One ESPN analyst thinks Auburn doesn’t have to look far for the best candidate to succeed Gus Malzahn as head coach of the Tigers.

ESPN analyst Trevor Matich explained why UAB’s Bill Clark is his top candidate for the job.

“Bill Clark has done a phenomenal job at UAB and coaches that coach high school within the recruiting footprint know they can trust him,” Matich said on “College Football Live.” “Plus, because of the shutdown of the program for a couple of years and managing the politics of that whole scenario and then bringing them back to win the first conference championship in school history.

“He understands how to navigate the politics and use them to his benefit, which really is job No. 1 at Auburn. I think it’s Bill Clark and he should keep Kevin Steele as his assistant head coach to once again help navigate the waters of Auburn and maximize what other people see as a detriment.”

Clark is 50-26 as a head coach with an 11-4 season at Jacksonville State in 2013 and a 39-22 mark with UAB. His five-season tenure was interrupted by UAB’s two-year shutdown. After a 6-6 season in 2014, Clark led UAB to an 8-5 mark in 2017. The Blazers followed that up with an 11-3 campaign and Boca Raton Bowl win in 2018. UAB is 5-3 in 2020, scheduled to face Marshall for the Conference USA championship on Friday.

[H/T 247Sports]