Auburn fires head coach Gus Malzahn after eight seasons
Gus Malzahn is out at Auburn despite his high buyout price of $21.45 million.
The Tigers announced the head coach's firing on Sunday after going 6-4, Malzahn's second-worst season at the helm.
"After evaluating the state of the Auburn football program, we've decided that it was time to make a change in leadership," direct of athletics Allen Green said in a statement. "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."
Malzahn had been Auburn's head coach since 2013, leading the team to seven consecutive bowl game appearances prior to this season. In eight years with the Tigers, Malzahn went 68-35 overall and 39-27 in the SEC.
Auburn advanced to the BCS Championship in 2013, but have failed to find similar success since. The team has finished in the top 10 of The Associated Press' Top 25 poll just twice in Malzahn's tenure.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele has been named Auburn's interim head coach for the remainder of the season.
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