Why Tuberville’s job should be secure

By Robert Rousseau  |   Tuesday, October 28, 2008  |  Comments( 2 )

Auburn Tigers
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Maybe Auburn Tigers head coach Tommy Tuberville should have never hired ex-offensive coordinator Tony Franklin in the first place. Perhaps he should have allowed Franklin, whom Tuberville fired earlier this month, to bring the coaches he wanted to town when he was hired. There’s even the possibility that Franklin should have been given more time than half a season to get his offense to work for the Tigers.

Regardless, the whole offensive debacle has to rest on Tuberville’s shoulders. Forget that everyone, media included, bought the move hook, line and sinker when it was initiated. When something doesn’t work, it’s the head coach’s fault -- end of story. Just call it a big mistake.

That said, there are plenty of reasons why Auburn should not entertain any talk of getting rid of a coach as successful as Tuberville. Here are five . . .

1) Coming into this season, Tuberville posted a 50-14 record over the previous five years. Compare that with the 38-20 record Auburn amassed during the half-decade before Tuberville's reign began.

2) Under his tutelage, Auburn's defenses have ranked in the top 20 four consecutive seasons and in the top 10 two out of the last four years. Strong defenses are a must if you’re going to contend in the SEC.

3) Under Tuberville’s leadership, Auburn has managed to win the last six Iron Bowls. Think Lloyd Carr would’ve had the same pressure on him to leave Michigan if his Wolverines teams had defeated Ohio State on six straight occasions?

4) The undefeated 2004 season.

5) Is there any available coach who's as good as Tuberville? Learn from the New York Yankees and Michigan Wolverines. Those old coaches aren’t looking all that bad anymore, are they?

Tuberville's recent offenses have obviously left a lot to be desired. If that trend continues in the future, he will have difficulty keeping his job. But one mistake and a bad year are hardly grounds for dismissal of a coach who has been as successful as he has. He deserves a chance to right the ship.

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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
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