AUBURN – Gus Malzahn's future as Auburn's head football coach.

Asked directly if Malzahn would return in 2019, Auburn University athletic director Allen Greene responded to reporters in no uncertain terms.

"He'll be the next year's coach," Greene said, according to AL.com. "I'm confident that he's going to – he's already coming that we can get through adversity. Every team has it, and I'm looking forward to working with him for a long time. "

Malzahn and Greene have both faced issues in the footballing of the university, but it is not surprising that Malzahn is nine games in the first year of a seven-year, $ 49 million contract signed in January.

Seventy-five percent of that contract is guaranteed, which places Malzahn's buyout as of Dec. 1, 2018, at $ 32.1 million. Both that figure and its salary ($ 6.7 million) are the fifth-highest nationally.

Auburn University President Steven Leath, Director, Director, Director General, Jay Jacobs

Despite the length of the deal and what it would cost to make a change, Auburn's struggles during the middle part of the season – back-to-back losses at Mississippi State and SEC East cellar-dweller Tennessee – caused a vocal group of fans to lose faith in Malzahn.

Through nine games, the Tigers are 6-3 overall and 3-3 in the SEC with games against No. 5 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama still on the schedule. The Crimson Tide has already been named SEC West.

This season marks the second time since 2015 Auburn, which opened the season ranked No. 7 in the AP Top 25 Poll, has gone from preseason top 10 to unranked altogether. And that came after the Tigers won five consecutive games, with rivals Georgia and Alabama, to win the SEC West for the first time since 2013.

Still, as Greene puts it when he spoke to reporters in Birmingham last month, "this is not a week-to-week deal."

"When you compete in this league and when you are investing in a football program, we expect you to succeed in a normal team," Greene said. "When it does not happen, it's frustrating – for me, for Coach, our student-athletes, our fans – because we expect more, and Coach expects more.

"After seeing some games, I know that you're young at some positions and I think there's a lot of talent in those positions. 'll hit home runs in that look. "" It's going to be a really good thing to do, and I'm really excited to work with him, to help provide Auburn fans with the type of football they're deserving. "

Malzahn is 51-25 overall and 28-18 in SEC play since becoming Auburn's head coach in 2013. He has led the Tigers to two SEC West titles, one SEC championship and one national championship game appearance.

"He's our coach for the future," Greene said.