It doesn't matter much about Saturday when we are talking long term or prolonging the inevitable. Money is always a huge issue but stringing this out will not cure our offensive woes or win any for the Gipper.
I say we go Arkansas circa BFP and name mainstay staff member, recruiter and non-impressive D-line Coach Rodney Garner as interim HC...get down on the wheel for potential candidates ahead of the competition. This has a freezing effect on recruiting to a degree and minimizes defections from the current roster while signaling to everyone that Auburn is dead serious about winning and you might want to consider who we might hire before bolting to a non Power 5 school or being shelved because your skillset doesn't mesh with a coaching philosophy.
And look, none of us want JJ anyway near this but the guy IS NOT LEAVING. Does he make the hire himself? Does he do the ceremonial Bo, Sully, Mac thing again?
IDK, they may tell him to go fuck himself but at least we have an outside chance at getting a solid hc that is far more consistent instead of a coordinator that is rattled that doesn't trust his own judgement. That triad of Malzahn, Lashlee and now Hand just isn't producing any points and will soon be a detriment to Steel's hard work.
All I'm saying is let's not waste anymore time and take a restart with some face saving and some hope. Good God how long has it been since we won a winnable home game against an SEC team and will it mean any more coming against Miles or Mullen after what we have witnessed recently. We are an embarrassment offensively. Doug Barfield could pile up points with this talent. We lacked depth back then on both sides of the ball and only a few would start on the better teams but at least he produced up to our total team potential. And he wasn't the recipient of a well stocked roster to have a leg-up.
No I don't want anything less than a great hc.
No I don't want an up and comer with little experience.
No I don't want anybody with baggage or questionable ethics.
What I want is a guy who can deliver wins and be consistent, one that recruits well, develops talent and runs a tight ship.
We know what anyone thrown in a hat is up against in this league, IN THIS STATE.
But the bottom line is...win this state and you should have a contender. The guy up the road might hang in there a few more years but they will not be the brunt of jokes when he walks away from football. And if we don't act now and responsibly we might not have a better opportunity to even draw even again, or even pull one out every four or five years.
Who knows, maybe we find the right man.
All I know is, or feel in my heart of hearts, is that this isn't the answer, it hasn't been and it looks as it will continue.
It's not personal, it's football, and we want a winner.