Auburn football fans won’t be happy with who MA put in front of Deion Sanders in HC rankings
As the Carnell “Cadillac” Williams era of Auburn football reaches its high point on the Plains on November 12 as Jimbo Fisher and Texas A&M come to Jordan-Hare Stadium, the next head coach question looms in the background.
For as much as everyone would love for Cadillac to be back next season after running the table these next three games and getting the Tigers bowl-eligible with their first Iron Bowl win in Tuscaloosa since the ‘Camback,’ the truth is that there was a legitimate worry before Bryan Harsin was finally fired that none of the assistants were ready to step up into the role.
Given AU’s fiery comeback in Starkville against State last weekend after halftime, Williams is clearly ready. To be the interim head coach. A full recruiting cycle is a challenge AU athletic director John Cohen isn’t ready to bestow upon Cadillac given his coaching inexperience.
Curiously enough that, the second-ranked candidate on The Montgomery Advertiser reporter Richard Silva’s Auburn football head coaching list was Jeff Grimes — Baylor’s offensive coordinator who has never handled the boss-man responsibilities as head coach himself.
Grimes was ranked right behind Lane Kiffin and ahead of Deion Sanders due to his potentially bargain-bin price tag and specialty in the offensive trenches:
"“Grimes specializes in coaching and recruiting the offensive line, a position group that’s been an issue for Auburn since the last few years of the Guz Malzahn era. Adding him would allow for some much-needed stability along the line, and the price tag wouldn’t be so steep.”"
Why ‘Prime Time’ is a long shot on the Plains and Auburn football will likely look elsewhere
If Auburn football was any sort of a frontrunner for Deion Sanders, it’s likely that Tigers legend Bo Jackson would have given a more glowing endorsement than simply wondering if AU was ready for ‘Prime’ and saying that the Jackson State head coach would be great anywhere he goes.
Sanders is the sort of magnetic personality that needs full backing from the powers that be to run the program autonomously, and while John Cohen gave Mike Leach that chance at Mississippi State, his first hire could be a safer play than a man who will more than likely soak up the spotlight on the Plains and have the world watching his every move.
By that thinking, Jeff Grimes may as well have a better chance at becoming the next Auburn football head coach, and for that matter Hugh Freeze might just be too.