AUBURN, AL (WTVM) -
Two years after leading the Auburn University Tigers to their first national title since 1957, head football coach Gene Chizik is out of a job.
"It's awful easy to second guess when you go through a season like we did and all that going on. We've made a decision, we're moving forward," Auburn University's athletic director Jay Jacobs announced.
After meeting with the team, Jacobs held a press conference late Sunday afternoon on campus.
"Last night I visited with Gene and I told him that I was going to talk to the president [Jay Gogue] this morning and that I was going to recommend that he not be retained," said Jacobs.
The call came after a very disappointing season for the once national champs. The Tigers had a disappointing 3-9 season and no Southeastern Conference wins. It was the most losses by an Auburn team since an 0-10 season in 1950.
During the press conference, Jacobs reiterated this is not a decision that was made overnight.
"I had a chance to meet with the assistant coaches and a chance to meet with the team. It's been going on the entire year, the evaluation," Jacobs said.
The Tigers closed the season with a 49-0 loss to #2 Alabama. The Tigers were outscored 150-21 in their final three SEC games.
Jacobs said he would work with a search committee includes Auburn alumni Mac Crawford, Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson to find a new coach.
Chizik had three years left on a contract totalling $7.5 million which will be honored in payments over the next three years. If he gets a job before then, the money Auburn owes to Chizik will be decreased by the amount of his new salary.
Reportedly, Jacobs also fired all the assistant coaches who were told that they could reapply for jobs once a new coach is chosen.
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