As Auburn gets set to face Alabama in the Iron Bowl, the future of the assistant coaches on Gus Malzahn’s staff is a topic of discussion.

SEC Network host Paul Finebaum on his weekly appearance on WJOX called Auburn one of the most disappointing teams in America this season. It’s because an expected loss in the Iron Bowl would drop Auburn to 7-5 . Finebaum was asked if it’s a given that there will be wholesale changes on Malzahn’s staff.

“I think so because there are so many other things going on, and really it’s because of his contract. There hasn’t been as sharp a focus on what happens,” Finebaum said. “There’s no getting around it. This is a movie, this is a song that we’ve seen almost every other year. Ultimately that stops with Gus Malzahn, but changing coaches doesn’t really solve the problem.”

The tough part is it comes down to not new coaches, but a new approach to handling assistant coaches by Malzahn.

“I hear Auburn fans all the time saying he won’t let coordinators, especially offensively do their job. That’s a decision he’s going to have to make,” Finebaum said. “The number on the buyout isn’t going to make any difference if it’s a year from today, and we’re all here having the same conversation.”