Scarbinsky: Auburn should be searching for new football coach and AD now

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Auburn should be searching for new football coach and AD now
By Kevin Scarbinsky | kscarbinsky@al.com al.com
on October 30, 2012 at 8:31 PM, updated October 30, 2012 at 8:33 PM

 BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - Gene Chizik and Jay Jacobs are fortunate in many ways. They really are.

The most overmatched football coach and athletics director combo in the SEC is lucky that Bobby Lowder’s 29-year tenure on the board of trustees ended in April. Otherwise, after the most embarrassing performance in the modern history of Auburn football, both of them might be out on the street today.

At the very least, an exit strategy would be in the works.

Say what you will about Lowder. Say what you already have. He usually knew when it was time to take action in the football program and the athletics department, and he wasn’t afraid to help set that action in motion.

Many Auburn people that vilified Lowder for his micromanagement wish they had someone that strong in charge right now.

If the board had listened to Lowder after the Tigers won the BCS national championship, they never would’ve approved the one-sided new contract for Chizik that Jacobs advocated. Lowder suggested a new deal heavy on performance incentives. Jacobs argued for the huge raise to a guaranteed $3.5 million a year plus incentives because, he said, there was a good chance Mack Brown was going to retire soon and Texas was going to come after Chizik.

That notion was laughable then - at least the part about Texas coming after Chizik - and it’s more laughable now. And don’t get any Auburn fan with an ounce of business sense started about the absurd Chizik buyout, which started at an unheard-of $10 million.

How bad has this comedy become? Jacobs told me on the radio in August that he liked the way this year’s team looked, that they reminded him of the 2004 team. Only the BCS has insulted that team more.

This Auburn team makes the 1998 and 2008 teams look like champions. At least the 1998 team beat Ole Miss, and the 2008 team beat Mississippi State. Neither of them lost a game by 42 points.

Despite that unconditional surrender Saturday in Jordan-Hare Stadium, Chizik and Jacobs also can thank their lucky stars that Jay Gogue wrote his letter to the Auburn family, the one that pointedly didn’t mention either of them, last week. Had the school president waited until after Texas A&M 63, Auburn 21, he might’ve been angry enough to take both of their names in vain.

With five new trustees still feeling their way, it’s up to Gogue to provide some leadership to put an end to Auburn’s nightmare, and there’s some indication that the president with the well-earned reputation of being a hands-off chief executive may be trying to wrap his hands around the situation.

It’s believed that, behind the scenes, someone on Auburn’s behalf has reached out to gauge the interest of a potential candidate to succeed Jacobs as AD in the near future. It’s someone who, like Jacobs, is a former Auburn player, but unlike Jacobs, has successfully managed a multimillion-dollar business.

That potential candidate is former Auburn kicker Scott Etheridge. He interviewed for the AD job that went to Jacobs in 2004.

At the moment, Etheridge is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of Arise Virtual Solutions Inc., which bills itself as “the world’s leading provider of virtual business process outsourcing.and contact center services.” He’s also been a vice president and CFO of the Partnered Brands division of Liz Claiborne and a senior VP and CFO of NBC Universal International.

If that overture has taken place, it means someone at Auburn understands that the school can’t start rebuilding as both a football program and an athletics department until it starts over at the top in both places by replacing Chizik and Jacobs. It would be foolish to fire Chizik but keep Jacobs. You can’t allow the same person that overlooked all the warning signs of a 5-19 head coach to try again.

The timing is less than ideal to search for a new AD because there’s not near enough time to find one and ask him to go find a new football coach. So those searches have to run on parallel runways.

With Auburn falling farther behind its rivals every day, both of those planes should’ve left the hangar by now.

Drop a civil comment below. Write Kevin at scarbinsky@gmail.com. Follow him at www.Twitter.com/KevinScarbinsky. Listen to him weekdays from 6-10 a.m. on the Smashmouth Radio Network on ESPN 973 The Zone.

[The Six]

Is anyone else tired of the Bammerham News, the Mobile Press For Sabear, and other ALLBammers.com media types telling Auburn what we "need" to do?

[dallaswareagle]

Is anyone else tired of the Bammerham News, the Mobile Press For Sabear, and other ALLBammers.com media types telling Auburn what we "need" to do?

In most cases I would agree with you, but in this case everybody seems to know what needs to happen, except the leadership at Auburn. 

[bottomfeeder]

If our condition is even obvious to the bammers, then there must be a real problem. I'm not waiting for Dye to tell me we have problem Houston. Are we going to wait until the bammers hold up 6 fingers? Bammers can opine all they wish, but we have THE handle on things and control our own destiny.

[The Six]

In most cases I would agree with you, but in this case everybody seems to know what needs to happen, except the leadership at Auburn. 

True. They seem to be taking their sweet time.

[Godfather]

I agree with Scarbo...100%

[RWS]

Is anyone else tired of the Bammerham News, the Mobile Press For Sabear, and other ALLBammers.com media types telling Auburn what we "need" to do?

Scarbo is about as close as you are going to get to unbiased.  He's pretty much dead on with every article he writes, and is equally opportunistic to both sides.  dallaswareagle hit the nail on the head.  It is obvious to everybody what needs to happen.  Auburn is worse than anything that Shula ever put on the field.  They canned him a year after a 10 win season.  It became clear that the 10 win season was simply an anomoly, and the other 3 seasons in his tenure were the reality. 

It wouldn't matter if Auburn won the NC last year IMO.  There is simply no reason for a traditional SEC powerhouse to be a missed field goal away from a winless season 10 weeks in.  Ever.  Short of a Marshall-like tragedy, there is no combination of reasons or excuses that makes it acceptable.  The scary thing is, I don't know that AU has an AD that sees it that way.  I think there is a pretty good chance that Chizik will be retained.  And that's scary. 

[dallaswareagle]

Scarbo is about as close as you are going to get to unbiased.  He's pretty much dead on with every article he writes, and is equally opportunistic to both sides.  dallaswareagle hit the nail on the head.  It is obvious to everybody what needs to happen.  Auburn is worse than anything that Shula ever put on the field.  They canned him a year after a 10 win season.  It became clear that the 10 win season was simply an anomoly, and the other 3 seasons in his tenure were the reality. 

It wouldn't matter if Auburn won the NC last year IMO.  There is simply no reason for a traditional SEC powerhouse to be a missed field goal away from a winless season 10 weeks in.  Ever.  Short of a Marshall-like tragedy, there is no combination of reasons or excuses that makes it acceptable.  The scary thing is, I don't know that AU has an AD that sees it that way. I think there is a pretty good chance that Chizik will be retained.  And that's scary.

For all that is Holy please do not let this be.

[Tiger Wench]

That potential candidate is former Auburn kicker Scott Etheridge. He interviewed for the AD job that went to Jacobs in 2004.

No one is touching this?  I will.  I got a momentary shiver.  The guy sounds promising - a VAST improvement over what we have now.

[GH2001]

No one is touching this?  I will.  I got a momentary shiver.  The guy sounds promising - a VAST improvement over what we have now.

Pretty much texted JR the same response. I would love it.

[Tiger Wench]

Pretty much texted JR the same response. I would love it.

At the moment, Etheridge is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of Arise Virtual Solutions Inc., which bills itself as “the world’s leading provider of virtual business process outsourcing.and contact center services.” He’s also been a vice president and CFO of the Partnered Brands division of Liz Claiborne and a senior VP and CFO of NBC Universal International.

Do not see this guy being ANYONE's huckleberry.

[AUTiger1]

Scarbo is about as close as you are going to get to unbiased.  He's pretty much dead on with every article he writes, and is equally opportunistic to both sides.  dallaswareagle hit the nail on the head.  It is obvious to everybody what needs to happen.  Auburn is worse than anything that Shula ever put on the field.  They canned him a year after a 10 win season.  It became clear that the 10 win season was simply an anomoly, and the other 3 seasons in his tenure were the reality. 

It wouldn't matter if Auburn won the NC last year IMO.  There is simply no reason for a traditional SEC powerhouse to be a missed field goal away from a winless season 10 weeks in.  Ever.  Short of a Marshall-like tragedy, there is no combination of reasons or excuses that makes it acceptable.  The scary thing is, I don't know that AU has an AD that sees it that way. I think there is a pretty good chance that Chizik will be retained. And that's scary.

lolwut?  Seriously?  No, he won't be retained. 

[RWS]

lolwut?  Seriously?  No, he won't be retained.

I agree that there is no way in hell that he should be retained, I just don't think the AD will fire him.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

I agree that there is no way in hell that he should be retained, I just don't think the AD will fire him.

I don't think the current AD will fire him either.  I think they will be standing in line at the unemployment office together.

[dallaswareagle]

And the effect is starting to spread. An e-mail I got from the DFW club here:

I have seen as many as a 100 people at some of these games.

A message from DFW Auburn Club to all community members of Dallas/ Ft. Worth Auburn Club on Auburn Clubs! Hello DFW Fellow Auburn Family, friends and fans, I understand how losing the way we have discourages interest in the games. But last week was an embarrassing turnout for our Club. We had less than 24 folks there to view the aTm game. BWW's had reserved tables and brought in staff to cover for our usual turnout and hardly anyone showed! Auburn will NOT always be this bad on the gridiron. We need to support the club, especially the team and BBW's during these challenging times so as to NOT lose this venue in the future. So, PLEASE come join us to support and cheer for our Tigers this Saturday morning, at Buffalo Wild Wings in Irving for Auburn's 2012 HC game vs the Aggies of New Mexico State

[Snaggletiger]

I don't think the current AD will fire him either.  I think they will be standing in line at the unemployment office together.

One can only hope.

[Godfather]

And the effect is starting to spread. An e-mail I got from the DFW club here:

I have seen as many as a 100 people at some of these games.

A message from DFW Auburn Club to all community members of Dallas/ Ft. Worth Auburn Club on Auburn Clubs! Hello DFW Fellow Auburn Family, friends and fans, I understand how losing the way we have discourages interest in the games. But last week was an embarrassing turnout for our Club. We had less than 24 folks there to view the aTm game. BWW's had reserved tables and brought in staff to cover for our usual turnout and hardly anyone showed! Auburn will NOT always be this bad on the gridiron. We need to support the club, especially the team and BBW's during these challenging times so as to NOT lose this venue in the future. So, PLEASE come join us to support and cheer for our Tigers this Saturday morning, at Buffalo Wild Wings in Irving for Auburn's 2012 HC game vs the Aggies of New Mexico State

I am not yet sure the game is even televised yet.  I know that it is on ESPN 3 but I haven't seen the schedule this week for Gameplan.

[Snaggletiger]

And the effect is starting to spread. An e-mail I got from the DFW club here:

I have seen as many as a 100 people at some of these games.

A message from DFW Auburn Club to all community members of Dallas/ Ft. Worth Auburn Club on Auburn Clubs! Hello DFW Fellow Auburn Family, friends and fans, I understand how losing the way we have discourages interest in the games. But last week was an embarrassing turnout for our Club. We had less than 24 folks there to view the aTm game. BWW's had reserved tables and brought in staff to cover for our usual turnout and hardly anyone showed! Auburn will NOT always be this bad on the gridiron. We need to support the club, especially the team and BBW's during these challenging times so as to NOT lose this venue in the future. So, PLEASE come join us to support and cheer for our Tigers this Saturday morning, at Buffalo Wild Wings in Irving for Auburn's 2012 HC game vs the Aggies of New Mexico State

The DFW and the BWW's and the BBW's are P.O.'d because there weren't enough BLT's ordered from TGIFridays for the HC game.  Don't keep that on the QT.  Get the word out ASAP.   

[Saniflush]

Personally I think I would send them a letter back stating that if Auburn puts a respectable product on the field then they will not have to worry about filling it up.  Knowing that, they should send their pissy assed email to the athletic department.

[Snaggletiger]

Personally I think I would send them a letter back stating that if Auburn puts a respectable product on the field then they will not have to worry about filling it up.  Knowing that, they should send their pissy assed email to the athletic department.

But Hors D'Vours were prepared