ESPN’s Paul Finebaum identified a frontrunner for Auburn’s coaching search during Sunday’s appearance on the Matt Barrie Show.
The analyst pointed to Jon Sumrall as the betting favorite to land the Tigers’ head coaching position.
“The betting favorite at Auburn is Jon Sumrall,” Finebaum said during the ESPN program.
Sumrall’s Tulane team defeated Memphis on Friday night, continuing what’s been a strong season for the Green Wave coach. The Alabama native brings SEC familiarity after playing at Kentucky and later coaching linebackers for the Wildcats.
His coaching resume includes successful head-coaching stints at Troy before taking over Tulane’s program.
Finebaum endorsed the potential hire while discussing Auburn’s coaching search. The ESPN personality believes Tiger fans would welcome Sumrall’s appointment.
“It’s not the hire that wows America, but if that ends up being the case, and we’re speculating, I think almost every Auburn fan that I’ve talked to would be thrilled,” he said. “That job is so much better than I think it’s being given credit for.”
Auburn’s offense has struggled for consistency in recent seasons. The Tigers haven’t found reliable scoring production under their current system.
Sumrall would bring a different offensive approach to The Plains.
Finebaum suggested Sumrall represents the type of disciplined leadership Auburn needs after its previous two coaching hires. The analyst believes he’d bring a fresh perspective to the program.
Auburn’s coaching search continues as the regular season winds down. The Tigers are looking for their next head coach after parting ways with their previous staff.
