In November, a report that Gus Malzahn was close to agreeing to an amended contract sent shockwaves throughout the SEC and the college football world. The takeaway by many was that Malzahn was agreeing to a reduced buyout in order to stay on to coach the 2019 season.

In his meeting with the media Thursday, Malzahn refuted the report saying his contract remains the same and he did not have to make any changes to keep his job.

While Malzahn will undoubtedly enter 2019 on the hot seat, the reported agreement did not make sense as it was widely interpreted as means to lower Malzahn’s buyout for an eventual firing, something that would have had a catastrophic impact on recruiting for the 2019 and 2020 classes currently pledging to play for Malzahn and his staff.