Auburn, Alabama lead SEC in spending

Auburn and Alabama each poured more than $26 million into its football programs in 2008-09, which ranked atop the Southeastern Conference and in the top four nationally, according to an interesting study by Brett McMurphy of Fanhouse.com. Per McMurphy’s research through figures from the U.S. Department of Education’s Equity in Athletics, Ohio State ($32.3 million) spent the most money of any team in 2008-09. Auburn ($28.8 million) ranked second, followed by Iowa ($26.9 million), Alabama ($26.4 million) and Tennessee ($22.9 million). Such high totals for Auburn and Alabama contrasted sharply with the league’s No. 12 team in expenditures — Ole Miss ($9.5 million). – al.com

Tuberville: Big 12 won’t last long

As a guest Tuesday on Rivals Radio, new Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville said he didn’t think there was much of a future for the Big 12 in its current incarnation. “I don’t think this conference will last long because there is too much disparity between all the teams,” Tuberville told host Bill King. “In the SEC, for instance, Vanderbilt makes as much money in the television contract as Florida. Everybody is good with it. Everybody is on the same page. Everyone gets the same votes.” – Yahoo! Sports

Best college football state in the country: Alabama

Alabama welcomed 91,312, while Auburn welcomed 63,217, and UAB added another 2,500 for spring football games. It might not sound like head-turning stuff, but that’s big stuff for the Blazer Nation and maybe don’t hold your breath UAB can capitalize on that enthusiasm this fall. But 91,312 fans for Alabama’s A- Day game, 63,217 for Auburn’s A- Day Game and 2,500 at UAB’s, on the same day, I can’t think of another state where 157,029 fans would turn out for something in April not named NASCAR. What does this say about the state of Alabama? Let’s accept it for what it is that people just love their college football here. – The Birmingham News

Tennessee, Auburn pay largest severance expenses

Bloomberg News filed open-records requests with public universities in the Atlantic Coast, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12, Southeastern and Pacific 10 conferences seeking financial statements for the fiscal years ending in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The reports show the largest severance expenses were at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville ($7.0 million), Auburn University in Alabama ($6.8 million) and the University of Nebraska in Lincoln ($6.6 million) during the three-year period, with most of it going to coaches and top athletic administrators. Former Tennessee football coach Phillip Fulmer was due to get $6 million; former Nebraska football coach Bill Callahan, $3.9 million; former Nebraska Athletic Director Steve Pederson, $2.7 million; and former Auburn football coach Tommy Tuberville, $5.1 million, according to the schools. – Bloomberg

Auburn paying $7.1 million in buyouts

During the past 18 months, Auburn University has proven it isn’t afraid to pay whatever it takes to win on the playing field. That has meant paying about $7.1 million in football and basketball buyouts during that time, including a $1.5 million payment to Jeff Lebo, who was fired last week as the Tigers’ men’s basketball coach.  – Decatur Daily

Texas Tech blaming Craig James for Leach saga

As the Mike Leach-Texas Tech saga continues to unfold, it is appearing more and more likely that the University is looking to put a large part of the blame for what transpired on ESPN personality Craig James. A recent statement from Texas Tech’s attorneys to the state Attorney General stated, “Craig James threatened on Dec. 20 to sue the University if it did not investigate the actions of then-head football coach Mike Leach.” And that may just be the tip of the iceberg of James’s involvement in this bizarre saga. – SportsbyBrooks

Jay Jacobs is in control of Auburn athletics

Jay Jacobs is the most powerful Auburn athletics director since Pat Dye.

For 10 years in the big office, David Housel’s options were limited in a lot of areas. When it came to hiring and firing coaches in major sports and other major decisions, there were lots of fingers in the pie.

It became obvious just how dysfunctional the situation was when Housel, trustees Earlon McWhorter and Byron Franklin and president William Walker sneaked away to interview Bobby Petrino two days before the Iron Bowl in 2003.

The trip, along with its atrocious timing, wasn’t Housel’s decision. It was Walker’s. That, along with SACS probation that hit shortly thereafter, changed the way the Auburn athletic department runs.

Even before Housel officially retired, Hal Baird took over as the man in charge of Auburn athletics. But Ed Richardson, who followed Walker as president, was determined to make final hiring decisions. He wouldn’t seriously consider hiring Mike Anderson as basketball coach. He rejected John Pawlowski as baseball coach.

Six years later, Jacobs is firmly in charge of Auburn athletics. He made the call, controversial at the time, to hire Gene Chizik as football coach. He’ll make the call on whether Jeff Lebo returns as basketball coach and he’ll make the call on who replaces Lebo if a change is made.

President Jay Gogue puts it very succinctly: “I don’t fire coaches. I fire athletics directors.”

And that’s as it should be.

No one operates in a vacuum. I’m certain there are people who Jacobs turns to for advice and counsel. But the final decisions are his. The Board of Trustees and president have their proper roles to play, too. But, in the final analysis, for the first time in a long time, the drama and intrigue that were so much a part of Auburn athletics for so long are gone.

And that is refreshing.

Article courtesy AuburnUndercover.com

Texas Tech Hires Tommy Tuberville

Former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville has agreed to become the next head coach at Texas Tech. AuburnUndercover.com has confirmed that Tuberville will be named Sunday to replace Mike Leach, who was fired after being accused of mistreating a player. Tuberville resigned at Auburn in 2008 after winning 85 games in 10 seasons. He did not coach this season, dabbling in broadcasting with ESPN. Tuberville and interim head coach Ruffin McNeill were apparently the only candidates interviewed for the job replacing Leach, who won 84 games in 10 seasons at Texas Tech. Tuberville is 110-60 in 14 seasons as a head coach, four of them at Ole Miss. – AuburnUndercover.com

FSU hires former Auburn star Dameyune Craig

New Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher is adding one of the top young coaches in the country to his first Seminoles staff. Former Auburn quarterback Dameyune Craig will join the Florida State staff under Fisher, multiple sources have told NoleInsider.com in recent days. This will be Craig’s third stint as either a player or coach under Fisher, who was his position coach at Auburn. In 2004, he was a graduate assistant at LSU under Fisher. He left in 2005 to coach under Nick Saban as a special teams assistant for the Miami Dolphins. Following two years as the quarterbacks coach at Division II Tuskegee (Ala.), he joined the staff at South Alabama in his hometown of Mobile, Ala., where he currently is the receivers coach. It is not known what position Craig will coach at this time. He could possibly coach quarterbacks or co-coach the receivers with Lawrence Dawsey. – NoleInsider.com

Tommy Tuberville has interest in Kansas job

Former Auburn and Ole Miss football coach Tommy Tuberville would like to hear from Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins about the open KU job, Tuberville told The Star on Thursday. Tuberville, who led Auburn to a perfect season in 2004, said he had been contacted by some other schools about their vacancies but wasn’t interested. “Kansas is a good program,” said Tuberville, 55. “It’s in a conference that you can compete in. It’s really come leaps and bounds over the last few years, going to the Orange Bowl a couple years ago. Obviously, Kansas has made a reputation in basketball, and that’s great. But I think that can just help the football program. You can win in both sports.” – Kansas City Star

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