Auburn women's basketball relieved Johnnie Harris of her coaching duties on Thursday following the Tigers' elimination from the SEC Tournament. Quickly following the announcement, AL.com's Peter Rauterkus deemed a frontrunner with John Cohen ties:
Mississippi State's Sam Purcell.
"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.
"He led Mississippi State to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2023, followed by a WNIT quarterfinal berth in 2024. The Bulldogs currently sit 21-10 and are projected by make the NCAA Tournament as a nine-seed, according to ESPN’s latest bracketology projections.
"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."
Cohen has not had a hair trigger as AD. He avoided firing Hugh Freeze despite calls from Tiger fans and pundits alike. Cohen gave Freeze a vote of confidence and a commitment to see his tenure through.
Still, Harris was given four years to turn the team around and made one March Madness, getting bounced in the 2024 tournament's First Four. Having a losing season in 2024-25 and taking a step back sealed her fate.
Cohen now faces his third major hiring as AD after Freeze's and Jordan Szabo's as the women's tennis coach.