Report: Auburn considering options if Gus Malzahn leaves, Bobby Petrino mentioned
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Auburn is getting set for a matchup with Alabama in the Iron Bowl while rumors continue to swirl around head coach Gus Malzahn.
Malzahn has had varying levels of success with the Tigers but he certainly has the team playing well right now. Auburn is up to No. 6 in the Playoff Top 25 and appears to still have a shot at the Playoff. It will take a win over Alabama and another win in the SEC Championship Game to make it happen, but anything is possible at this point in the season.
Nevertheless, Malzahn’s future at Auburn has become unclear. One factor that could influence the coach is that Arkansas may be making a change at head coach. The Razorbacks have already fired AD Jeff Long and may look to replace coach Bret Bielema as well. Malzahn certainly has a history with Arkansas and may be interested in a return.
Auburn is also looking for a replacement to AD Jay Jacobs. He has already announced his resignation date, and Malzahn may look to leave with the change.
Everything is still speculation at this point, but it appears that Auburn may be looking to put a backup plan in place should Malzahn pursue a different job. Scott Roussel with Football Scoop shared the rumor that Auburn is potentially inquiring about former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino should Malzahn leave:
We’re told that Auburn is doing some diligence, preparing for the possibility of Malzahn’s departure, and multiple sources in the profession have relayed that Auburn seems to kicking the tires on Bobby Petrino as a backup plan.
Petrino is the current head coach at Louisville but departed Arkansas as the result of an ugly scandal that involved an affair. It will definitely be interesting to watch how things develop at Auburn moving forward.
In the meantime, Saturday’s kickoff for the Iron Bowl is set for 3:30 pm EST on CBS.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
