Jay Jacobs: Gus Malzahn 'wants to stay

[aubiefifty 16,753]

Auburn Football

Jay Jacobs: Gus Malzahn 'wants to stay' at Auburn

Updated 7:47 PM; Posted 7:42 PM

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs talks with head coach Gus Malzahn before the LSU game Saturday, Oct. 14, 2017, at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

By James Crepea

jcrepea@al.com

Gus Malzahn has indicated to Jay Jacobs that he's "perfectly happy" at Auburn and "wants to stay" on the Plains.

Auburn's outgoing athletic director addressed the ongoing rumors surrounding Malzahn and the open head coaching position at Arkansas following the Iron Bowl, which the Tigers won over Alabama 26-14.

"Gus and I, we haven't spoken about a new contract," Jacobs said. "We spoke about his future here and he's very happy here and I expect him to be here for quite some time. ... Gus and I will talk about (a new contract), but the way Gus is, he doesn't like to talk about things until everything is over.

"He'll be completely focused on playing Georgia again. When Gus is ready to talk about it, we'll talk about it. He knows; I've already mentioned it to him. He said he's perfectly happy here at Auburn and wants to stay here. We'll see how things go, it's a competitive business we're in and in order to stay in this business you got to be competitive. So we'll just see how it all unfolds."

Jacobs said he has not heard from Malzahn's agents, Jimmy Sexton and Rick Landrum, or heard from Auburn president Steven Leath regarding a new contract  for the fifth-year Tigers coach.

Earlier this week, Leath said if a contract extension or renegotiation has to happen with Malzahn before Auburn hires a new athletic director, both he and Jacobs will be involved in the decision-making process.

Malzahn would not address rumors connecting him to the Arkansas job,

"Let me just tell ya, we just won the SEC West and we're fixing to play for the SEC Championship," Malzahn said. "I don't get into rumors."

Auburn (10-2, 7-1 SEC) defeated then-No. 1 Georgia two weeks ago and No. 1 Alabama in order to advance to the SEC Championship and face the Bulldogs again for a spot in the College Football Playoff.

"That's who we recruit against," Malzahn said. "That's big and it's not just big now, it's big for the future. You can see kind of where we're at now. We're starting to get depth and we're starting to have quality depth and talent and we got a real chance for a long time. ... 2013 was obviously a huge win for our program and where we were at and all that, but this is different.

"We're a little more stable right now. I like where we're at. I like our staff. I like our players. We'll have most of our guys back next year."

When Auburn last appeared in the SEC Championship in 2013, Malzahn and Jacobs negotiated a contract extension two days before the game.

Jacobs would not rule out the possibility of doing so again but felt Malzahn would want to wait until at least after next week's game.

"Gus is a man of his word," Jacobs said. "He told me a week or so ago that he's got the best chance to win championships here at Auburn and that's all he's thinking about. We'll just see how it all unfolds. Like I say, you wake up a week from tomorrow and you don't know. We will be a position do what's best for Auburn, as we always are.

Malzahn is signed at Auburn through 2020, but if he were to leave for another job he would owe Auburn the sum of any payments owed to the assistant coaches who either don't follow him to a new employer or are not retained by the new coaching staff.

James Crepea is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @JamesCrepea.

[doc4aday 1,887]

Long may Gus stay at Auburn. He has won me back on the Gus bus. After the Lsu game, I was really ticked off and ready to find a new coach. I am a man of my word and I can say that Gus has proven to me and many others that he is capable of evolving and becoming an elite coach in the SEC and nation.

Regardless of the outcome of the SEC championship next week, Gus has proven to me he is the coach for Auburn for the future and his best coaching days at Auburn are yet to come.  I do feel that we have an excellent chance of beating the mutts and moving on to the playoffs.

Let the pigs go elsewhere to find their coach in that there are some nice young up and coming coaches to choose from. Arkansas will never be a top 4 or 5 SEC team on any consistent basis. 7 & 8 win seasons to Arkansas are much like 9, 10, and 11 win seasons for us. Gus could never be in a position to win championships at Arkansas like he has at Auburn. Stay the course Gus and lets win some championships over the next several years!

[Farmer Brown 2,391]

As much as I was disappointed in the LSU breakdown, Gus has had us in the NC picture three times. Auburn could not find a better coach. I will support him fully, not that it matters.

[Mikey 16,575]

Coaches want to win games and compete for championships. Auburn is a better place to do that than is Arkansas. No AU football coach would entertain the idea of going to Arkansas. The concept is foolish and was nothing but bammer blather when they were trying to distract us from the Iron Bowl. It didn't work.

[tigerfangs 269]

1 hour ago, Mikey said:

Coaches want to win games and compete for championships. Auburn is a better place to do that than is Arkansas. No AU football coach would entertain the idea of going to Arkansas. The concept is foolish and was nothing but bammer blather when they were trying to distract us from the Iron Bowl. It didn't work.

Well said!                                      "Dilly Dilly!"

[thewhiz7 273]

7 minutes ago, tigerfangs said:

Well said!                                      "Dilly Dilly!"

Dilly Dilly!

[corchjay 5,311]

Creepy-ah...  keep that Arkansas rumor going.  As I said before if Gus stays awesome.  If he goes awesome.

not something I’m worrying about at all.  We may not have the history of some other programs over the past 100 years but the past 30 there are a very few that have been better.  So I expect it to stay that way for 30 more.  

But in the end Gus deserves a raise and his assistants

[jAUSon 2,836]

I'm in. 

[Tiger 8,818]

Interesting how this article flies in the face of the report that Gus and JJ aren't on speaking terms lol

 

I hope Gus stays after seeing what kind of wild crap is going on in the coaching-search world I'm not trying to be part of that.

Yup, I was railing on him hard, especially after LSU, but you can't argue with being in the hunt in December 2 times in 4 years. That's very impressive and deserves to be applauded. Major props to Gus for evolving I hope he continues on this track!!!!

[doverstutts 1,643]

If the post-LSU coach is the one that is going to run the program, then ( damn, i can't believe that i am typing this) up his salary to around 6-7 million, a self- renewing 5 year contract loaded with incentives, raises for his assistants( not small ones either) that are loaded with incentives for them....a NEGOTIABLE buyout large enough to protect both parties, but can be negotiated down due to poor job performance....FULL CONTROL OF THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM!!!!!!!

still can't believe that i said that, but i did

[tbone1430 1,346]

It's hard to argue with beating two number 1's and not paying Gus. I'd probably up his pay to around 5.5 mil with incentives but have a reasonable buy out for both parties and give raises across the board to assistants. Probably give him a 4 year extension. Can't see him going to Arky though hopefully. 

[alexava 6,973]

I’m as big of a Gus fan as we have. I just don’t see a need to start throwing more money at him now. He’s happy we’re happy, let this all play out. After the whole thing is over reassess. 

[Linayus 676]

The new Gus, I'm super happy with. If we can avoid debacles like the LSU game (or Clemson last season) - he can stay as long as he wants (and we keep winning consistently against our rivals).

[ausburn 159]

Auburn: The school has appointed a six-person advisory committee to begin their search for a new AD chaired by former football player Gaines Lanier. Other members include pro golfer Jason Dufner, former football player Quentin Riggins, former Gymnast Adrienne “AJ” Lee, and finance professor Beverly Marshall, per the AP.

[around4ever 4,139]

On November 26, 2017 at 12:33 AM, thewhiz7 said:

Dilly Dilly!

Pigs and elephants to the Pit of Misery!!  Dilly Dilly!!

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I'm still upset with the way Gus lost 27-23 that LSU game after being ahead 20-0. He can't give a good reason why you blow a 20 point lead.

[jared52 4,354]

6 minutes ago, auburn4ever said:

I'm still upset with the way Gus lost 27-23 that LSU game after being ahead 20-0. He can't give a good reason why you blow a 20 point lead.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

I expect Gus to get a raise and a contract extension to keep him at AU, and I would not be surprised if it was a lot of money and they did it before the game this weekend. I know some people will be upset at this but it will probably happen and soon.