Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was seriously linked to Arkansas in rumors during this year’s coaching carousel, but he ended up signing an extension to stay with the Tigers.

This was hardly the first time the Auburn coach has received attention from other schools. In fact, it dates all the way back to 2010, when he was the Tigers’ offensive coordinator.

That year, the Maryland Terrapins were seemingly down to Mike Leach, Randy Edsall and Malzahn for the opening. Of course, they ended up hiring Edsall, but according to AL.com, Malzahn basically eliminated himself because he didn’t want to get on a plane to go to Maryland without an offer in hand:

Gus Malzahn, then Auburn’s offensive coordinator, refused to get on a plane to interview at Maryland in 2010 unless he was promised a job offer, according to that same search committee member. That demand turned off the school, and both parties decided to go their separate ways with Malzahn ultimately taking the Arkansas State job the following year.

As mentioned, Malzahn eventually moved on to Arkansas State following the 2011 season, but returned to Auburn after one year, this time as the team’s head coach.

He then led the Tigers to a national title game appearance in 2013. Now, he’ll be around Auburn for a while, having signed a deal that will pay him $7 million a year for the next seven years.