Earlier this week, Brandon Marcello, who works tirelessly to cover Auburn football for 247, went vocal stating that regardless of the nearly $40 million buyout that would be due, Auburn was strongly considering cutting bait on the Gus Malzahn project.
"I'm not ruling out a change at the end of the season even though he (Malzahn) has a contract that has at least 38 million dollars in buyout money…from what I've been told, there's not much concern there when it comes to the money" – @bmarcello pic.twitter.com/jjhYUemqxz
— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) October 16, 2018
This morning, Jason Kirk (the college football editor at SB Nation) followed Marcello’s report up with: “Gus Malzahn really might be coaching for his job, big buyout and all.”
Gus Malzahn's humongous buyout will not necessarily protect his job. There could be a lot at stake against Ole Miss on Saturdayhttps://t.co/G61YhG8sea
— Jason Kirk (@JasonKirkSBN) October 18, 2018
In his article, Kirk says he is told, “If Auburn loses to Ole Miss on Saturday, Malzahn might lose his job during the following bye week.” Kirk adds, with less emphasis, “That’d be the extreme outcome.”
Yes, yes it would be extreme.
For Auburn to pony up nearly $40 million to send Gus into retirement and then to come up with, oh let’s say at least $10 million in additional money to send the rest of the staff home and bring in suitable replacements….we’re talking about a University spending $50 million just to change football coaches.
THAT. IS. ABSURD.
Certainly there are plenty of folks in the profession and at Auburn I could call to inquire about this but when we’re talking about $50 million, I just can’t even imagine asking about this with a straight face. I can’t foresee any scenario in which this actually happens; but if it does, God bless you SEC, we would need no further proof that #ItJustMeansMore.
