In the battle for Auburn’s coach search

The battle to decide who would pick Auburn’s next head coach began even before the school fired Gus Malzahn.

An influential group of Auburn boosters lobbied for the school to fire Malzahn after eight seasons despite a big buyout of $ 21.4 million. They believed Auburn should never have given Malzahn a seven-year, $ 49 million contract in 2017 and were more than ready to see a new man lead the program. These powerful boosters quietly enlisted the support of board members, ultimately securing the numbers needed after Auburn’s loss to Texas A&M on December 5. With Malzahn out, they wanted to quickly promote defensive coordinator Kevin Steele to the permanent position.

In his fifth year as Auburn’s defensive coordinator, Steele had garnered the support of these influential boosters over the years and increased his stock in their eyes thanks to his unit’s strong performance on the pitch. He “really wanted the job,” according to a source, and would take an offer quickly.

The plan was in place: fire Malzahn on Sunday and announce Steele as the next head coach within 48 hours.

AL.com spoke to many sources familiar with Auburn’s research process to detail the behind-the-scenes action that led the school to hire Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin on Tuesday. They told the story of a powerful group of boosters accustomed to fighting their way against a new athletic director committed to doing things differently.

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Allen Greene, who was hired as Auburn’s DA in 2018, disagreed with Steele’s immediate promotion. The former Notre Dame baseball player has made it clear that he wants a national research to assess applicants beyond those residing only in Lee County. The pro-Steele camp weren’t deterred, however, believing they had more influence than Greene and would get the coach they wanted.

The Steele plan ran into a problem when Auburn president Jay Gogue sided with Greene and created a search committee to assess all viable candidates and not just Steele, who was named interim coach Sunday. Greene chaired the eight-person search committee which included Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson, Auburn trustee Quinten Riggins and NFL executive Michelle McKenna, among others. Gogue put together a committee with a diverse group of independent thinkers signaled to those involved that there would be real research, and Steele’s chances of becoming the head coach were dwindling.

“Gogue has really stepped up its efforts,” a source close to the research said. “He was in a place where he had to do one thing, but he didn’t give them everything they wanted. He gave them what they wanted (along with Gus), but said you won’t be part of the selection committee.

Some members of the search committee were initially open to Steele becoming the head coach, sources said, but that openness waned after severe public backlash to the potential hiring. Fans launched a “Stop Steele” campaign and hit Auburn administration and search committee members with emails, texts and tweets expressing their displeasure about Steele getting the job after reporting that he was a serious candidate.

The campaign worked, making it clear to key people, including those who think highly of Steele, that his hiring is no longer viable. That hasn’t stopped Auburn’s powerful boosters from trying to intimidate Greene and members of the search committee into hiring Steele, sources told AL.com. The boosters made it clear to Greene that if he fulfills their wishes and his hiring fails, they will make sure to kick him out of Auburn. The bullying plan backfired, as it made Gogue even more anchored behind the need for proper research.

“These people did not have the right to vote,” said a source. “They didn’t have a say and that frustrated them. They tried bullying, they tried everything and it just didn’t work.

Auburn hired Parker Executive Search to facilitate the search process. Greene and the search firm spoke with between 20 and 25 coaches, ultimately narrowing the roster and discussing specific candidates with the eight-person search committee. As Auburn’s research group worked to develop the characteristics he wanted and the coaches that matched them, rumors spread all over the possible candidates.

The most puzzling rumor was that UAB head coach Bill Clark had turned down a job offer. Auburn and Clark officials had contact about the work, but they never formally interviewed the UAB coach, let alone offered him the job. “To say that he stepped down or that he was offered the job is just plain wrong,” a source said. Asked about Auburn’s situation on Wednesday, Clark says WBRC he was only of interest if he had “total control over my staff and everything that goes with it, and I think, maybe, that was a hindrance for them.” Several sources strongly rebutted the insinuation that any potential coach should retain Auburn’s current assistants, including Steele.

Auburn Research evaluated several options, including seated head coaches and hot assistants like Steve Sarkisian from Alabama, before focusing on a select group to interview. Auburn never seriously considered Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze, despite reports linking him to the post. A subcommittee consisting of Greene, Riggins and Auburn, COO, Lt. Gen. Ron Burgess, conducted the interviews which mostly took place on Zoom.

Louisiana coach Billy Napier was a serious option for the job before finally withdrawing his name on Monday. Whether he was offered the job or stepped down first depends on the source, but he was undeniably one of Auburn’s top candidates. Napier has been incredibly patient in recent years when evaluating jobs, and has also turned down opportunities in South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Baylor.

Auburn spoke to Clemson’s defensive coordinator Brent Venables, but he was still expected to stay at Clemson. Despite being a hot name for many searches over the years, Venables is happy to be an assistant and earn $ 2.4 million as defensive coordinator for Dabo Swinney. He’s not eager to leave a situation where he can train his two sons, Tyler and Jake, either.

Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin interviewed Monday and impressed those involved in the research. After years of watching quarterbacks struggle to develop once they get to Auburn, those involved in the research believe Harsin has the skills and background to change that. He had a minimum buyback of $ 250,000 to leave Boise State, which makes him much more financially acceptable than coaches like Oregon’s Mario Cristobal, who come with big buybacks on top of Auburn’s $ 21.4 million. must pay to Malzahn.

Harsin may not have been the name on Auburn’s original wishlist, but those involved in the research insist he was still on the candidate list. They liked what he did at Boise State – he was 69-19 with a Fiesta Bowl victory in seven seasons – and a source called him “perfect for what Auburn likes to do and them. players they can recruit. ” His status as an outsider was a bonus for a school that has spent the past four decades hiring applicants with ties to Auburn, the SEC or the state of Alabama.

The research has been described as chaotic throughout, although if there was any chaos it came from a set of influential boosters insisting on making their way through, sources said. Several people told AL.com that Greene, on his first major hire, showed tremendous leadership in the face of these boosters to hang on and hire a coach he wanted. He intended to search nationwide for Auburn’s next head coach and, with the help of the search committee and the search company, was able to make it happen.

The hope, for those involved, is that this Auburn research represents a new era for a school infamous for an overly involved recall culture. For once, they said, it wasn’t just Auburn who Auburn was.

John Talty is the Sports Writer and SEC Insider for Alabama Media Group. You can follow him on Twitter @JTalty.