Paul Finebaum evaluates where Auburn job stacks up with others in coaching carousel

Auburn became the fourth SEC program to fire its head football coach this season when it parted ways with Hugh Freeze on Sunday in the midst of a third-straight disappointing season on The Plains. Freeze’s ultimate ouster was practically a foregone conclusion as the Tigers opened 0-4 in conference play for the second straight year.

But as Auburn fans eagerly await news — or even specualtion — about their next head coach, a difficult reality is emerging about the Tigers’ football opening: it’s the SEC’s third-best option at the moment. Though that fact isn’t necessarily a negative, at least according to ESPN‘s Paul Finebaum.

“I think on the hot meter within the SEC, it obviously ranks behind Florida and LSU for the open jobs. But I agree, … I’ve covered Auburn football for most of my lifetime, and it’s unique,” Finebaum said Monday during his weekly appearance on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning radio show on WJOX in Birmingham. “You can be very, very successful because of the passion of the fanbase. This isn’t a wine and cheese group. These are people that appreciate really the effort as much as the result. Now results become ultimately how you are (judged), but it was what we saw Saturday night that did in Hugh Freeze. If that game had been 28-27, he may have still been fired, but it wouldn’t have been such a slam dunk. It was just the ineptitude.

“And I’ve watched Auburn people relate to so many different coaches, from (Pat) Dye to (Tommy) Tuberville, and many different coaches in between,” Finebaum concluded. “And quite frankly, I don’t think it’s that complicated. You don’t have to get the hottest coach, you’ve just got to get a coach that can understand where he is, what he’s up against, and be able to relate.”

So, while Auburn’s new reality might take it out of the running for Ole Miss‘ Lane Kiffin — the far-and-away biggest name on the market and a leading contender at both Florida and LSU — there are plenty of other options that could find success on The Plains.

Paul Finebaum reveals candidate Auburn should prioritize in coaching search

The times are changing at Auburn. They become the latest program to enter the coaching carousel on Sunday, as the Tigers fired their head coach, moving on from Hugh Freeze. 

Now, his eventual replacement will become one of the more interesting storylines of the college football season. Paul Finebaum has someone in mind — Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall.

“I think Auburn is a little bit more unique. I don’t think you can just go to Chat GPT and type in what you want. I think you have to find someone who can relate to that school and the fanbase and the family. That’s where I would go. I wouldn’t just try to hire the hot name. I would try to hire someone who has experience, great ability, but mostly potential. We all know the same names. I don’t think I could add anything,” Finebaum explained on Monday’s McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning.

“The name I think is most intriguing is Jon Sumrall. He’s hard-nosed. He’ll remind some people of Pat Dye, which is never a bad way to go if you’re trying to identity who the next Auburn football coach should be.”

Sumrall would certainly be an interesting choice, even if his star doesn’t burn as bright as some other candidates at the moment. Regardless, Finebaum thinks the job at Auburn might be a bit underrated at the moment, and it’ll be up to athletic director John Cohen to get the job done.

— On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.