Auburn coaching search: AD John Cohen says Tigers will work ‘expeditiously’ to hire new coach
By Kevin Duffey
Published:
Auburn’s coaching search is starting to really heat up in the middle of November.
New athletic director John Cohen has a tough task in front of him as he prepares to interview and, eventually, hire the Tigers next head coach to replace Bryan Harsin.
Cohen sat down for an interview with Auburn radio announcer Andy Burcham on Friday afternoon to discuss the coaching search and the upcoming hire.
“It’s an information-gathering process, and it takes a while,” Cohen continued. “We don’t have a long period of time. … It’s important that you’re not overwhelmed by a deadline. Having done this before, it’s important that you’re not overwhelmed by a speed race. You’re looking for the right person.
“Obviously, there’s the basic three—there’s the X’s and O’s, there’s the recruiting and there’s the culture piece the head coach brings. Then, there’s a variety of other things you have to find out as well. Especially coaches that have a long, long track record, getting to the bottom of everything they’ve ever accomplished is an important thing also.”
Cohen said he and his team will work “expeditiously” to hire the next head coach.
“There is a deadline, when you talk about transfer portal and the early signing period in December,” Cohen said. “The world has changed, so we’re going to work expeditiously. The tick isn’t going to rule what we’re doing, but we’re going to move quickly.”
Most figure that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is the top candidate for the vacancy; however, should Auburn miss on Kiffin, Hugh Freeze (Liberty), Deion Sanders (Jackson State) and Matt Rhule have all been mentioned for the job.
AL.com spoke to a booster on Friday who said the program is running a tight ship on the next coach.
“I’d generally know by now who the hire would be, who it could’ve been, and who doesn’t have a shot,” the booster told AL.com. “However, this time, I don’t have a clue, and honestly, it might be the best thing for Auburn that nobody knows except for the decision maker.”
You can watch Cohen’s full interview below, courtesy of Auburn University:
A graduate of the University of Florida and founder of Saturday Down South, Kevin is a college football enthusiast.
