It wasn’t a fun Saturday for Gus Malzahn.
First, Auburn lost 28-7 to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game, to kill the Tigers’ College Football Playoff hopes.
And after the game, Malzahn had to answer questions about him potentially taking the Arkansas head coaching position. The Razorbacks fired Bret Bielema last weekend, and Malzahn has been viewed as their top target. Malzahn played at Arkansas from 1984-85, was the offensive coordinator at Arkansas in 2006, and is a high school coaching legend in the state. So, even though Malzahn is already coaching a powerhouse in the SEC, it’s easy to see how the Arkansas job could greatly interest him.
Well, Malzahn was asked about the Arkansas job, and told the media, “I’m the head coach at Auburn. I want to be the head coach at Auburn.”
Here’s more, from ESPN’s Ryan McGee:
But having just wrapped up his fifth regular season at the helm in Auburn, Malzahn told ESPN he would prefer to stay on The Plains.
“We have worked very hard to create something here. We have a great foundation for the future. I’m the head coach at Auburn and I’m looking forward to seeing where this can go, what we’ve built, in the future. I want to see that through, personally.”
When asked if that meant he would be the head coach for that future, he replied, “I certainly want to be.”
Malzahn — in his fifth year with Auburn — has led the Tigers to a 10-3 record this season, and they entered Saturday No. 2 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
[ESPN]
