Darius Slayton has 1 request for Auburn officials in hiring next football coach

Darius Slayton was a standout for Auburn before being taken by the New York Giants in the 5th round of the 2019 NFL Draft. The Tigers of back then probably seem like a much different program than it does in the aftermath of the failed Bryan Harsin era.

Gus Malzahn was notably shown the door after Auburn officials determined that the program needed fresh blood after 8 seasons with him at the helm. While they brought in Harsin, a proven winner at Boise State, the Idaho native was an outsider, having no coaching experience in the South outside of a single season serving as Malzahn’s successor at Arkansas State. That’s in total contrast to Malzahn, a Southerner who was raised in Arkansas and coached in the South outside of 2 seasons at Tulsa.

Slayton, on Twitter hours after the announcement of Harsin’s firing was made, had 1 request for the Auburn administration:

Whoever AU hire next needs to have a birth certificate from the southern region of the US

— Darius Slayton (@Young_Slay2) October 31, 2022

There’s certainly some credence to this as it’s probably in Auburn’s best interest to bring someone in with a track record of successfully recruiting the region, unlike Harsin whose ties were strongest out West. We’ll see what direction the school ultimately goes in, but it’s a decision they can’t afford to get wrong again.

Sydney Hunte

Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.