Joel Klatt on where Auburn job ranks against other openings: ‘It’s not a great job,’ comes with ‘little brother complex’

After firing head coach Hugh Freeze on Sunday, Auburn is looking for the next leader of its football program. On Monday, FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt argued Auburn’s opening at head coach isn’t nearly as enticing as some fans may think.

“I don’t think Auburn is a great job,” Klatt said. “It’s not better than those top three: LSU, Penn State and Florida, in that order. Probably better than Arkansas, probably. And then better than UCLA, Oklahoma State, Virginia Tech and Stanford. So, it’s right there. It’s probably the fourth or fifth best job open in the current cycle of the eight open.

“It’s not a great job if you’re not even the best or biggest or most important program in your own state. Like, sorry I’m not sorry. That’s what it is. And, Auburn has a little brother complex. They just do. They’re not Alabama, and it’s not even close. And yet, they want to be Alabama. So, they feel like their expectations, and they operate—from a booster perspective and a program perspective— as if, ‘Well, our expectations are that we’re Alabama.’ But you’re not.”

Auburn hasn’t had a 10-win season since 2017. Moreover, the Tigers haven’t logged more than six wins in a single season in the 2020s. Nonetheless, the name “Auburn” carries serious weight in the college football landscape.

The coaching hot boards reflect that reality. Analysts expect Auburn to show interest in high-level head coaches, including Missouri‘s Eli Drinkwitz and Vanderbilt‘s Clark Lea. After all, Auburn could provide both coaches with more resources than they have access to at their current schools.

Klatt believes Auburn fans shouldn’t get their hopes up too high. He continued to compared Auburn to the Crimson Tide, who have defeated the Tigers in their last five meetings.

“The expectations at Auburn don’t line up with the reality of what Auburn is,” Klatt said. “That’s a program that is not even the best program in their state, obviously. Alabama is in your state. Alabama is Alabama. Won more national titles than anybody, you know? … Cue all the Auburn fans, although there aren’t as many as the other big programs. It’s a small school.”

Auburn is expected to owe Hugh Freeze a $15.8 million buyout. Fans will be determined to prove pundits like Klatt wrong and see the program return to its former heights.

On Saturday, interim coach DJ Durkin will lead the Tigers into a showdown against Vanderbilt at 3 p.m. CT. The game will air live on the SEC Network.