Allen Greene speaks about Auburn future following meeting with new president
By Keith Farner
Published:
Allen Greene again finds himself in the crosshairs of Auburn leadership as the athletics director is facing a transition to a new president while his contract is set to expire.
Chris Roberts, the dean of Auburn’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering since 2012, began his tenure as the university’s 21st president last week. His hire was announced in early February. Especially since the Bryan Harsin saga earlier this offseason, Greene’s future is in doubt as his initial five-year contract expires Jan. 31, 2023, and he’s yet to be extended.
Roberts and Greene met last week “for a couple hours,” the athletics director said Tuesday, and have another meeting set for later this week before Greene attends next week’s SEC spring meetings in Destin, Florida.
“Dr. Roberts, number one, he is a class-act person,” Greene told a couple reporters Tuesday evening before an alumni event in Columbus, Georgia, via Auburn Undercover. “And I’ve known that from his time and our interactions when he was the dean of the College of Engineering. Now he’s stepping over into this new role, and just sitting down and getting a feel for his energy and his intellect and his problem-solving ability, it’s really cool to be a part of.”
Roberts is the third president Greene has worked under at Auburn.
“He’s got a lot to learn,” Greene said. “And there’s a lot of nuance, a lot of change in our industry, and I’m really looking forward to being part of his team as he looks to take Auburn from here to here. That elevation is really important. That’s what we strive for, and locking our arms and doing that in lockstep with him is going to be a really fun journey.”
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
