aubiefifty

it has also been rumored steven pearl will replace his pops when bruce retires. i have heard it mentioned but i have no idea if it is true or not.

i think he is hiring coaches that understand his vision and understand exactly what he wants.

Instant Impressions: Auburn 72, Georgia State 64 Nathan King 4–5 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — The Tigers walked away Wednesday with a win, but their offense still isn’t where Bruce Pearl wanted it to be after their last nonconference home game of the season. Auburn found an offensive groove down the stretch but still allowed Georgia State to hang around in a game, ultimately winning 72-64, after being better than a 20-point favorite. Here are Auburn Undercover’s immediate takeaways. Ineffective first-half offense Pearl and his players said this week their energy wasn’t where it needed to be in their first loss of the season against Memphis, and Pearl also noted Tuesday’s practice wasn’t up to their standards, either. And Auburn certainly appeared sluggish out of the gates Wednesday. The Tigers missed 11 of their first 12 shots of the game and didn’t make their second basket until the 12:25 mark of the first half. With K.D. Johnson unavailable due to a coach’s decision, Pearl said on the pregame radio broadcast, Auburn had to deploy some unorthodox lineups, including a stretch of more than 5 minutes with Tre Donaldson, Lior Berman, Allen Flanigan, Yohan Traore and Dylan Cardwell. Georgia State grabbed its first lead, 26-24 with 2:07 remaining in the first half, with that lineup on the floor. Adding to an unsightly first half shooting the ball (7-of-22 from the floor), Auburn had five turnovers in a 3-minute stretch before halftime, allowing Georgia State to go up as many as 6 points, 31-25. Close to a career game for Williams As he’s done so many times in his Auburn career, senior forward Jaylin Williams seemed capable of pulling the Tigers out of a slump whenever they needed it. Georgia State grabbed its largest lead of the game, 36-30 a few minutes into the second half, then Williams nailed his second 3-ball of the game to swing some momentum back Auburn’s way. That led to a 10-2 run — including 5 points from Williams, an offensive board from Cardwell and an and-one finish from Wendell Green Jr. — to give Auburn its first lead, 40-38, since the 3:32 mark of the first half, and force Georgia State coach Jonas Hayes into a timeout. Williams’ 20 points are his most in a game since he had 21 in February 2021 against Georgia his sophomore year. Green Jr. got into a good rhythm in the second half and dropped 17 points, including his 1,000th career point. He had to leave the game with less than a minute left, needing assistance to get off the court, and limping on his right foot. Center Johni Broome quietly got into double figures (13 points) for the fourth straight game. Script flipped in second half Auburn shot a whopping 66.7 percent in the second half — its highest-scoring half of the season — and 32 of its 44 points came in the paint. The Tigers finished the game making 13 of their last 16 shots. Georgia State threatened a late run and got within as few as 6 points in the final minutes, but a steal by Donaldson and a breakaway dunk from Allen Flanigan helped the Tigers seal the deal. A season-high 11 blocked shots, led by four from Broome, helped keep the Panthers at bay down the stretch. Pearl might have his backup point guard With former top-5o overall recruit Chance Westry still struggling as he returns from a knee injury, Pearl looked to his next option as the backup point guard to Green Jr. Donaldson, a 3-star true freshman, hadn’t logged double-digit minutes in four games and hadn’t scored since the third game of the season. He notched a career-high 6 points, including a driving basket through contact, then a 3-pointer two possessions later during a 9-0 run for Auburn in the second half. He's still a freshman, though, and made some rookie mistakes. Twice in the second half Donaldson fouled a 3-point shooter, but he made up for it with a team-high three steals. 4COMMENTS With Auburn down Johnson in its backcourt rotation, Donaldson's 18 minutes were five more than his previous season high. Auburn Undercover will update this story. Check back for additional information. ">247Sports

Rewinding No. 18 Auburn’s 72-64 win against Georgia State Updated: Dec. 14, 2022, 9:19 p.m.|Published: Dec. 14, 2022, 7:02 p.m. 5–6 minutes Auburn defeated Georgia State on Wednesday at Neville Arena with a 72-64 final score. Jaylin Williams led the Tigers with 20 points, with 13 of the points coming in the second half. The 13 points by Williams helped Auburn overcome a 31-28 halftime deficit. Wendell Green had 17 points on 11-15 from the free throw line. K.D. Johnson wasn’t available for the game because of a coaching decision, according to Bruce Pearl. Green left the game less than 30 seconds left with what appeared to be a foot injury. Auburn (9-1) travels to West Coast for a game against Southern Cal on Sunday at the Galen Center. Here’s the highlights from the game. 2nd Half Auburn 72 Georgia State 64 final Auburn 69 Georgia State 63 42.6 seconds 2nd Half Allen Flanigan’s dunk puts Auburn up by eight points. Green missed both free throws and Tucker scored a layup with less than a minute left. Still a two-possession game. Auburn 63 Georgia State 54 3:25 2nd Half Broome scores his ninth point on a two-handed dunk with less than four minutes left. Jaylin Williams leads the Tigers with 20 points. Wendell Green has 17 points with 11 of the points coming off 11-18 free throw shooting. Auburn 57 Georgia State 48 6:51 2nd Half Green goes 1-2 from the line after getting fouled in the paint. Auburn 52 Georgia State 44 9:34 2nd Half Auburn goes up by 10 on a Donaldson three-pointer. Evan Johnson got fouled by Donaldson on a three-point attempt and made three free throws. Broom went 1/2 on free throws after getting fouled on a layup attempt. Auburn 46 Georgia State 41 11:12 2nd Half Tre Donaldson hit a layup at the bucket to put Auburn ahead by five. Donaldson got the ball off a Dylan Cardwell blocked shot. Cardwell also made a layup on the previous possession at the 11:45 mark. Auburn 42 Georgia State 38 13:02 2nd Half Green is 10-11 from the free throw after hitting two more to give Auburn a four-point lead. Auburn 40 Georgia State 38 13:18 2nd Half Wendell Green gets fouled on a layup and makes the shot. He finished the three-point with a free throw to give Auburn a two-point lead. Auburn 35 Georgia State 36 15:23 2nd Half Allen Flanigan got called for a tech and Odom made 1-2 free throws. Hudson ‘s layup gives the Panthers a six point lead. Williams hit a three to pull Auburn back within three points and Auburn forced a 30 second shot clockviolation on the ensuing possession. Broome hit a layup with 15:47 left in the game 1st Half Auburn 28 Georgia State 31 end of 1st Half Green hit a layup at the 25-second mark to stop a 3:46-minute skid where Auburn didn’t score a field goal while Georgia State increased its lead. Auburn is shooting 7-22 from the field. Auburn 25 Georgia State 26 1:31 1st Half Kalik Brooks leads all scorers with eight points and is 3-3 from the field, with Georgia State taking a one-point lead. Auburn 19 Georgia State 16 5:51 1st Half Auburn is 8-8 from the free throw line, 5-19 from the field, and 1-6 from three. Auburn 15 Georgia State 10 8:52 1st Half Williams hits two free throws, and Auburn is up by five points. Auburn 13 Georgia State 10 9:27 1st Half Jaylin Williams hits a corner three to give Auburn an 11-8 lead. The Tigers are 1-5 from three after the shot by Williams. Moore hit a layup, and Auburn takes a 13-10 lead. Auburn 8 Georgia State 8 11:10 1st Half Auburn is shooting 2-14 from the field and 0-4 from three. Georgia State is 4-12 and 0-3 from three. Wendell Green leads Auburn with 4 points, all from free throws. Auburn 6 Georgia State 4 15:53 1st Half Auburn is shooting 1-4 and 0-1 from three. Georgia State is 2-6 from the field and 0-2 from behind the three-point line. Wendell Green hit both free throws at the 15:54 mark to give Auburn a 6-4 lead. Auburn 4 Georgia State 2 16:40 1st Half Wendell Green cashed in two free throws with 16:40 left, ending a scoreless drought of nearly three minutes. Odom scored on a layup to put the Panthers on the scoreboard at the 16:48 ark. Auburn 2 Georgia State 0 18:14 Broome scores the first bucket of the game at the 19:01 mark. Broome also got honored during the pre-game festivities for scoring his 1000th career point a week ago. Pregame Welcome to Neville Arena on a cold, rainy Tuesday night for No.18 Auburn’s (8-1) home game against Georgia State. Bruce Pearl hopes to get Auburn back on the winning track after Saturday’s loss against Memphis in Atlanta at State Farm Arena. Wendell Green, Zep Jasper, Jaylin Williams, Chris Moore, and Johni Broome are the starters for Pearl’s squad against the Panthers. Dwon Odom, Brenden Tucker, Ja’ Heim Hudson, Kalik Brooks, and Edward Nnamoko will start for the Panthers at Neville Arena. We’ll have live updates and post-game coverage. Follow along here at Al.Com If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

K.D. Johnson is unavailable for Georgia State game Updated: Dec. 14, 2022, 7:46 p.m.|Published: Dec. 14, 2022, 7:46 p.m. 1–2 minutes Bruce Pearl instructs guard K.D. Johnson during the first day of Auburn basketball practice, Monday, Sept. 26, 2022, at Neville Arena. (Zach Bland/Auburn Athletics) By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said point guard K.D. Johnson wouldn’t in Wednesday’s game at Neville Arena against Georgia State. “I’m not playing K.D. tonight. Just sort of a coach’s decision.” Pearl said during the pregame show on the Auburn Radio Network. “It’s something internal. I would anticipate that it would be one game, and then we will get him back.” Johnson is at the game and sitting on the Auburn bench wearing a t-shirt and basketball shorts. He’s typically one of the first players off the bench and usually spells starting point Wendell Green. The Georgia transfer is averaging 10.9 points per game with 1.8 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 1.1 steals in eight games this season for Auburn. Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

Observations from No. 18 Auburn’s 72-64 win vs. Georgia State Published: Dec. 14, 2022, 10:56 p.m. 5–6 minutes Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl didn’t mask his displeasure with his team’s effort when speaking to reporters after Wednesday’s 72-64 win against Georgia State. “Little disappointed with our play in the first half,” Pearl said. “We opened up the game 2-of-14 from the field. I thought we got good looks. But there’s got to be more accountability with our players for their play. There just does.” Jaylin Williams led Auburn with 20 points and scored 13 in the second half. Wendell Green had 17 points on 11-15 shooting from the free-throw line. He went over the 1,000-point mark for his career during the Tiger win. One of the issues Pearl was dismayed about was Green leaving the game with a little under 40 seconds with an apparent injury to his right ankle. Green joined Johni Broome as Tigers’ to go over 1,000 points this season. Broome finished the night with 13 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks. “Yeah, Wendell turned his ankle,” Pearl said. “He’ll be evaluated. Probably will be out a couple of days.” Auburn won after trailing 31-28 at halftime while shooting 31.8% percent (7-22) and 16.7% from three on 1-6 attempts. Here are a few observations from the win. Bruce Pearl elected not to play backup guard K.D. Johnson. Pearl didn’t elaborate on why he chose to sit Johnson, who averages nearly 11 points per game. Johnson’s absence was noticeable. “K.D.’s speed, quickness, and athleticism obviously would help,” Pearl said. “K.D.’s one of our best players. Obviously, he makes a difference for us.” Johnson had played 43 consecutive games for Auburn before missing Wednesday’s game. He sat on the Tiger bench during the match, and Pearl expects Johnson back for Sunday’s game against USC in Los Angeles at the Galen Center. -- Freshman guard Tre Donaldson saw extended minutes in Johnson’s absence. Donaldson had six points, three assists, and three steals in under 19 minutes. “The coaches have just been telling me stay right and ready,” Donaldson said. “And they gave me an opportunity, and I took the most of my opportunity and helped lead my team to a win. So that’s all I can ask for, is the opportunity. And, on my part, I’ve just got to continue to do whatever coach tells me to do and whatever will help the team win.” -- A positive for Auburn was the team having 11 blocks. Broome had four, and Williams had three. The Tigers only had two blocks in the loss against Memphis. -- Auburn shot 67% in the second half on 18-27 shooting and outscored the Panthers 44-33 to secure the win at Neville. Donaldson said he believed the team was more focused. “Just knowing our identity. Our identity is attacking the basket,” Donaldson said. “We’ve got guys like Jaylin that have amazing touch around the rim. Johni is, obviously, great around the rim. Just getting back to Auburn basketball. And the same thing defensively. Defensively, that’s our identity. Our identity is playing defense, and that’s what’s going to lead us to basketball games. Once we play defense, it leads to offense. Just getting to what we know offensively and defensively.” -- Auburn (9-1) finishes pre-SEC play with a West Coast road trip beginning Sunday in Los Angeles vs. Southern California and next Wednesday at Washington in Seattle. Pearl knows the Tigers have to improve if they’re going to win those games with a game that weekend against Florida at home to start conference action. “This team, in the last three games — against Colgate, Memphis, and now Georgia State — is not playing well enough to beat the teams left on our schedule,” Pearl said. “We have got to improve in order to beat the teams that are left on our schedule. The last three games that we’ve played, we’ve not played well enough to be able to continue to win. There’s got to be a level of accountability for our players to be able to make plays on both ends of the floor.” -- Auburn collected 2,000 toys for the Toys for Tots drive held at the Georgia State game on a rainy Wednesday night on the Plains. Pearl was thankful for the gifts. “Thanks to the people who showed up,” Pearl said. “I just think, how cool is it for the people that are running that program to take these gifts to all these kids -- to kids who probably wouldn’t be getting gifts without it. Great job. That’s Auburn being Auburn.” Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

Takeaways from Auburn basketball's 72-64 win over Georgia State Lance Dawe 4–5 minutes Auburn avoided a meltdown following their first loss of the season to Memphis last week, recovering from a 31-28 halftime deficit to defeat Georgia State 0-0. The No. 19 Tigers (9-1, 0-0 SEC) had another poor shooting night, as has been the standard - an impressive 51% from the floor because of the second-half resurgence, but a mere 25% % from deep (surprisingly their fifth-best outing of the season in ten games). Jaylin Williams led the way with 20 points, and Wendell Green Jr. eclipsed 1,000 career points with his 17 on the night. Johni Broome was the only other Tiger to finish in double-figures with 13. The team racked up 11 blocks - no surprise there for the second-best shot-blocking team in the nation. Everything ramps up from here for Bruce Pearl's squad. Here are four takeaways from tonight's win. Georgia State was undersized, and elected to foul - a lot This is nothing new to Auburn fans. Physical defense and lots of fouling is how opponents have usually elected to slow down Bruce Pearl teams in the past. Historically speaking, Pearl's teams have not been prolific at the foul line, and the response (most notably in SEC play) has been to apply pressure and foul. Georgia State had a season-high 25 times. The Tigers got to the line 30 times (the second time that has happened this year) and hit 19 free throws. That opponent free-throw rate will lose a game. A Jaylin Williams masterclass Williams finished with a season-high 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and three blocks... and he did nothing to step out of his element to collect those numbers. It was the same ol' for Williams, who knocked down a few floaters in the paint and hit a couple of corner threes; it was his typical offensive arsenal, that soft touch around the rim on one end and aggression on the other that helped carry the Tigers to a win. With the inefficiency elsewhere, it's refreshing to see Jaylin have such a good night. Auburn's offensive stagnation has produced an uncharacteristic style of basketball Did you know Auburn is 10th in the SEC in assists per game? That's the worst mark in league play for the Tigers since Bruce Pearl's inaugural season on the Plains in 2014-15. They had 12 assists against the Panthers tonight. I'm not quite sure what to blame the poor shooting on, whether that be personnel issues, scheme, or matchups, but the assists are a direct correlation with how Pearl gets his Tigers to operate their offense. It goes against the near decade of data he has set up at Auburn - in fact, three times have the Tigers failed to finish in the top half of the SEC in assists under him - and two of those were his first two years. Bruce Pearl teams (normally) share the basketball. Something isn't clicking behind the scenes. Not questioning team chemistry - a strength of Pearl's coaching ability - but there is a disconnect somewhere. A look into the crystal ball shows a murky future for the Tigers Auburn got the win. Nice. But 10 games into the season, and the Tigers have yet to buck the "poor shooting, Iowa football-esque offense, ugly dog fight" narrative that has dictated all but three of their contests. The look-ahead on the schedule is immediately followed by concern; Auburn travels to play at USC and Washington before opening up SEC play at home against Florida. Folks, there is no reprieve after this one. The Tigers have to do something soon to fix their offensive problems - one-third of the way into the season and it doesn't look like that's going to happen. Buckle in for some grit and grind basketball.

Hugh Freeze officially hires Philip Montgomery as Auburn’s offensive coordinator Published: Dec. 14, 2022, 3:46 p.m. 2–3 minutes Auburn football coach Hugh Freeze speaks during his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Nov. 29 2022 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics/AU At By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze sent out an announcement on Wednesday through the Tiger sports information department to confirm the hire of former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery as Auburn’s offensive coordinator. Montgomery comes to Auburn after spending eight seasons as the Tulsa coach. He also spent five years at the University of Houston and seven at Baylor University. “I have been fortunate to work with several great offensive coaches in my career and can’t wait to work with another in Coach Freeze,” Montgomery said. “We want to bring an exciting, up-tempo offense back to Auburn. This is a tremendous football school with a history of some of the greatest talents to play the game. Our goal is to add to that tradition and help restore Auburn football to a championship-caliber level.” Read More Auburn Football: Auburn and Hugh Freeze continue to flip recruits, adds 3-star OL Connor Lew Hugh Freeze hires offensive and defensive coordinators at Auburn Auburn legacy DB Colton Hood flips from Michigan State to the Plains A highlight for Montgomery was his time working with Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin. Montgomery also worked with Big 12 Player of the Year Bryce Petty, Baylor All-American Nick Florence, Conference USA MVP Kevin Kolb, and Houston standout Case Keenum. “Philip is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and has had experience developing and coaching some great quarterbacks in the last 20 years, including a Heisman Trophy winner in Robert Griffin III,” Freeze said. “He does a tremendous job schematically and has had success being multifaceted in both the running and passing games. I’ve known Philip for a long time and am excited to finally work with him.” Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of

Grading new FBS college football coaches: Matt Rhule gets an A, Trent Dilfer is a D+ 12–15 minutes A handful of the Football Bowl Subdivision's new head coaches for 2023 look like can't-miss hires right off the bat, including Luke Fickell at Wisconsin, Hugh Freeze at Auburn and Matt Rhule at Nebraska. But beware: Three or four years down the road, what seemed like a home run at the introductory press conference can be revealed as a big swing and a miss. Nebraska knows this all too well. Five years ago, the hire of former quarterback Scott Frost was greeted with widespread acclaim after his unbeaten final season at Central Florida. After the Frost era landed with a major thud, the Cornhuskers pray Rhule's history of rebuilding downtrodden programs yields another impressive turnaround. Hope springs eternal for every FBS program that believes its latest hire will pay off. On paper, there's at least something to like about every newcomer, including the two head coaches who bring very limited experience to the table: Colorado's Deion Sanders and Alabama-Birmingham's Trent Dilfer have the name recognition without the coaching track record. USA TODAY Sports evaluated the résumés of the new FBS coaches and gave each hire a letter grade based on immediate fit and chance for long-term success. The list begins with A grades for two Big Ten newcomers and ends with barely passing marks for two new additions in the American. Follow every game: Latest NCAA College Football Scores and Schedules A Luke Fickell, Wisconsin Wisconsin pulled off a surprising coup nabbing Fickell away from Cincinnati, which seemed even more likely to retain the former Ohio State assistant for the foreseeable future with next season's move to the Big 12. But the Badgers were able to sell an opportunity to leap back into the Big Ten's familiar territory with a strong foundation upon which to build a tough and physical team with an updated offensive scheme. Matt Rhule, Nebraska Rhule is an out-of-the-park triumph for Nebraska at another crucial juncture in the program's history — the Cornhuskers have continued to fall down the Big Ten standings and need someone with Rhule's impressive track record of quickly flipping losing teams into some of the hottest commodities in the country. As he did at Temple and Baylor, look for Rhule to build from the bottom up and bring Nebraska back to the forefront. PORTAL PICKS: Who's in the transfer portal? Listing college football's biggest names preparing to make a move ALL-AMERICA: USC QB Caleb Williams leads USA TODAY Sports' All-America college football teams BOWL TIME:What is the 2022 college football bowl game schedule? The complete list of all 42 matchups HEISMAN WATCH: Top 10 Heisman Trophy candidates for 2023 A- Jeff Brohm, Louisville Brohm is finally back at Louisville after years of being connected to the Cardinals' opening. The former Purdue coach will install an attractive offensive system that should make the program a trendy landing spot for the region's top skill talent. The only question is whether Louisville's defense will rise to the challenge. Tom Herman, Florida Atlantic Two years after being let go at Texas, Herman resurfaces at a Group of Five spot that offers the opportunity to rebuild his once-impeccable reputation. Much like Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin before him, Herman could parlay three or four years with the Owls into a return to the Power Five. It has somehow been forgotten that Herman is 54-22 as a head coach with four ranked finishes in six seasons. Hugh Freeze, Auburn After winning at least eight games in each of his four years at Liberty, Freeze is back in the SEC at a program with wonderful resources and an insatiable desire to beat Alabama, win the conference and win the national championship. He's equipped to bring the Tigers back into SEC contention but may need time to rebuild a roster decimated by attrition and overall mismanagement. B+ Jamey Chadwell, Liberty What seems like a lateral move is more an indication of Chadwell betting on himself after a very strong stretch at Coastal Carolina. Like Freeze before him, Chadwell can use a successful run at Liberty as an entry point to the Power Five after failing to gain much traction for open positions across the past two hiring cycles. Combining the Flames' returning talent and Chadwell's offensive system could make for a potent mix. Deion Sanders, Colorado One of the most intriguing hires in Power Five history, Sanders has the reputation, recruiting draw and recent track record to reverse Colorado's status as one of the worst programs in the country. He went 27-5 at Jackson State by compiling one of the most impressive rosters in the Championship Subdivision and should follow the same blueprint to make the Buffaloes appointment viewing beginning next September. The hire is a gamble, and like all gambles it could blow up in Colorado's face. But the potential reward far outweighs the risk. B Eric Morris, North Texas The former Texas Tech wide receiver and assistant coach knows the state as well as anyone, which should help North Texas regain a foothold in recruiting circles, and his deep knowledge of the Air Raid scheme guarantees the Mean Green will have one of the most prolific passing offenses in the Group of Five. His four-season run at Incarnate Word gives Morris enough experience to hit the ground running for a program that has reached six bowl games in the past seven seasons. Troy Taylor, Stanford There's plenty to like about Taylor, who played at California. He was the offensive coordinator at Utah from 2017-18 and went 30-8 over three seasons as head coach of Sacramento State, losing only once in Big Sky Conference play. The concern is he's not a deeply experienced head coach; given the state of roster development in the age of the transfer portal and NIL, there could be a very steep learning curve as he gets started at Stanford. B- G.J. Kinne, Texas State The 34-year-old has quickly climbed the ranks since entering coaching as an SMU graduate assistant in 2017. After serving as Hawaii's offensive coordinator in 2020 and the co-coordinator at UCF in 2021, Kinne is currently 12-1 and in the semifinals of the FCS playoffs in his single season as Morris' successor at Incarnate Word. Two things he'll do from the start are improve Texas State's offense and rekindle the program's local recruiting connections. The previous staff signed just three in-state high school prospects across the last two cycles. Barry Odom, UNLV Odom's four years of experience as the head coach at Missouri separates him from the Rebels' two previous hires of a local high school coach, Tony Sanchez, and a longtime Pac-12 assistant, Marcus Arroyo. He'll have the facilities and resources to turn this long-suffering Group of Five program into one of the top recruiting destinations in the Mountain West. But it's vital that he hires an offensive coordinator capable of differentiating UNLV from the rest of the conference. Ryan Walters, Purdue Walters, 36, was a prime candidate at Colorado before the Buffaloes' search zeroed in on Sanders. That could be Purdue's gain. He was extremely successful as the defensive coordinator at Illinois, crafting a unit that paced a breakout year in 2022, and he brings along a deep knowledge of the Big Ten. While the most successful coaches in recent program history came with an offensive background, Walters' defensive pedigree makes for an interesting addition should he maintain the Brohm-era scheme. C+ Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State While just 32 years old, the Arizona State graduate has already been the offensive coordinator at Memphis, Auburn, Florida State and Oregon, though the Ducks gave him his first and only opportunity to be the primary play-caller. His connection to the state and program could help beef up the Sun Devils' lackluster NIL efforts. But he walks into a quagmire of looming NCAA sanctions, inherits an unbalanced roster and will need to quickly salvage an unimpressive recruiting class. Would ASU have been better off hiring a coach with more experience under his belt? Brent Key, Georgia Tech Key earned the job by going 4-4 as the interim coach in 2022 and nearly leading Georgia Tech into bowl play. While there's no questioning the overall fit — he played at Tech and spent two separate stints on staff — how Key fills key spots on his staff will determine his tenure. The good news? Key's relatively cheap contract of $15 million over five years will give him a deeper salary pool for assistants, so he could surround himself with a very strong group of coaches. C Scott Satterfield, Cincinnati Satterfield was a huge success at Appalachian State as the program transitioned to the FBS but had a middling run at Louisville, going 25-24 over four seasons before grabbing the lifeline offered by Fickell's departure for Wisconsin. In the immediate future, his background on offense could mesh well with Cincinnati's existing talent level and defensive focus. Long term, though, Satterfield has limited connections in the program's backyard — a single year as Toledo's quarterbacks coach in 2009 — and brings no recruiting connections in Texas, where Cincinnati needs to gain a slight foothold as members of the Big 12. Lance Taylor, Western Michigan Taylor has worked under two very respected head coaches, former Stanford coach David Shaw and former Notre Dame and current LSU coach Brian Kelly. He spent this past season as the offensive coordinator at Louisville. That the offense dropped from 10th nationally in yards per play in 2021 to 45th in 2022 isn't a huge deal given how injuries scuttled quarterback Malik Cunningham's season. But even though Taylor has earned a reputation as a tireless recruiter and strong developer of skill talent, that he's a first-time head coach makes this hire hard to predict. Kevin Wilson, Tulsa Wilson sandwiched runs as an assistant at Oklahoma (2002-10) and Ohio State (2017-22) with a fairly successful tenure at Indiana, which ended with two bowl trips in a row before running aground amid multiple investigations into his mistreatment of players. There is no questioning the offensive credentials: Wilson's 2008 offense at OU may be the best in FBS history and his stint at OSU yielded four Heisman Trophy finalists. C- Tim Beck, Coastal Carolina The former North Carolina State offensive coordinator is familiar with the region and has extensive Power Five experience, including another nine combined seasons as the coordinator at Nebraska, Ohio State and Texas. But the track record isn't great: N.C. State ranks 114th nationally in yards per play this season after finishing 45th in 2021 and 73rd in 2020. Biff Poggi, Charlotte Poggi, 63, has limited on-field experience as a college coach from short stints decades ago at Brown, Temple and The Citadel. While he was a highly decorated high school coach in the Baltimore area and drew raves for his off-field work helping Michigan win back-to-back Big Ten championships in 2021 and 2022, his hire still represents a roll of the dice. After going for youth and energy with former coach Will Healy, the 49ers' pendulum drifts to the opposite end of the spectrum in Poggi. D+ Trent Dilfer, Alabama-Birmingham Dilfer is one of the most inexperienced and untested hires in FBS history. The former NFL quarterback spent only four years in coaching, all coming at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, before now being tapped to run a program set to encounter a much higher level of difficulty as new members of the American. While he's had both feet in talent evaluation and development through his work with the Elite 11 quarterbacks series, Dilfer has to surround himself with proven college coaches and support staffers to not get swallowed up by this transition. Alex Golesh, South Florida After removing Jeff Scott following four wins and less than three seasons, USF went back to a similar sort of candidate with Golesh, who spent the past two seasons as Tennessee's offensive coordinator. Golesh has worked under some very good head coaches, including Iowa State's Matt Campbell and the Volunteers' Josh Heupel. Like Scott, he could promise to overhaul the Bulls' offensive scheme and make a push to reestablish the program as a destination for the state's deep talent pool. Experience as a head coach hasn't guaranteed success at USF — Willie Taggart was a hit, but Skip Holtz and Charlie Strong were flops — but that Golesh has only two years of being a Power Five coordinator raises concerns about his ability to create a successful infrastructure on the heels of the Bulls winning just eight games in the past four seasons.

Auburn announces hiring of new offensive and defensive coordinator - The Auburn Plainsman 6–7 minutes New head football coach Hugh Freeze has officially decided who will be his offensive and defensive coordinator at Auburn. On Wednesday Auburn announced that former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery will be the Tigers' offensive coordinator and former Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts will be at Auburn under the same role. Montgomery spent eight years at Tulsa as the head coach of the Golden Hurricanes, accumulating a 43-53 overall record, but was fired after a 5-7 season in 2022. The 2022 season marked Montgomery's sixth consecutive season without winning more than seven games. The only time Tulsa won more than seven games under Montgomery was in Montgomery's second season with the program in 2016 where it went 10-3 and won the Miami Beach Bowl. The offense of that 2016 team was a record-breaking one and could be an indication of why Freeze elected to hire Montgomery as his offensive aid. That season, Tulsa became the first school in FBS history with a 3,000-yard passer, two 1,000-yard rushers and two 1,000-yard receivers. The Golden Hurricanes ended the season ranked inside the top 10 in total offense (527) and points per game (42.5). Tulsa's offense was incredibly balanced that season between the pass game (265.3) and run game (261.7), and Tulsa also set a school record with eight games where the offense ran for 300+ yards. Prior to his time at Tulsa, Montgomery spent seven seasons at Baylor as co-offensive coordinator or offensive coordinator under head coach Art Briles. Montgomery also spent five seasons at Houston with Briles as quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator. While at Baylor, Montgomery coached a couple standout quarterbacks. One was Bryce Petty who won the 2013 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and eventually became a fourth-round NFL draft pick. The other was Heisman-winning quarterback Robert Griffin III. “Philip (Montgomery) is one of the brightest offensive minds in college football and has had experience developing and coaching some great quarterbacks in the last 20 years, including a Heisman Trophy winner in Robert Griffin III,” Freeze said. “He does a tremendous job schematically and has had success being multifaceted in both the running and passing games. I’ve known Philip for a long time and am excited to finally work with him.” Griffin III recorded just under 5,000 yards his senior season while scoring 47 touchdowns and winning the Heisman trophy. Griffin III left Baylor as the all-time program leader in yards passing and passing touchdowns. Petty finished third in both of those categories. While Montgomery has some impressive history as offensive coordinator, it is currently unclear whether he or Freeze will call plays. Freeze at his introductory press conference said he would have to make that decision. "I've called the plays my whole career," Freeze said. "Honestly, sitting here today, I'm contemplating maybe in the new world of rebuilding the Auburn football team and the work it's going to take to capture the players and recruit, maybe I should get some help in that." Auburn's other new coordinator also has Baylor roots. Auburn hired former Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts after Roberts left the Bears on Dec. 1. Roberts has over 30 years of coaching experience at every level of football. Roberts has head coaching experience at Delta State, a Division 2 school, and at Southeastern Louisiana where he had a combined 89-45 record. Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox "Ron (Roberts) has been a very successful defensive coach spanning three decades and multiple stops," Freeze said. "His defenses have always been aggressive and put a lot of pressure on opposing offenses. Ron is a great fit for what we are wanting to do on both sides of the ball, and we are excited to have his experience and expertise leading our defensive unit." Roberts spent two years at Louisiana as defensive coordinator before being hired by Baylor head coach Dave Aranda at Baylor. Aranda served as Roberts' co-defensive coordinator in 2007 at Delta State. Roberts' time at Baylor was highlighted by a historic 2021 season with the Bears. Baylor won its third Big 12 title in program history in 2021 and its first New Year's Six bowl and a large part of that success came from the defense. Baylor led the conference in turnovers forced (27) and finished second in run defense (118.4), scoring defense (18.3) and sacks per game (3.14). However, his defense was not as impressive in 2022. Baylor allowed 26.6 points per game and forced 19 turnovers. Its run defense still ranked inside the top 50 nationally, however, Baylor ranked 80th in passing yards allowed per game (232.8) and only recorded two sacks per game. Baylor was selected as the preseason Big 12 champion but after a disappointing 6-6 season, elected to part ways with Roberts. Roberts looks to reestablish himself as a top coordinator in college football as he coaches in the SEC for the first time in his career. Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. Jacob Waters | Sports Reporter Jacob is a sophomore from Leeds, Alabama. This is his second year with The Auburn Plainsman. Twitter: @JacobWaters_

albanyherald.com T. GAMBLE: Freeze may do well at Auburn, but wouldn't Deion make more sense? T. Gamble wtg@colliergamble.com 5–7 minutes Auburn finally went and hired themselves a new football coach. As most of you know, I’m an Auburn graduate and a big Auburn football fan. So, naturally, people ask me what I think about the new hire. It could have been worse. It is never really good when one says it could have been worse. You know, my house burned to the ground, but it could have been worse if the kids had been in it. I totaled my car, but it could have been worse if I had not been wearing my seat belt. I think Hugh Freeze is a rock-solid football coach. He will certainly help Auburn football. He may even take us to great heights. But he comes with much publicized baggage. On one hand, I guess we are a nation of second chances. Judging by what I’ve seen lately, maybe third, fourth, and 100th chances. We just saw a guy run for Senate that if you did a background check, he probably couldn’t qualify to be a security guard at Handy Andy Convenience Store. The sitting Senator he ran against only ran his wife over with a car. Who am I to say what sins should remove one from the possibility of restoration? But didn’t I just watch a young former running back of Auburn resurrect a team in less than four days and transform them into something they had not been for two or three years? Cadillac was awesome, and the best part was his love and enthusiasm for the players. I don’t think I’ve ever heard a coach talk about the need players have to be loved. Not that the coach loved them, but the need to know they are loved. Sure coach loves Bo Jackson when he runs for three touchdowns and 200 yards. I’m talking real, I-love-you-’cause-of-who-you-are love, and Cadillac showed that. Now, I don’t necessarily think we should have hired Cadillac, but it wouldn’t have upset me if we had. I know he has never been a head coach, and there is much more to handling a major athletic program than simply enthusiasm and love. But the fan base loved it when he said his best accomplishment was when 12 young men gave their life to Christ and seven were baptized. We talk about it’s more important to build young men than to win. I’m not sure that message holds much stock. Let’s be honest, we are in an era of win at all costs. Not much else really matters. Everyone has an opinion, but who should we have hired? Easy enough, Deion Sanders, Mr. Flash and Dash. He took a pitiful Jackson State program and in three years went undefeated and won their conference’s championship. Never done drugs. Never been arrested. Never drank alcohol. Married since college. Extremely involved father to his kids. Great college player. Great pro player. A professed unashamed Christian. Absolutely the best role model we can put forth for a young kid out of high school. He went to Colorado. Mark my words, in three years they will go from doormat to the playoff hunt. They may win it all. But why Deion? Auburn must recruit against Alabama, Georgia and now Tennessee. You are a five-star recruit, and each team’s coach comes into your home. Which school are you going to pick? Well, no doubt Auburn has the highest mountain to climb versus Saban, Smart and even Heupel. Now change the equation and Saban visits, then Smart, then Heupel, then Deion. Who do you think an 18-year-old picks then? I’m pretty sure Deion will more than hold his own. He got a five-star to come to Jackson State. Think about that. There is one last reality to contend with. Let’s face it, the majority of five-star players are African American. They perceive that African American coaches have not been given the opportunity to coach at high level Power Five conference teams. Now that perception may or may not be correct, but it doesn’t matter. The reality is many have this perception, so to them it is real. Auburn made at best a nominal effort to consider Cadillac, and none that I can see to get Deion. Had Deion come, I can almost assure Auburn would have had a top five recruiting class and transfer portal signings everywhere. Great coaches matter, but great talent wins championships. Don’t believe it? Show me the last time a national champ did not have at least six or eight guys go high in the NFL draft from their team after they won. I’m 100% behind Freeze. He may take us to the top. But I’m keeping an eye out West, as I see a storm brewing that I don’t think most folks recognize and it comes wearing a gold chain and big mouth. Underneath, however, is a rock solid foundation that builds young men, not just wins. Time, as always, will tell. News Alerts Get news alerts and breaking news stories from the Albany Herald delivered to your email.

Auburn set to honor Frank Thomas with statue at Plainsman Park Taylor Jones 2–3 minutes When college sports fans associate legends with Auburn University, their minds usually go to the three B’s… Bo, Barkley, and the Big Hurt. Bo Jackson, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1985, has a statue at the entrance of Jordan-Hare Stadium alongside the program’s other two winners, Pat Sullivan and Cam Newton. Soon after Jackson’s statue was unveiled, a statue was constructed to honor Charles Barkley. That statue now welcomes scholarship donors to Neville Arena on Auburn Basketball game days. The only statue missing is one honoring Frank Thomas. Those days are now numbered. Thomas, who played baseball and football at Auburn in the late 1980s before enjoying an MLB career that spanned from 1990-2008, will have a statue unveiled at Plainsman Park in his honor on April 8, 2023, according to officials with Auburn Baseball. Thomas was selected No. 7 overall by the Chicago White Sox during the 1989 Major League Baseball draft and would play for the White Sox from 1990-2005. He spent the final three seasons of his career with the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays. During his 19-year career, Thomas hit 521 home runs and drove in 1,704 runs while batting .301. He was also a five-time all-star and a two-time winner of the Most Valuable Player award. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection in 2014, and remains the SEC’s lone member. Auburn Baseball head coach Butch Thompson says that Thomas’ statue is a testament to the strong history of the program. “I think it just gives another degree and shows how good our history is with Auburn baseball,” Thompson said in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover. “There are so many other players that I’m not mentioning, but none are bigger than Frank Thomas. For him to get our first statue, I think it’s in line with the other amazing Auburn men and women that have gotten statues.” Thomas’ statue will be unveiled during a crucial SEC weekend for Auburn Baseball. The Tigers welcome fellow 2022 College World Series participant, Texas A&M, from April 6-8, and the statue reveal will be the icing on the cake. List Sonny DiChiara shines in professional debut Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

apologies guys there is just very little out there at the moment other than recruiting and i think that is zeeks baby. i will check through out the day and post anything i find.

Auburn flips 2023 offensive line recruit River Wells 1–2 minutes Coach Hugh Freeze has flipped another recruit his way. Three-star interior offensive lineman Connor Lew announced on Twitter Tuesday that he intended to de-commit from Miami and to commit to Auburn. Lew’s flip comes after Freeze had already gotten other recruits to flip and come to the Plains in recent days. Buy Tigers Tickets Lew is listed as a four-star by 247Sports’ own rankings, but composite has him at a three-star. Lew went after Auburn during his initial recruitment, with his last visit coming on June 17. He eventually committed to the Miami Hurricanes on Aug. 5, but that didn’t stop Auburn from pursuing him — Lew took an unofficial visit to the Plains on Dec. 10 and committed three days later. Lew hails from Acworth, Georgia, and is 247Sports’ 16th-rated interior offensive lineman. Lew played center in 2021 during his junior year and is likely to play that position at the college level. The Tigers currently have the No. 40 class in the nation for 2023 as it stands after Lew’s flip.

Mike Leach’s memorable moments, including eloping, candy corn, pirates and mascot fights Updated: Dec. 13, 2022, 9:24 a.m.| Published: Dec. 13, 2022, 9:09 a.m. Mississippi State coach Mike Leach talks to reporters after the team's 30-6 loss to Alabama in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)AP NEW! By Mark Heim | mheim@al.com Mississippi State coach Mike Leach died after complications from a heart condition, Mississippi State said Tuesday. He was 61. Leach was known for his pass-happy offenses, wide-ranging interests — he wrote a book about Native American leader Geronimo, had a passion for pirates, taught a class about insurgent warfare — and rambling, off-the-cuff news conferences. RELATED: Mike Leach on cargo shorts It was his time behind a podium or on the mic that had people on the edge of their seat, waiting to see in which direction the coach would go. Here are some of the more popular Leach moments. On Pac-12 mascots In 2019, while at Washington State, Leach did a deep dive into which Pac-12 mascot would win in a fight. Arizona: “I’m going to say the Wildcat is out.” USC: “The Trojan, does he have a horse or is he on foot? Does he have a bow and arrow or just his sword?” UCLA: “The Bruin, definitely formidable.” Cal: “Another bear up at Cal.” Stanford: “The tree, I bet that tree is going to get chopped down. Unless we’re going to go with a bird and somebody might get pecked or something, I don’t know.” Oregon: “The Duck might lose interest and just fly away and get out of there, which may be good advice under the circumstances.” Washington: “The Husky, no chance.” Oregon State: “The Beaver, we’ll see how long that beaver can hold its breath.” Utah: “The Ute, we’re back to — is he on horseback? Does he have a bow and arrow? Did he trade for a rifle? Because if that Ute has a rifle, there’s some definite problems.” Arizona State: “You’d have to get one of those Harry Potter activists to read up on how you kill a Sun Devil, because there’s a lot of outside stuff there.” Colorado: “Just as far as a beast alone, a Buffalo is going to be pretty hard to tangle with.” Washington State: “Butch (The Cougar) is going to have to be clear-minded and crafty. Butch will find a way, no question.” Pirates or Vikings? “Some player comes frantically to the sideline, ‘Okay, they did this. Well, okay they did this. The cheerleader ran around the stadium three times and then the Shetland pony came out and ate a hot dog on the 50-yard line, so now what do I do?’” “Tracked a raccoon one time in the snow. I was in a neighborhood, and I was curious where this raccoon lived. There was fresh raccoon tracks. He’d been digging in somebody’s garbage. I followed the tracks, and I don’t even know if these people know it, but he lives right in the back of their house. ...” Eloping vs. a wedding Leach had some thoughts in response to SEC Network sideline reporter Alyssa Lang who was planning a wedding. “We’ll keep a close eye on it, but whatever you and Trevor decide, I would kind of keep it on the down low, which you failed to do that,” Leach said. “Trevor was probably planning to, but you didn’t, so go ahead and don’t say anything else about it, but as soon as the season’s over, or even an off week, go elope. Trust me on that. Go elope, because basically every female in the family is gonna terrorize you guys until it’s over. Once it’s over, I mean, they’ll be upset for a few days, but it’ll be over and then you can cruise along and have a happy marriage, have a happy life. “Trevor, unless he’s crazy, is totally on my side,” Leach said. “Trust me on this. If Trevor doesn’t have the sense to do that, tell him to call me. I’ve told all my kids, ‘I’ll give you $10,000 extra if you elope.’ So far, they haven’t done it, but I would, too.” Fat little girlfriends “If you get into a fight, don’t take your helmet off...We’re looking for smart football players, not dumb ones. In the interest of time, don’t get into any more fights today.” “I’ve always liked Lane — and I know you’re not supposed to like anything from Ole Miss — but I’ve always liked him, kind of an entertaining guy.” Candy corn Leach had some strong opinion on candy corn but didn’t shy away from some of his favorites in this on-field interview. On the weather “My favorite weather pattern happens to be when it rains mud.” What? Yeah, watch the clip. On wedding planning “Stay out of the way.” Mark Heim is a sports reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim.

Teen charged in deaths of Rod, Paula Bramblett back in jail Published: Dec. 13, 2022, 5:50 p.m. 3–4 minutes News Teen charged in death of Auburn announcer Rod Bramblett, wife, back in jail on probation violation By Howard Koplowitz | hkoplowitz@al.com The teenager who was charged in the 2019 crash that killed Auburn announcer Rod Bramblett and his wife, Paula, is back in the Lee County Jail for a third time, records showed. Johnston Edward Taylor, now 19, was jailed Tuesday in the Lee County lockup on a probation violation, according to jail records. It marks the second time in six months that Taylor is behind bars in the Lee County Jail and the third time overall since he was charged with manslaughter in the Brambletts’ deaths. In June, Taylor was arrested on felony warrants charging him with six counts of possession of child pornography. It was just after 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 25, 2019 when the Brambletts were killed. Taylor -- then a 16-year-old Lee Scott Academy student -- was traveling south in the outside lane on Shug Jordan Parkway approaching West Samford Avenue in his Jeep Laredo. The Brambletts, in a 2017 Toyota Highlander, were stopped in the southbound outside lane of Shug Jordan parkway at a traffic light. The Jeep struck the Brambletts’ SUV to the right of center, according to the crash report. The impact caused the Jeep to hit a pedestrian and a traffic light pole before coming to a final rest. The Brambletts’ vehicle was pushed into the intersection and through the opposing lanes of traffic before coming to a final rest on the curb. Taylor’s “blood sample contained THC, which is the primary psychoactive component of marijuana, and is indicative of recent usage of marijuana at the time of the collision,” records state. The teen was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Paula Bramblett, 53, was airlifted from the scene but had to be diverted to East Alabama Medical Center due to the severity of her injuries. She was pronounced dead in the emergency room from multiple internal injuries. Rod Bramblett, 52, who was the driver of the Highlander, was airlifted to UAB Hospital in Birmingham, where he later died from a closed head injury. At the time of the deadly crash, Taylor was driving 89 mph in a 55-mph zone, under the influence of marijuana, and still accelerating, authorities said, when he rammed into the back of the couple’s SUV. A judge in April of 2021 granted Taylor youthful offender status in the manslaughter cases. Lee County Circuit Judge P.B. McLauchlin, a retired judge handling the case, in his order said, “At the time of the accident the defendant was a 16-year-old teenager with no prior criminal history, who had smoked or used marijuana and had been diagnosed with marijuana use disorder,’’ McLauchlin wrote. “None of this justifies what happened; however, it does lend itself to treatment as a Youthful Offender.” The youthful offender status eliminates a jury trial, if there is a trial, and the range of punishment goes from two to 20 years had he been tried as an adult to zero to three years maximum. Youth offender cases are sealed, so the outcome of that case is not made public. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

Auburn vs. Georgia State: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Wednesday's game Taylor Jones 2–3 minutes The No. 18 Auburn Tigers host Georgia State on Wednesday night at Neville Arena, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. Auburn returns to Neville Arena after suffering its first loss of the season, falling to Memphis last Saturday, 82-73. The Tigers welcome Georgia State in hopes to bounce back from an unusually poor performance defensively. Buy Tigers Tickets “While our offense wasn’t great against Memphis, for sure… Memphis was only scoring 72 points, and we gave up 82. It was clearly our defense,” Head Coach Bruce Pearl said Tuesday during his preview press conference. “They took our shot-blockers away from the basket… and we didn’t make adjustments soon enough… That’s on me.” When discussing the game plan against Georgia State, Pearl says that he hopes that the matchups are more favorable for the Tigers’ defense, as they continue to develop their shooting. The Tigers take on Georgia State on Wednesday. Below, you will find key information regarding the game, including broadcast information, an injury report, and the potential starting lineups. Here’s when you should tune in to see the game: Date: Wednesday, Dec. 14 Time: 7 p.m. CT TV Channel: SEC Network+ (Wiley Ballard, Joe Ciampi) Radio: Auburn Sports Network (Andy Burcham, Sonny Smith, Brad Law) AUBURN No Injuries Reported GEORGIA STATE Collin Moore Hand Out until late February AUBURN Wendell Green Jr. Johni Broome Jaylin Williams GEORGIA STATE Dwon Odom Ja’Heim Hudson Jamaine Mann AUBURN Wendell Green Jr. G Zep Jasper G Chris Moore F Jaylin Williams F Johni Broome F GEORGIA STATE Dwon Odom G Brendan Tucker G Danny Stubbs G Jamaine Mann G Edward Nnamoko C