5 Potential Head Coach Candidates For the Auburn Tigers

The Auburn Tigers have decided to fire head coach Hugh Freeze after a 10-3 loss to Kentucky. Auburn was 4-5 so far this season. Here are five potential head coach candidates for the Auburn Tigers.

1. Jon Sumrall

Sumrall is in line to get a power conference job, it is just a matter of when. He is currently the head coach at Tulane, where he had a 9-5 record last season and has a 7-2 start to this season with a path to making the American Conference Championship. Summrall was the head coach at Troy for two years before that and posted a 23-4 record. He played linebacker at Kentucky and was an assistant at several stops: Kentucky, San Diego, Tulane, Troy and Ole Miss.

While he has only been at two stops as a head coach, Sumrall has done very well in limited amounts of time. He could help Auburn turn things around quickly, as that is what he has done at his other stops. Sumrall seems to fit in well in the southern part of the country, where he has recruiting ties. With other teams going after big names, Auburn can get a good coach who has done well at the group of five level. 

2. Eli Drinkwitz

Drinkwitz has had a good run as the coach at Missouri. He has a 44-26 record at the school, which is impressive given where the program started when he took over and the tough schedule in the SEC. He has two straight double-digit win seasons and a third one could be on the way, as the Tigers sit at 6-2 on the season right now. Before coaching at Missouri, Drinkwitz went 12-1 in one season as head coach of Appalachian State. He was an assistant at NC State, Boise State, Arkansas State and Auburn.

Auburn could be enticed by what Drinkwitz has done at Missouri, especially because they have don’t have the resources Auburn does. He could be interested in the job because of the recruiting base and NIL money he could utilize. Getting him away from Missouri will cost money, but Auburn can afford Drinkwitz and he could be a good fit.  

3. Alex Golesh

Golesh has already defeated SEC teams with his USF squad, as they were victorious over Florida earlier this season. This is his third season on the job with the Bulls. He started off with two seven-win seasons, which were impressive given that the Bulls won just one game the season before he arrived. Golesh is 6-2 this season and could lead his team to a conference championship and maybe more. He has been an assistant at Ohio State, Northern Illinois, Oklahoma State, Toledo, Illinois, Iowa State, UCF and Tennessee.

Golesh is known for his offensive mind and could work with some of the talented players on Auburn’s roster if they are able to stay. He has done well with his own quarterback, Byrum Brown, when Brown is healthy, and his offense can be successful in the SEC, which was shown when he was the offensive coordinator at Tennessee. Golesh is another good coach who isn’t in a power conference, but would be a good fit.

4. Brent Key

Key is in the midst of a great season with Georgia Tech, as they sit at 8-1. He has turned around the program, as he went 4-4 when he took over as the interim coach and now has a 26-16 record overall. The Georgia Tech job is his first experience as a head coach, but he spent time as an assistant at Georgia Tech, Alabama, UCF and Western Carolina. 

The turnaround at Georgia Tech has been great and his team plays a physical brand of football. He will have to be enticed to leave his alma mater, but the pay upgrade and increase in resources at Auburn could encourage him to move. Key will likely be considered for other big time coaching jobs, but will likely only leave his alma mater for the right fit. 

5. Glen Schumann

Schumann is the current defensive coordinator for Georgia. While the Georgia defense has had their issues this season, Schumann has helped them improve and aided the team in only having one loss this season. He has worked as an assistant at Alabama and Georgia, as a coach that is very familiar with the SEC. 

Auburn would be hiring someone familiar with the state from his time at Alabama. If they can’t lure a current head coach, Schumann is a coordinator who could develop inot a good head coach. He can improve the defense while the school hires a good offensive coordinator to aid him at the start. 

Make sure to check out our college football page for more content like 5 Potential Head Coach Candidates for the Auburn Tigers!

You can like The Game Haus on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for more sports and esports articles from great TGH writers!