Tuberville, Auburn Part Ways

Tommy Tuberville stepped down as head football coach at Auburn on Wednesday after 10 seasons on the sideline at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers completed a 5-7 season last week after a blowout 36-0 loss to rival and top-ranked Alabama, a team Tuberville beat seven out of ten tries in his career. Tuberville compiled an 85-40 record with the Tigers, including a perfect 2004 season when they went 13-0 but finished second in the country. I don't think there's any doubt that athletic director Jay Jacobs started nudging Tuberville out the door immediately after the loss to Alabama. Heck, he probably even wanted him to follow his poor spread offense guru out the door in mid-October. This is the same school--depite being under a different president and athletic director--that tried to hire Bobby Petrino away from Louisville in the middle of the night five years ago, only for Tuberville to record an undefeated season the next year. Tuberville hasn't forgotten how to coach. Rather, a new sheriff is in town in the state of Alabama, and he's residing in Tuscaloosa, which made the Auburn administration a little uncomfortable. Another Tommy coaching at Clemson? I would venture to say that he'd be on the short list.