Report: Extension given to Tuberville
Posted on Wednesday, November 28, 2007
FAYETTEVILLE — Auburn Coach Tommy Tuberville’s name is being mentioned in regards to Arkansas’ vacant head coaching position, sources close to the search said Tuesday.
Tuberville, 53, did not have any comment Tuesday after a day-long meeting with Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs, but The Birmingham (Ala. ) News reported that Tuberville and the university agreed in principal on a seven-year extension. The meeting came on the heels of Tuberville’s Monday talks with Jacobs and Auburn President Jay Gogue that were considered routine year-end discussions.
Jacobs and Tuberville are expected to continue meeting today.
Arkansas is searching to replace Houston Nutt, who resigned Monday with a hefty guarantee in the range of $ 3. 65 million in deferred payments, and took the Ole Miss job Tuesday.
Incoming Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long, who is heading the coaching search, did not respond to requests for interviews Tuesday.
If Arkansas has targeted Tuberville, who is from Camden, it will have to present a substantial offer. If he did not receive an extension, Tuberville is working on the third year of a seven-year contract that will average $ 3. 1 million per year over the next four seasons.
There is also the issue of Tuberville’s buyout, a two-way agreement between Tuberville and Auburn that is worth $ 6 million. Jacobs recently called that agreement “ironclad.” However, there were indications last week that Auburn officials, under the right circumstances, might be willing to negotiate that point, a source close to the situation said.
Tuberville, a graduate of Southern Arkansas, was on the verge of landing the Arkansas job 10 years ago before Nutt accepted the position. Tuberville has a 79-33 record in nine seasons at Auburn, and has led the Tigers to two outright SEC West titles and three more division cochampionships.
Tuberville’s 2004 team went 13-0 but was left out of the Bowl Championship Series championship game.
His career record is 104-53 in 13 seasons, including a 25-20 record in four years at Ole Miss.
One big-name candidate who appears to be out of the equation is North Carolina Coach Butch Davis, who is from Springdale.
A message left on Davis ’ phone by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette yielded a return call from Kevin Best, director of football communications at North Carolina.
Best said Davis was on the road recruiting and wanted to pass along the word that he had not had any contact with University of Arkansas officials, he did not use his Arkansas roots as leverage for his recent raise and one-year extension, and that he felt living in Chapel Hill, N. C. was the best fit for his family.
“He said he was sorry to see Houston Nutt go and that his focus is all on North Carolina,” Best said.
Other potential candidates for the Arkansas opening could include Oakland Raiders Coach Lane Kiffin, Wake Forest Coach Jim Grobe, Navy Coach Paul Johnson, Boise State Coach Chris Peterson, Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach, Oklahoma defensive coordinator Brent Venables, LSU coordinators Gary Crowton and Bo Pelini and Tulsa co-offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn.
In the meantime, Arkansas defensive coordinator Reggie Herring will meet with the media today for the first time since the Razorbacks returned from their 50-48 triple-overtime victory at LSU on Friday.
Herring met with the Arkansas coaching staff Tuesday.
“He did great,” offensive line coach Mike Markuson said. “Reggie is a very experienced coach. He handled it perfectly. He’ll do a great job. There won’t be any problems.”
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