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Will Tuberville Always Be An Auburn Man?

Watching former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville interview for the Texas Tech job has brought on some interesting emotions from Auburn fans - including myself. Some want to see him do well, while others hate to see him wear anything but orange and blue.

WarDamnZach brought up the question earlier this week about whether Tuberville will still be an Auburn man if he moves on to another school. Auburn fans have strong opinions. Regardless of whether he ends up in Lubbock or somewhere else, the odds are long that he'll ever reach the level of success or tenure that he got while in Auburn. It's certainly possible, but history tells us few have done it, with one of the primary exceptions being Nick Saban - and that's up for debate.

Should Tuberville never again go undefeated or win multiple conference championships at another school, he most likely will always be identified as an Auburn man. Obviously, if he exceeds his success at Auburn, he'll be more linked with his new school.

I'm pulling for Tuberville. He's always been a class act when I've been around him and from reading Track'em Tigers, you know I've been a big supporter. There's no doubt he made mistakes in his final years on the Plains. They are well documented. Some of those issues have undoubtedly come back to haunt him in the interview process. But his  success at Auburn far out weighs what happened at the end.

What are Tuberville's chances of landing the Texas Tech job? It's hard to say. A new wrinkle has developed this morning with the news that Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart is scheduled to interview with Tech officials sometime today.

The 2009 Broyles Award winner, Smart is unquestionably one of the bright young talents in college football. It's just a matter of time before he lands a big time job. That said, how in the world can his resume hold up to the success Tuberville has had through the years? Unless money is an issue, it's ridiculous to even compare Smart to Tuberville at this point.

Here's hoping Tuberville thinks long and hard about accepting the job if it's offered. Interviewing Smart after Tuberville should send up a big red flag in Tub's mind. The athletic department in Lubbock doesn't have the most stellar reputation.

Does Tommy really want to work for a school that decided to interview a 34 year-old just hours after he talked with school officials? What if former Red Raider coach Mike Leach is right?  What if it's a school that's not committed to maintaining the program and paying what's necessary to bring in top notch coaches and building facilities that can compete with Texas and Texas A&M? The last thing Tuberville needs is another combative relationship with an athletic director.

Circling back to the question of whether Tuberville will always be an Auburn man, I believe he will. Most Auburn fans loved him and defended him during the dark days of 2003. He rewarded their support with an undefeated season in 2004. Those times will forever link him to Auburn and its fans. He may or may not go on to greater success elsewhere, but a big chunk of him will always remain in Auburn.

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What?!

This fascination with Tuberville and discussion of his “Auburn man” status is bizarre. What does anyone care if he goes to another school or not? What does it matter if Texas Tech interviewed Kirby Smart hours after they interviewed Tuberville? Personally, I can’t believe Tuberville is getting an interview anywhere after witnessing the mess he left Auburn in. After an undefeated 2004, 4 first round draft picks in the following NFL draft and an 11-2 record in 2005, we have absolutely ZERO capital to show for it. While no one can deny the fact that he put Auburn back on the map after the Dye era and led us over Alabama 6 consecutive years, I am reminded of the analogy of climbing Mount Everest: it’s not a successful climb if you don’t make it back down. As to the mess I am referring to, I believe it speaks volumes that Auburn fans are excited about the No. 1 Juco player in the nation, the No. 1 RB in the nation and the No. 5 WR in the nation comprising this recruiting class – all contributing to a current No. 3 ranking in Rivals. It speaks volumes because Tuberville wouldn’t or couldn’t make anything close to resembling that happen. I have no hatred of Tuberville. A year ago I couldn’t believe that an educational institution was going to pay him close to $5 million (?) to leave in this economy. However, he is gone. He is free to do as he chooses.

Before anyone accuses me of being an Alabama poser, I am Jim Adams. I grew up in Auburn, graduated from Auburn High School in 1980 and graduated from Auburn University in 1985, School of Business, B.S. in Transportation and Distribution. Not only am I proud to be an Auburn Tiger, I am “proud” that I have a sense of objectivity. I really don’t care what he does next.

by Dexter Lebowski on Jan 8, 2010 7:09 AM CST reply actions  

The dude abides ...

… a certain amount of psycho babble if he hangs around here, dude.

by xotus on Jan 8, 2010 8:03 AM CST up reply actions  

He will always be an Auburn Man to me.

I feel fortunate that he was at Auburn, and apreciate all he did for the program. He had one down year and was thrown under the bus. I wish him well wherever he ends up.

Upon moving to AL, I let my wife decide who she would root for. After one day at a new job full of Bama fans, she met me at the door with a hearty cry of "WAR EAGLE"

by SandMountainTiger on Jan 8, 2010 9:51 AM CST reply actions  

South Florida

I think that Tuberville will be a better fit at South Florida than Texas Tech. Stay Tuned!!

If you are a War Damn Eagle, you can War Damn anything.

by WarDamnZach on Jan 8, 2010 11:55 AM CST reply actions  

I thought it was ...

… UCF that Jimmy Sexton was leaking as the suitor now lusting after Tubs.

And, now the USF Bulls too?

Good for Tubs if it turns into a bidding war!

by xotus on Jan 8, 2010 12:20 PM CST up reply actions  

i agree with Lebowski,... lets go bowlin.

who cares what tubs is going to do next i say. and what does it mean to be an “Auburn man”?
is that some kind of branding suggestion like when these schools isolate their cult like crazed fan base and refer to themselves like… “Gator Nation”? n such… i recall someone mentioning that Chizik was a good one of those… “Auburn man” guys too. wondered how someone could recognize him as such.

anyway, pretty much appreciate tubs for the AU coach he was,.. best of luck tubs.

wappa

by buddy Ro on Jan 8, 2010 12:39 PM CST reply actions  

Lubbuttix is

no place for Tuberville, besides he’ll be too rich for their blood.

by HalfmileHorn on Jan 8, 2010 3:28 PM CST reply actions  

Well, I guess I should eat

my words. I don’t see it, but heck, I didn’t see Tech firing Leach either.

by HalfmileHorn on Jan 9, 2010 7:56 PM CST up reply actions  

So what is the criteria for being an "Auburn Man"? What about an "Auburn Woman"?

I graduated from Auburn (with honors I might add). Is that the prerequisite? Or “helping” the University in some fashion? I donate a few hundred dollars now and again. Sometimes I don’t when I think of all the parking tickets I got. However, I think the Auburn (town) police issued those tickets. I used to park near that Chick-Fil-A and that Subway on the (north unless I have my directions mixed up) side and walk from there. For Christ’s sake don’t park in the Chick-Fil-A parking lot or the parking lot of one of those dumpy little apartment complexes. I think those apartment complexes must be the “Skid Row” of Auburn – though they don’t play when it comes to parking. There are some “condos” there too which beat anything I have EVER seen. They are the cheapest ones in town. $54,900 each I think. Though be warned that your bed will take up the vast majority of your unit. I left my cell in my car and it was towed, so I went there and borrowed some dork’s cell to call a taxi to take me to retrieve it. He is the one who told me his parents bought that condo for him to inhabit. My parents did the same, though if they had bought that condo for me, I think I would have sued.

by Auburn '07 in Manhattan on Jan 8, 2010 3:29 PM CST reply actions  

The more I see you posts....

the more I am convinced you are an elitist snob.

I would have gone to bammer if my grades hadn't been good enough to go to AU

by Todd92 on Jan 8, 2010 5:09 PM CST up reply actions  

im sure this violates the rules of track em tigers but auburn o7 in manhattans post is the most incoherent jumble of useless thoughts i have ever seen assembled. tell me this person did not graduate or get into a fine institution like AU.

by orangebloodvampire on Jan 21, 2010 4:07 AM CST reply actions  

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