Every college football season, like clockwork, Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn found himself on the proverbial hot seat. It seriously never failed. After each loss, a disgruntled fan base lit up social media demanding a change, yet nothing ever happened... until now.
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On Sunday, December 13, Auburn University fired Malzahn. The Tigers finished the 2020 regular season with a 6-4 record — the team's seventh-straight season with at least four losses.
Auburn Director of Athletics Allen Greene announced Sunday a leadership change for Auburn football as Gus Malzahn will no longer direct the program.
— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 13, 2020
"After evaluating the state of the Auburn football program, we've decided that it was time to make a change in leadership," Auburn Director of Athletics Allen Greene said. "We appreciate everything that Gus did for the program over the last eight seasons. We will begin a search immediately for a coach that can help the Auburn program consistently compete at the highest level."
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will serve as the interim coach.
Gus Malzahn's Contract & Buyout
Highest paid coaches via @USAToday:
Nick Saban $9.3M
Ed Orgeron $8.9M
Dabo Swinney $8.3M
Jim Harbaugh $8.0M
Jimbo Fisher $7.5M
Kirby Smart $6.93M
Gus Malzahn $6.92M
Lincoln Riley $6.2M
Gary Patterson $6.1M
Dan Mullen $6.0M
Tom Herman $5.8M
Ryan Day $5.6M
Pat Fitzgerald $5.2M— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) October 15, 2020
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Gus Malzahn was one of the highest-paid coaches in the country. He will make $6.9 million for the 2020 season and did not take a pay reduction during the coronavirus pandemic and COVID-19 outbreak. Several SEC coaches didn't, either, but that's not the point here.
It honestly doesn't matter how much Malzahn's base salary is on The Plains. Everyone knows and understands it is a lot of money. The important figure to look at is his incredibly expensive contract buyout now that Auburn decided to pull the plug.
At the end of the 2017 regular season, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn was awarded a seven-year, $49 million contract extension. The Tigers gave their leader a ton of job security for the future.
According to USA Today, only Alabama's Nick Saban, LSU's Ed Orgeron, Clemson's Dabo Swinney, Michigan's Jim Harbaugh, Texas A&M's Jimbo Fisher, and Georgia's Kirby Smart will make more money than Malzahn in 2020.
Other college football coaches to make over $5 million this year include Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley, TCU's Gary Patterson, Florida's Dan Mullen, Texas' Tom Herman, Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald, Michigan State's Mel Tucker, Kentucky's Mark Stoops and Mississippi State's Mike Leach.
To get rid of Malzahn, however, costs Auburn a fortune.
Malzahn's buyout as of December 1, 2020? A whopping $21,450,000.
It's not the most expensive buyout in the country, by any means, but it's a lot.
Since taking over Auburn football program in 2013, after a successful season at Arkansas State, Malzahn has failed to live up to some lofty expectations. He helped bring a national title to The Plains as an assistant coach under head coach Gene Chizik, but hasn't delivered himself.
Malzahn took Auburn to the SEC Championship BCS National Championship Game in his first year, but lost to Florida State. He only has reached 10 wins in a season once since. That's when he earned his big extension in 2017.
"I got a job that expects to win championships, and I expect to win championships," Malzahn said at SEC Media Days in 2019. "Some places (get) eight wins, they celebrate. That's just not part of Auburn."
Under Malzahn's leadership, Auburn was 68-35, including 6-4 during the 2020 season. He's only won the SEC West twice, beaten the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Iron Bowl three times in eight tries, including last year on CBS, and is just 2-5 in bowl games.
Auburn lands stellar high school talent with NFL potential. That's not the problem. Auburn fans are just sick of 'Bama always winning and making the College Football Playoff in Tuscaloosa. They want FBS success of their own at Jordan-Hare Stadium on The Plains. Not second half collapses and losses to South Carolina like earlier this season.
At some point, Auburn athletic director Allen Greene and the Board of Trustees had to make a decision.
When is enough truly enough? It appears that time has come.
Getting rid of a coach is always a touchy subject. That decision could make things a lot worse than they already are. Every school has its breaking point, though, and Auburn has reached it and will have a new coach next year.
