Usually, Paul Finebaum is the one asking questions to his guests. In a recent podcast with Fox Sports’ Bruce Feldman and Stewart Mandel, however, it was Finebaum who was asked several questions about the coaching landscape in the SEC.
Finebaum told Feldman and Mandel that he believed this weekend’s matchup between LSU and Auburn could have a profound impact on Les Miles’ and Guz Malzahn’s job security.
Afterwards, he spoke on the chances that any SEC program would pursue former Baylor coach Art Briles, starting with Auburn.
“Four years ago they wouldn’t go anywhere near Bobby Petrino,” Finebaum said of Auburn. “They would get nowhere close to Art Briles.”
Auburn isn’t likely to be the only SEC school in search of an upgrade on the sideline, but Finebaum doesn’t think it’s too likely that Briles would be welcomed in the conference.
“I really don’t. I don’t know if that’s something that goes to the commissioner or not, but I think we all know Greg Sankey and I have a hard time believing Sankey would – and this is just my opinion – would sign off on that. I don’t know whether he would veto it either but I do know under Mike Slive courtesy calls were offered. He was certainly known to give his opinion.”
“I know that Lane Kiffin was taken to visit Commissioner Sankey by Bill Battle before Bill would sign off on hiring him (at Alabama).”
