Auburn AD John Cohen Provides Timeline for Head Coaching Search

The Auburn Tigers are determined to have their new head coach figured out in the near future

Auburn athletic director John Cohen knows the next hire has to be the right one | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Defensive coordinator DJ Durkin stepped into the role formerly occupied by Hugh Freeze ahead of the Vanderbilt game, and the Tigers seemed all the better for it. The offense produced at a level thus unseen in SEC play, though the defense uncharacteristically struggled, leading to Durkin’s first game at the helm resulting in a loss.

Since speculation has flown as to who will take the job. Auburn athletic director John Cohen detailed the Tigers’ process thus far in an interview with 247Sports. 

“We have probably had conversations with seven or eight sitting head coaches,” Cohen said. “We’ll get that number down. I would love to have a head coach within 24 hours after the Iron Bowl is over. Is that possible? I don’t know. The reason I don’t know that is because I don’t know how our candidates’ seasons are going to progress over the next three weeks.”

This is interesting for a number of reasons. For one, it confirms that the Tigers aren’t looking for anyone who’s not currently a coach, ruling out names like James Franklin and Jimbo Fisher. It also provides a specific timeline as to when the Tigers are looking to hire.

Since it’ll be so soon after the Iron Bowl, when playoffs have yet to take place, it’s also unlikely that Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin is realistically on the Tigers’ radar. Cohen provided his logic behind the quick hire in a later quote.

“Our players need to know who their leader is going to be,” Cohen said. “We need to know what the portal is going to look like. We need to have a nice early signing period for our high school players.”

Currently leading the charge in terms of odds for the position is Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, followed by South Florida head coach Alex Golesh and interim Auburn head coach DJ Durkin, all of whom fit Cohen’s criteria. 

Durkin will get at least two more games as the Tigers’ head coach, and he’ll look to make his case for the full-time role during the Tigers’ upcoming matchups with Mercer and Alabama. If he’s not able to produce, the Plains may be seeing a new face for the umpteenth time.