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 reports recruiting violations

Texas Tech filed a report with the NCAA in the summer of 2009, acknowledging violations in three sports, including football, of the NCAA’s ban on text-messaging recruits. Tech has already self-imposed penalties in football that included giving up one scholarship for 2010 and reducing the number of campus visits to four fewer recruits than the program’s average over the last four years. New Tech coach Tommy Tuberville recruited under those restrictions in the month leading up to Wednesday’s national signing day. – Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Texas Tech looks to hire Alabama assistant as DC

It looks like Alabama may have a spot to fill on its coaching staff in the very near future. The Tide’s inside linebackers coach and associate head coach James Willis has been targeted the last few days by new Texas Tech and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville to become the Red Raiders defensive coordinator. – CrimsonConfidential.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

Tuberville, Bowden Surface at Texas Tech

Texas Tech’s hunt to replace Mike Leach could include two Tommys, both of whom have a resume item that’s hard to come by: an undefeated season. Tommy Tuberville, who guided Auburn to a 13-0 campaign in 2004, and Tommy Bowden, who led Tulane to a 12-0 record in 1998, are on Tech’s list of four to five candidates to replace Leach. Tuberville will get an interview with Tech on Wednesday, Tech athletic director Gerald Myers said. Tuberville declined to comment Monday, but he told The Avalanche-Journal on Sunday he’d keep the wide-open Leach offense in place. “He expressed some interest in the job, and we talked and we’re going to talk to him,” Myers said. “That’s about all I can comment on.” It’s unknown whether Tech will offer the job before the search process winds around to Bowden, who is another of the four or five candidates under consideration. – Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Ruffin McNeill interviews for Texas Tech job

What started as an informal interview Monday for Texas Tech interim coach Ruffin McNeill quickly turned into three separate formal interviews. McNeill met for an hour each with Tech president Guy Bailey, chancellor Kent Hance and athletic director Gerald Myers in his bid to become the next Red Raiders head coach. Because the interview process was sped up, Myers said there’s no need to bring McNeill back for another interview. “It was pretty thorough today, and I would say it was more than informal,” Myers said. “He had a chance to talk about his program and his plan and what he wants to do, and he did a good job of that.” McNeill, 51, hopes to succeed Mike Leach, who was fired Wednesday. Others who are expected to get a shot at the job include TCU coach Gary Patterson, Houston coach Kevin Sumlin, and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. Myers said he has no timetable in mind. – Dallas Morning News

Tuberville says still no contact from Texas Tech

Former Mississippi and Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said last week he is interested in the Texas Tech job, but there’s no indication that Tech is reciprocating the interest. Tuberville said Sunday he hasn’t heard anything from Tech. “I’d love to talk to them,” he said. “In our business, you never know what people are looking for.” Tuberville, 55, was head coach from 1995 through 1998 at Ole Miss, where he went 25-20. He was head coach from 1999 through 2008 at Auburn, where his record was 85-40, including a 13-0 season in 2004. – Avalanche-Journal

Briles, McNeil, Tuberville, Dykes, Fedora Lead Texas Tech’s List

With Baylor head coach Art Briles mentioned as possibly the leading candidate to replace Mike Leach at Texas Tech, Baylor is trying to quell speculation that Briles might be enticed to leave Waco after only two seasons. Briles has affirmed his commitment to leading the Bears’ football program, school officials announced Friday. “I am proud to be a Baylor Bear and remain committed to making this program a source of pride for the Baylor family,” Briles said in a statement. Texas Tech already has said that interim head coach Ruffin McNeill is under consideration. Other candidates could be Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, Southern Mississippi coach Larry Fedora and former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville. Dykes is the son of former Texas Tech coach Spike Dykes. – San Antonio Express-News

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

Why not Tommy Tuberville at Notre Dame?

Sources close to the Notre Dame search process and some powerful alumni with heavy checkbooks have tried to introduce former Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville into the core of the search, but so far he sits on the periphery. Tuberville, when reached at his home in Auburn, Ala. on Wednesday afternoon, acknowledged as much, but would welcome the process taking an 11th-hour, wide left turn in his direction. “I don’t think there’s any doubt Notre Dame can win and win big again,” said Tuberville, whose last trip to South Bend came last spring when he spoke at a Notre Dame coaches clinic at Weis’ request. “I just think they need to find the right guy with the right philosophy.” … “I think Notre Dame needs to get back to being more physical. They need more and better defensive linemen. They need quarterbacks who can beat you with their arm and their legs. They’re not that far away from where they want to be.” – South Bend Tribune

Next Page »