Paul Finebaum evaluates Auburn's coaching search, calls for a conclusion

The coaching carousel is in full swing following a busy rivalry weekend that officially wrapped the 2022 college football season. But Auburn‘s coaching search continues after a wild week that saw Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin publicly respond to various reports about potential interest in the Auburn job, only to reportedly agree to an eight-year contract extension with the Rebels.

So when will the Tigers actually make some tangible headway in their search?

That was a question ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum openly pondered on the McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning program on Monday.

“I felt that Auburn would have blown this coaching search if they did not have a press conference scheduled for today,” Finebaum said. “Today was the last day you really had to take advantage of the amount of time that they had.”

To date, Auburn has not hired a coach, despite the job being open since just after the Arkansas game on Oct. 29.

“They fired (Bryan) Harsin a month ago today. And on top of that we’ve known for months, if not half of a year or more, that there would be a coaching change,” Finebaum explained. “I say a month from today, because that’s when we learned of (new athletics director) John Cohen (being hired). But the coaching search did not start with John Cohen arriving in Auburn. It started long before that.

“So I think you had to look at it and go, ‘Maybe press release on Sunday, once the Iron Bowl was clear. Press conference today and by tonight the new coach is out putting his staff together and trying to salvage a recruiting year.’ So every hour that ticks today I think is a big hour.”

Lane Kiffin appears out of mix in Auburn coaching search

Nothing is ever a done deal until ink hits paper, but it sure sounds like Lane Kiffin is happy with what he’s got going at Ole Miss right now.

Finebaum certainly seemed to think so.

“Back to Kiffin, Kiffin clearly got what he wanted out of Ole Miss,” the ESPN personality said. “I have no earthly idea how close it was, but I think it wouldn’t have gone as long as it did if it wasn’t close. And if Hugh Freeze was your backup, which everyone seems to think he was, then why haven’t we had an announcement yet? What’s going on there?

“I mean I don’t know. I know what I read on the Internet. I don’t know if it’s true or not. But at some point today we need to hear from Auburn.”

Stay tuned to the On3 Network and Auburn Live for the latest news and developments on Auburn’s coaching search.