Auburn Preparing Final Push for New Head Coach After Iron...

By Nelson Espinal

Contributing Sports Reporter

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The Auburn Tigers are looking for a replacement for former head coach Hugh Freeze, who was ousted weeks ago, and appear to have a timeline for when the decision will be made.

Auburn has been regarded as a sleeping giant in the SEC, just a good coach away from re-establishing itself at the top of the conference.

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The program gets a good amount of funding from boosters, and they tend to recruit well even if the program is not having good seasons.

Auburn is not in the coaching carousel for Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, opting to avoid what has become a circus, though they are seemingly stuck waiting for the Kiffin dominoes to fall, as are other teams that have not hired a new coach.

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While the wait for Kiffin continues, Auburn has been progressing in its hunt for a coach. According to Chris Vannini of The Athletic, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall is one of the options, though he is somewhat caught up waiting to see if the Florida job opens up if Kiffin rejects them.

The Tigers, though, have other candidates, including Vanderbilt's Clark Lea, and they are hoping to name their next leader following the conclusion of the Iron Bowl against Alabama on Saturday.

"Auburn has long planned to name a coach the day after Saturday’s Iron Bowl. If not Sumrall, Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, Georgia Tech’s Brent Key and Lea could be options, as well as current interim head coach D.J. Durkin, who has support," Vannini wrote.

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The result of the Alabama game, if they win, could give Durkin a leg up on the competition and secure the job, though it will be a challenging game for the Tigers to win, considering the Crimson Tide has to win to ensure a playoff spot.

Even if the hire is not announced the day after the Iron Bowl, it should not be long after.

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