinced him to stay at Ole Miss.
Kiffin is 53-19 at Ole Miss in six seasons, and has the Rebels in a prime position to compete for the SEC championship and a College Football Playoff bid this season. It appears that Kiffin has a great situation in Oxford, but Auburn’s roster provides potential for a quick turnaround should he be up for the challenge.
Clark Lea, Vanderbilt head coach
Like Brent Key at Georgia Tech, it is hard to imagine Clark Lea leaving his alma mater, Vanderbilt. Lea is 24-35 in five years at Vanderbilt, but has built the Commodores into a College Football Playoff contender over the last two seasons by dabbling in the transfer portal to find key pieces, including quarterback Diego Pavia and tight end Eli Stowers. Both players are seniors this season, and Lea will have to go back to the drawing board.
Will Lea aim to keep building Vanderbilt into an SEC power? Or will he accept the challenge of trying to refurbish Auburn to its past glory?
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn football head coaching hot board 2.0: More names to watch
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