Auburn finished a perfect (winless in the SEC) season in the SEC this year which led to the ousting of semi-long term coach Terri Williams (who is also rumored to be a candidate George Mason – which I think she would do really well). Auburn does return a strong young core of players and could be a quick rebuild in a tough SEC. The vacancy at Auburn also opens up one of the top power 5 assistants in the country in Clarisse Garcia who will be an immediate impact to any school who picks her upse recruiting practices. Because of the disaster with football at Auburn you wonder if the funds will be available to pay top dollar to a new coach but what I am hearing mostly is Power 5 assistants. If I was the AD at Auburn here is who would be on my short list for the Auburn job.
Sam Purcell – Assistant Louisville – Purcell is married to the daughter of former head coach Joe Champi and came up through the Auburn program as a student manager before moving on to Georgia Tech and now Louisville. One of the best recruiters in the country would be the natural pick for the position at Auburn this off season.
Johnnie Harris – Assistant Texas – Turned down a highly paying job a year ago at Mississippi State to follow Vic Schaefer to Texas. Harris’s name has come up multiple places when I have inquired about Auburn. Obviously a experienced assistant who’s won at the highest levels of the SEC and knows the model to rebuilt an SEC program.
Chanda Rigsby – Head Coach Troy – The best close mid major head coach Rigsby has dominated the Sunbelt since leaving Pensacola State where she was a national level coach in junior college. Rigbsy’s style would fit in well to the SEC and can recruit the south very well.
Erin Bath – Assistant Coach at NC State – NC State is one of the hottest programs in the country dwarfing what is going on at the other Carolina programs. Bath is a long standing assistant who’s gone from that good to great job NC State has made. Bath is a good recruiter who has been part of several successful programs.
Rumors have Simon Harris Assistant at Ohio State will be the next coach at East Tennessee State. East Tennessee State has several conference championships in the last decade and still could be one of the best teams in the Southern Conference after transitioning over from the Atlantic Sun. Harris is a former player at NC State and assistant at NC State so he is familiar with that eastern end of Tennessee. Hire Grade: A
Brittany Young new head coach at Austin Peay. Of course the best saying in all of sports “Lets go Peay”. Young is a former assistant at Daytona State, Stetson, Old Dominion, and Mississippi State. One of the better recruiters around young will lead another Tennessee program which is looking to get back into the winning ways in the state of Tennessee. Young is well connected in the South and should do well in her new position. Hire Grade: A
