Auburn AD John Cohen sold the idea he had the Larry Vickers hiring at the forefront of his Auburn women's basketball head coaching search. After Vickers was officially announced as the program's eighth head coach, Cohen claimed his name was always a relevant one in the Tigers' pursuit.
"Throughout the search process, one name continually rose to the top - Larry Vickers. Coach Vickers has an incredible technical understanding of women’s basketball. He demands excellence from his student-athletes, while fostering an environment for young women to succeed. His understanding of the new landscape of college athletics is impressive. No one has worked harder for an opportunity like this than Coach Vickers," Cohen said, per Rivals.
Vickers promised "championship level success" on the Plains.
“I want to thank President Roberts, John Cohen and the entire search committee for this incredible opportunity to lead the Auburn women’s basketball program,” Vickers said. “Auburn is a great institution with one of the best athletics programs in the country. I am excited to get to work and help bring championship level success to our women’s basketball program. War Eagle!”
AL.com's Peter Rauterkus had deemed Mississippi State's Sam Purcell the favorite in the immediate aftermath of Johnnie Harris's firing.
"This one immediately jumps out and Purcell could be the frontrunner for the job," Rauterkus wrote.
"The Mississippi State head coach has only been a head coach for three seasons but has a record of 66-33 with the Bulldogs. Additionally, he was hired at Mississippi State by now Auburn athletic director John Cohen.
"The connections don’t stop there either. Purcell graduated from Auburn and got his start in coaching as a student assistant under legendary head coach Joe Ciampi. He was at Auburn from 2000-2005, spending three years as a student assistant and two as a video coordinator.
"The biggest hurdle would be convincing Purcell to leave the success he’s had in Starkville, but he has enough ties to Auburn to make the move a logical one."
Who knows if Cohen tried to pry Purcell away from Mississippi State or how many candidates were interviewed besides Vickers.
All we know is Vickers is here, and he set the bar high for his time with the Tigers.