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Auburn insider weighs in on when new coach could be hired
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Auburn’s head coaching search continues to gain nationwide attention as some of the most notable names in college football have been connected to the vacancy. Lane Kiffin is reported atop the wish list of new athletic director John Cohen, while Hugh Freeze is thought of as an option considering the work the former Ole Miss head coach has done at Liberty.
Then there’s program great Cadillac Williams, who has provided a much-needed boost of momentum to the program following the firing of Bryan Harsin. After a loss to Mississippi State, the Tigers’ interim head coach has led his team to wins over Texas A&M and Western Kentucky.
AL.com Auburn beat writer Nubyjas Wilborn was on “The Paul Finebaum Show” to kick off Iron Bowl week and commented on the “possibility” that Auburn could name a head coach on Friday:
“There is a possibility that Auburn could name a new head coach on Friday, before Saturday’s Iron Bowl.” –@nwilborn19
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) November 21, 2022
Ole Miss, of course, hosts Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl on Thursday, so that would appear to give credence to a Kiffin hiring. However, Wilborn noted that naming a coach on Friday (whether it’s Kiffin, Freeze, or someone else) would be disrespectful to not only Williams but the Auburn players considering the run they’ve been on in recent weeks.
Still, given the renewed energy on The Plains with Williams on the sideline, there’s a chance that Auburn could drop the interim tag altogether. A win in the Iron Bowl against Alabama on Saturday would certainly add fuel to the fire of that possibility.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
