Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn got the — sometimes dreaded — vote of confidence from Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs on Tuesday night. The comments came during a speech that Jacobs was giving for the schools' goal in the new year, and he made a point to single out Malzahn.
"I believe in Gus when we hired him," Jacobs said. "And I still believe in him."
The statement came after Jacobs was apparently upset at Auburn's football season this year, where the Tigers were 6-6 in the regular season before winning the Birmingham Bowl 31-10 against a good Memphis team. Jacobs said that there was "no excuse" for the Auburn football team to be .500 in the regular season, leaving many to wonder if Malzahn is on the hot seat.
Malzahn's warm seat comes after two relatively disappointing seasons on the Plains for Auburn. After a 12-2 season and a loss in the BCS title game in 2013, Malzahn and co. have followed up with 8-5 and 7-6 campaigns. The Tigers, perennially in a good spot in the recruiting rankings, have expected growth after two national title appearances in 2010 and 2013, but they have yet to maintain that sort of success.
