Former Auburn Head Coach Gus Malzahn Earns Prestigious Honor with New Role

Less than two months after announcing his retirement from coaching, former Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn has found his next calling, having been selected to join the College Football Playoff Committee.

He will join Bryan Maggard, the athletic director for Louisiana, and Jeff Tedford, a former head coach at California.

"The additions of Bryan Maggard, Gus Malzahn and Jeff Tedford will introduce strong, fresh perspectives to the selection committee as we enter our 13th season," CFP executive director Rich Clark said. "Each brings a deep understanding of the game, a genuine passion for college football and a commitment to integrity and excellence.

“Their diverse backgrounds as university leaders, recent coaches and former student-athletes will complement our returning members and allow for a seamless transition."

NEW: Gus Malzahn has been appointed as a new member of the College Football Playoff selection committee🏆https://t.co/hCicbkrijH pic.twitter.com/18bws1Hiip
— On3 (@On3) March 30, 2026

Malzahn is, by pure record standards, the last “winning” coach Auburn has had, as the two since he left – Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze – struggled to find consistency in their respective tenures. He first joined the program in 2009 as the offensive coordinator under Gene Chizik, eventually being a part of the effort that earned the Tigers a BCS National Championship in 2010.

After an 8-5 2011 season with the Tigers, Malzahn took a new role at Arkansas State in 2012, but it was a quite short-lived stint, as Auburn fell off dramatically under Chizik and was in need of a new head coach.

Malzahn stepped into the role in 2013, one of the most legendary years in Auburn football history, as the “Prayer in Jordan-Hare” win against Georgia and the infamous “Kick Six” against Alabama took place on the Tigers’ way to a 12-2 record and a national championship loss to Florida State.

Malzahn continued to lead the Tigers until 2020, when he was fired after a 9-4 season. Since then, the Tigers have been through two coaches and are onto a third in Alex Golesh, who is looking to have a similar turnaround season to Malzahn’s in 2013. Malzahn, meanwhile, went on to be UCF’s head coach from 2021-24 and Florida State’s offensive coordinator in 2025.

Though the coaching chapter of Malzahn’s life has closed, likely for good, he will still continue to have an impact on the game as a new member of the College Football Playoff Committee. Auburn fans can only hope he will be generous to his former program if Golesh can take the Tigers into playoff contention.

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