Opinion: No, Auburn should not hire former Texas head coach Tom Herman
The Auburn Tigers are looking for a new football coach after firing former Texas offensive coordinator Brian Harsin. Tom Herman is one name circulating, despite his failed culture and tenure at The University of Texas.
Despite Herman’s unimaginative offense, poor game management skills and immaturity, his name has been brought up as a possible replacement for Auburn. In my opinion, the move would be a terrible one for multiple reasons.
The last time we saw Tom Herman lead a team, he displayed unearned bravado, lack of humility and lack of introspection. On top of that, his antics indicated he lacks the maturity to coach at a championship level.
There are plenty of other worthy candidates that Auburn should target. Here are a few coaches they might consider.
Deion Sanders
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Sanders is arguably the greatest cornerback of all time. He’s proven to be a great recruiter and winner at Jackson State so far. At the now famous HBCU program, Sanders hauled in the top recruit in the nation. His team is 8-0 this season. The move to hire Sanders seems like a no-brainer.
Lane Kiffin
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Kiffin probably doesn’t want Auburn, but Auburn should definitely want Kiffin.
Matt Rhule
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Rhule proved to be an elite program builder at Baylor. The only question is, can Auburn give him enough time to develop his team?
Jeff Grimes
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The Baylor offensive coordinator has resurrected the Bears’ offense. His experience at Auburn and LSU could allow him to succeed as a head coach in the SEC.
Chip Kelly
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Don’t look now, but Chip Kelly has UCLA ranked in the Top 10. It’s clear Auburn cares more about football than UCLA. If they want to hire Kelly, they should have the money to make it happen.
Mark Stoops
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Stoops has made Kentucky into a formidable SEC squad. With Auburn’s resources, he could experience a higher ceiling as the Tigers’ head coach.
Luke Fickell
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If Fickell can take Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff, he can probably elevate the Tigers, too.
James Franklin
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Franklin put on a show in front of the Auburn faithful this season. The Tigers might make an attempt to hire the successful head coach.
Garrett Riley
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If the Tigers are looking for a difference-making hire, they may have one in Garrett Riley. Lincoln Riley’s brother has TCU competing for the College Football Playoff in his first season as offensive coordinator in Fort Worth. Auburn could stand to improve offensively.
