ESPN analyst makes a strong case for Auburn as the top available job in the SEC

With so many top coaching jobs available in college football, there's a belief that Auburn might fall between the cracks. But ESPN's Peter Burns feels differently.

The SEC Network host appeared as a guest on SportsCenter on Tuesday to discuss the job openings in the sport and said that the next head coach of the Tigers will have a unified group supporting him and that might not be the case at other programs.

"The reason that Auburn is in a great spot right now is because Hugh Freeze was hired," Burns said. "What I mean by that is that when Hugh was hired at Auburn, all of a sudden, the boosters, the power brokers, all the guys that whisper on the message boards...they were all in alignment."

This road feels all too familiar

If you count the short interim stint of Cadillac Williams in 2022, Auburn is going to be searching for its fourth coach since Gus Malzahn was fired after the 2020 season. That's hardly a sign of stability and seems to spit in the face of what Burns is saying.

Moreover, the hiring of Freeze was widely panned as a lazy hire and the former Ole Miss and Liberty coach was not the guy that was going to help Auburn navigate through the new world of college football. These criticisms proved to be valid as Freeze appeared to be a step behind in nearly every aspect of roster building and finding impact players.  

But there have been positive signs that Burns is correct, that the big-money boosters at Auburn have been on the same page, and now they just have to focus on agreeing on the right hire rather than trying to battle for position to have their voice heard. The successful run of Bruce Pearl with the men's basketball team tells me it's very possible.

"I can argue right now that Auburn has the alignment that LSU doesn't have, that Arkansas doesn't have right now and even Florida doesn't have right now," Burns added. 

Has Auburn identified the right guy?

Possibly. The name we're all hearing is Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, and it makes perfect sense. He's from Huntsviille, and he has a background as an SEC assistant coach. I think he understands what can make Auburn successful and his resume as a head coach is strong.

​If Auburn isn't in the Lane Kiffin lottery, it should have a clear path to pursue Sumrall. This is a better job than Arkansas. The proximity to Atlanta gives the program amazing access to the top players in the region. And if the unity that Burns speaks about is a real thing, this could end up being the best hire in this cycle.