Auburn Set to Take Major Step in Head Coach Search

By Nelson Espinal

Contributing Sports Reporter

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The Auburn Tigers fired Hugh Freeze earlier this month. Though they have not found a replacement, new reports signal the coaching search has been progressing.

Auburn is one of the least-discussed SEC coaching openings amid the noise around Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin and his flirtation with Florida and LSU.

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Still, the Tigers are a key program in the storied conference. It has been a while since they reached the heights of their success with star quarterback Cam Newton, though they have remained competitive for stints and continue to attract high-caliber talent.

Following the dismissal of Freeze, Auburn is looking for the next man to elevate the program, and the search is beginning to narrow into a shortlist.

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Per Chris Vannini of The Athletic, Auburn has a list of targets it is pursuing. Jon Sumerall of Tulane and Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea stand out as particularly buzzworthy names. They've also been linked to other high-profile jobs, such as Penn State.

"Auburn continues to show a lot of interest in Sumrall, USF coach Alex Golesh, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz, Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea and Georgia Tech coach Brent Key, among others," Vannini reports.

"Sumrall and Key are Alabama natives. There is a lot of overlap between the Auburn and Florida searches outside of the Gators’ Kiffin pursuit."

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Sumrall is the name gaining the most traction on the rumor mill, particularly after ESPN's Pete Thamel — a well-sourced college football insider — named Sumrall the "prime candidate" for the Auburn gig.

“Yeah, I think Jon Sumrall has been a prime candidate and target from the start of that job,” Thamel said. “There’s obviously complications with Tulane being a potential Playoff team. But, it wouldn’t be a surprise if that’s where Auburn ends up," Thamel said on "The Paul Finebaum Show."

The current Tulane coach has his team on the verge of a potential College Football Playoff berth through the Group of Five spot in the postseason. They are the favorites to win the American Conference, all having limited resources.

Sumrall went 23-4 with Troy before going 17-7 at Tulane heading into Saturday. His ability to turn around two programs over the past four years should inspire hope in the Tiger faithful who have been looking for progress in the SEC amid Ole Miss and Vanderbilt's latest ascension.

For all the latest NCAA football news and rumors, head over to Newsweek Sports.

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