There’s a longstanding myth in the college football world that Auburn fans are more impatient with head coaches than every other school. Sure, the powers that be in the athletic department have made some quick decisions on the dismissal of a coach or two, but is it really any more than any other program out there?
In his Power 4 head coach rankings, CBS Sports brought it up again, stating about Alex Golesh, “Now he's at Auburn, which is a great place to win at if you can, but the natives aren't considered the most patient group.”
I think the myth is bogus, as every coach who has been dismissed from his job as the Auburn head football coach since Terry Bowden has been dismissed for plenty of reasons. Whether it is a lack of recruiting, offensive schemes getting stale or, as one coach did, a total disregard for everything it takes to run a successful SEC football program, these men have been given the door in a rightful manner.
Starting with Bowden, I examine how impatient Auburn was with the head coach on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 obviously being the highest. I think some might rethink these decisions.
Terry Bowden
Things were going great for Bowden after starting his tenure with an undefeated season, but in the coming years, the cracks could be seen. Only the arm (and legs) of Dameyune Craig saved him for a bit with an SEC West title in 1997, but the next season, everything fell apart, and the cracks weren’t able to hold up anymore.
Granted, his dismissal had more to do with Bobby Lowder than with fan impatience.
Impatience Scale (on a scale of 1-10): 4
Tommy Tuberville
Tuberville came around at exactly the right time to be the head football coach at Auburn, as Alabama struggled to find a successful head coach, spent a few years on probation, and therefore couldn’t keep up with the Tigers.
Looking back now, it is amazing to think that Tuberville stayed as long as he did, given how he treated his other coaching jobs later and the fact that Lowder was ready to get rid of him after underperforming in the much-anticipated 2003 season.
Going stale in recruiting, plus the arrival of Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, spelled the end for Tuberville. Hey, at least he didn’t get fired midway through a recruiting dinner and then leave.
Impatience Level: 4.5
Gene Chizik
Yes, he won a national title as a head coach, but in many minds, he is one of the worst to ever do so. After Cam Newton was no longer able to bully opposing defenses and Chizik’s luck ran out, we saw exactly the coach we thought we were getting when he was hired in 2009.
It says a lot that since being fired in 2012, Chizik has yet to be hired as a head coach again.
Impatience Level: 4
Gus Malzahn
Malzahn was already a legend in Auburn for helping lead Newton and the Tigers to the 2010 national title as offensive coordinator. Taking Auburn to the BCS National Championship Game in his first year, thanks to the Miracle at Jordan-Hare and the Kick Six, put him in God-level status on the Plains.
And then, opposing defenses started to catch up to his offense, he wasn’t able to put together a quality offensive line, and, although he was able to beat Alabama every so often, the seven and eight-win seasons became stale.
If Auburn fans knew what was to come in the next five years, they would have been much more patient with Malzahn.
Impatience Level: 7
Bryan Harsin
Anyone with brain cells saw the writing on the wall early and often when Harsin was surprisingly hired by Allen Greene in December 2020. And despite a good start (remember, the Tigers were 6-2 after a massive win over Ole Miss in 2021), Harsin’s approach to everything, including his disregard for any recruiting whatsoever, nor even giving the minimum amount of energy trying to connect to the fan base, was one of the many reasons he was shown the door after less than two seasons. It might go down as the worst hire in Auburn athletics history.
Impatience Level: 0.00000001
Hugh Freeze
It seemed like a perfect match, as Freeze had shown he could coach up a Liberty team and win with them. He wanted to be back in the SEC and at Auburn, and when his recruiting took off early, fans were ready to see what he could put out on the field.
No one would be patient when the one thing you are supposed to do great, in Freeze’s case, showcase an explosive offense and put a lot of points on the board, doesn’t happen. Nor will they sit by when you get beat 10-3 by a woeful Kentucky team that ended up firing their head coach a few weeks later. And, while Diego Pavia was great, losing to New Mexico State, 31-10, is not a way to warm Auburn fans' hearts.
What seemed like a perfect fit never worked out.
Impatience Level: 3
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