On Saturday night Auburn defeated Mississippi State, leading to a viral video of head coach Gus Malzahn dancing with his team in the locker room after the win.
On Sunday, Malzahn was dancing his way to a new job.
Auburn Athletic Director Allen Greene issued a statement on the decision:
After evaluating the state of the Auburn football program, we’ve decided that it was time to make a change in leadership. We appreciate everything that Gus did for the program over the last eight seasons. We will begin a search immediately for a coach that can help the Auburn program consistently compete at the highest level.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele will serve as the interim head coach:
Gus Malzahn is out as #Auburn head coach. He will be paid the remainder of his contract. pic.twitter.com/F4sCirOc44
— Stephen Gunter (@Stephen_Gunter) December 13, 2020
With its status in the SEC and a pipeline to some of the best recruiting spots in the nation, Auburn remains a very attractive job on the college football landscape. The school and Greene should have no shortage of interesting candidates to interview. Names to watch include Texas A&M defensive coordinator Mike Elko, USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, Utah defensive coordinator Morgan Scalley, Liberty head coach Hugh Freeze, Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian, Oregon head coach Mario Cristobal and West Virginia head coach Neal Brown.