Good afternoon, everyone.
John Cohen formally was introduced as athletic director this morning. During his Q-and-A with reporters, Cohen indicated something quite significant. He said Auburn would retain a search firm ... but not to generate a list of candidates. He said the firm instead would vet the candidates Auburn brings to the firm and provide other support functions.
This is significant.
My interpretation, which I bounced off a few People Who Know Things, is that Cohen already has an idea of what he wants to accomplish with this search. Which is to say: He has an idea of which coach(es) he will target during this search.
We need to get something out of the way before we progress deeper into this conversation:
Agents are more important now than they were 20 years ago when it comes to college coaching. They've always had ways to communicate with schools via back channels to gauge interest, but that conduit has become a primary method of communication these days. So much is hammered out behind the scenes before it's ever discussed with the head coach. This is not about the coaching lying. The coach, most of the time, doesn't want to lie about it; he genuinely doesn't want to know.
So let's take Lane Kiffin, for instance. The Ole Miss coach is represented by Jimmy Sexton out of Memphis. At this moment right now, Sexton has an idea what it would take to lure Kiffin away from Ole Miss. He knows that because they talked about it long before Auburn fired Bryan Harsin. They didn't have the conversation because of Auburn or any other program. No, they had the conversation because Sexton's full-time goal is to get Kiffin in the best possible professional position. We often think about agents bargaining for more money, and that's certainly an important part of the job, but Kiffin is different because he's already earned a lot of money. His professional interests go beyond money.
Kiffin doesn't have to talk with "Auburn." Sexton doesn't have to talk with "Auburn."
Instead, Kiffin coaches and Sexton holds conversations with folks representing Auburn. During those conversations, Sexton relays insights about what Kiffin wants. He probably mentions a general salary range. He probably mentions that a large percentage of any contract Kiffin signs will be guaranteed — especially if he's to take over at Auburn given the program's recent history of souring on coaches quickly. He probably talks about dominion or control or oversight or some similar concept of BEING LEFT ALONE TO COACH FOOTBALL.
The folks representing Auburn pass that information along. Auburn may or may not consider him as a candidate. (It will.)
That's where this program is right now. Cohen is developing a general idea of what it would take to acquire Kiffin and keep Kiffin.
Auburn also holds a similar dossier, if you will, regarding Hugh Freeze. He's also a Sexton client. Freeze will be less expensive to acquire and he will be less expensive to retain, though his most recent successes at Liberty may or may not portend similar successes at Auburn. That's a difficult question to answer. That's why Cohen makes $1.5 million per year.
*****
I have no reason to believe that Auburn has made any meaningful contact (officially or unofficially) with Oregon coach Dan Lanning's representatives.
I also have no reason to believe that Auburn has made any meaningful contact (officially or unofficially) with Jackson State coach Deion Sanders' representatives. (UPDATED BELOW).
At this time, things are focused almost wholly on Kiffin and Freeze — with Freeze, at least from my view, gaining some momentum with the Flames' win at Arkansas last weekend. If Kiffin's Rebels beat Alabama this weekend, I'm sure he'll re-gain any lost interest from this side.
We remain a LONG way from a decision. Cohen made that clear today. He's not in a hurry, nor should he be in a hurry. As he mentioned in his press conference today, Auburn is a terrific place to coach football and remains a highly visible, national brand. It just needs someone to remove the varnish and renew that luster we saw in 2010 and 2013. Find that man and hire him. Simple.
Cohen is not a reactionary man. This will not be a reactionary search. He will listen to people to whom he should listen, he will endeavor to land a candidate that Important People can at least live with (if not adore) and he will not go rogue. He has no reason to go rogue.
This is great news for Auburn.
Thank you for reading and thank you for subscribing to AuburnSports.com.
ADDENDUM: After publishing this, I was contacted by someone who said Auburn (unofficially) had contacted a Sanders representative. I then contacted someone I trust to ask about it. Contact has been established, though it's telling to me that there's so little chatter out there about Prime. Just keep that in the back of your mind.
John Cohen formally was introduced as athletic director this morning. During his Q-and-A with reporters, Cohen indicated something quite significant. He said Auburn would retain a search firm ... but not to generate a list of candidates. He said the firm instead would vet the candidates Auburn brings to the firm and provide other support functions.
This is significant.
My interpretation, which I bounced off a few People Who Know Things, is that Cohen already has an idea of what he wants to accomplish with this search. Which is to say: He has an idea of which coach(es) he will target during this search.
We need to get something out of the way before we progress deeper into this conversation:
Agents are more important now than they were 20 years ago when it comes to college coaching. They've always had ways to communicate with schools via back channels to gauge interest, but that conduit has become a primary method of communication these days. So much is hammered out behind the scenes before it's ever discussed with the head coach. This is not about the coaching lying. The coach, most of the time, doesn't want to lie about it; he genuinely doesn't want to know.
So let's take Lane Kiffin, for instance. The Ole Miss coach is represented by Jimmy Sexton out of Memphis. At this moment right now, Sexton has an idea what it would take to lure Kiffin away from Ole Miss. He knows that because they talked about it long before Auburn fired Bryan Harsin. They didn't have the conversation because of Auburn or any other program. No, they had the conversation because Sexton's full-time goal is to get Kiffin in the best possible professional position. We often think about agents bargaining for more money, and that's certainly an important part of the job, but Kiffin is different because he's already earned a lot of money. His professional interests go beyond money.
Kiffin doesn't have to talk with "Auburn." Sexton doesn't have to talk with "Auburn."
Instead, Kiffin coaches and Sexton holds conversations with folks representing Auburn. During those conversations, Sexton relays insights about what Kiffin wants. He probably mentions a general salary range. He probably mentions that a large percentage of any contract Kiffin signs will be guaranteed — especially if he's to take over at Auburn given the program's recent history of souring on coaches quickly. He probably talks about dominion or control or oversight or some similar concept of BEING LEFT ALONE TO COACH FOOTBALL.
The folks representing Auburn pass that information along. Auburn may or may not consider him as a candidate. (It will.)
That's where this program is right now. Cohen is developing a general idea of what it would take to acquire Kiffin and keep Kiffin.
Auburn also holds a similar dossier, if you will, regarding Hugh Freeze. He's also a Sexton client. Freeze will be less expensive to acquire and he will be less expensive to retain, though his most recent successes at Liberty may or may not portend similar successes at Auburn. That's a difficult question to answer. That's why Cohen makes $1.5 million per year.
*****
I have no reason to believe that Auburn has made any meaningful contact (officially or unofficially) with Oregon coach Dan Lanning's representatives.
At this time, things are focused almost wholly on Kiffin and Freeze — with Freeze, at least from my view, gaining some momentum with the Flames' win at Arkansas last weekend. If Kiffin's Rebels beat Alabama this weekend, I'm sure he'll re-gain any lost interest from this side.
We remain a LONG way from a decision. Cohen made that clear today. He's not in a hurry, nor should he be in a hurry. As he mentioned in his press conference today, Auburn is a terrific place to coach football and remains a highly visible, national brand. It just needs someone to remove the varnish and renew that luster we saw in 2010 and 2013. Find that man and hire him. Simple.
Cohen is not a reactionary man. This will not be a reactionary search. He will listen to people to whom he should listen, he will endeavor to land a candidate that Important People can at least live with (if not adore) and he will not go rogue. He has no reason to go rogue.
This is great news for Auburn.
Thank you for reading and thank you for subscribing to AuburnSports.com.
ADDENDUM: After publishing this, I was contacted by someone who said Auburn (unofficially) had contacted a Sanders representative. I then contacted someone I trust to ask about it. Contact has been established, though it's telling to me that there's so little chatter out there about Prime. Just keep that in the back of your mind.
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