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Shortly after Auburn’s Hugh Freeze was fired on Sunday, I wrote this piece examining the Tigers’ half-century trend of cycling through football coaches. It is absolutely true that every Auburn football coach since Shug Jordan’s retirement in 1975 has either been fired or resigned under pressure. I got some pushback on this from readers, who accused me of bending the truth in some sort of anti-Auburn agenda. The biggest dispute came in the case of Pat Dye, who won 99 games and four SEC championships and took the Iron Bowl to Auburn for the first time before resigning at the end of his 12th season. While Dye was unquestionably dealing with health issues at the time, the ongoing NCAA investigation into the case of Eric Ramsey — who had accused Auburn coaches of arranging for him to be paid cash and merchandise and to receive an unsecured loan by the school’s boosters, with audio tapes to back up his claims — had the coach’s job in jeopardy. Dye — who had resigned as Auburn’s athletics director in May — said in the weeks leading up to his departure that he had no plans to step down as coach. School president William Muse, however, refused to give Dye a vote of confidence, saying he would wait until the results of the NCAA investigation before deciding on the coach’s future. But then on the eve of the 1992 Iron Bowl, Dye told his players the following day’s game would be his last at Auburn. He elaborated on the decision to reporters after the Tigers lost 17-0 to Alabama at Legion Field on Thanksgiving Day, ending his 12-year tenure. “This is not exactly the way I would have preferred to go out,” Dye said. “The competitive spirit in me is to stay and fight. But the destruction would far outweigh the other. I did not want to split the Auburn family.” Then there were those who argued that while what I wrote about Auburn might be true, that was no different than any other school in the SEC, where coaches are also fired, forced to resign or otherwise “runn oft” at the same rate as they are from the Plains. The good news is that this claim is rather easy to either affirm or refute, because the historical record is readily available. To that end, I made a study of every school that has been in the SEC since 1975 (the year Jordan retired at Auburn), and whether or not any had at least one coach who had retired, left for another job or otherwise departed of his own free will. There are nine such schools, not counting Auburn. Here’s that list, school-by-school (in alphabetical order, and coaches listed in reverse chronological order; does not include interim coaches who coached less than a full season): ALABAMA Kalen DeBoer (2024-present) Nick Saban (2007-2023) — Retired Mike Shula (2003-2006) — Fired Mike Price (2003) — Fired Dennis Franchione (2001-2002) — Left for Texas A&M Mike DuBose (1997-2000) — Fired Gene Stallings (1990-1996) — Resigned/retired Bill Curry (1987-1989) — Left for Kentucky Ray Perkins (1983-1986) — Left for NFL Paul “Bear” Bryant (1958-1982) — Retired NOTES: You can make the argument that Curry was forced out, leaving as he did for what was certainly a lesser job. But Curry was in no danger of being fired immediately. And Stallings had just been through an NCAA investigation and was at-odds with then-athletics director Bob Bockrath. He almost certainly left before he was ready. But there is no disputing that Bryant and Saban retired on their own; neither would have been pushed out minus a Paterno-like scandal. And Franchione unquestionably left for what he thought was a better job (and it might have been, at the time). FLORIDA Billy Napier (2022-2025) — Fired Dan Mullen (2018-2021) — Fired Jim McElwain (2015-2017) — Resigned/fired Will Muschamp (2011-2016) — Fired Urban Meyer (2005-2010) — Resigned due to health Ron Zook (2002-2004) — Fired Steve Spurrier (1990-2001) — Left for NFL Galen Hall (1984-1989) — Fired Charley Pell (1979-1984) — Fired Doug Dickey (1970-1978) — Fired NOTES: Meyer’s departure from Florida has become a punch line over the years, but there’s absolutely no reason to believe he’d have been fired in Gainesville unless things deteriorated over the course of 2-3 more years. And Spurrier unquestionably could have coached the Gators until he wanted to leave (which he did). GEORGIA Kirby Smart (2016-present) Mark Richt (2001-2015) — Fired Jim Donnan (1996-2000) — Fired Ray Goff (1989-1995) — Fired Vince Dooley (1964-1988) — Retired NOTES: The Bulldogs have had, by far, the SEC’s most stable football coaching environment in the last half-century-plus, with just five total coaches since 1964. Dooley left on his own, taking on the athletic director’s role full-time for several years. Smart, like Saban, Spurrier and others, seems destined to be head coach in Athens until he decides he’s had enough. KENTUCKY Mark Stoops (2013-present) Joker Phillips (2009-2011) — Fired Rich Brooks (2003-2009) — Retired Guy Morris (2001-2002) — Left for Baylor Hal Mumme (1997-2000) — Resigned Bill Curry (1990-1996) — Resigned Jerry Claiborne (1982-1989) — Retired Fran Curci (1973-1981) — Fired NOTES: Perhaps surprisingly, Kentucky has had a few coaches who were able to work until they decided to step down. Both Claiborne and Brooks were coming off winning seasons when they retired, and neither coached again. Kentucky was facing major NCAA sanctions from the Mumme era when Morriss departed, but returning to his Texas roots (he’d played at TCU) was certainly a voluntary move on his part. LSU Brian Kelly (2022-2025) — Fired Ed Orgeron (2016-2021) — Fired Les Miles (2005-2015) — Fired Nick Saban (2000-2004) — Left for NFL Gerry DiNardo (1995-1999) — Fired Curly Hallman (1991-1994) — Fired Mike Archer (1987-1990) — Resigned Bill Arnsparger (1984-1986) — Left to be AD at Florida Jerry Stovall (1980-1983) — Fired Bo Rein (1980) — Died in plane crash Charlie McClendon (1962-1979) — Resigned NOTES: Even if we leave out the unusual circumstances regarding Rein (who died during a recruiting trip before he’d ever coached a game), there is no question Saban left LSU on his own. In an alternate reality, he could have stayed in Baton Rouge the rest of his career and won several more national championships. Arnsparger’s departure was also voluntary, as he was apparently fed up with NCAA violations that riddled the LSU basketball program at the time (which he argued was hurting football recruiting). MISSISSIPPI STATE Jeff Lebby (2024-present) Zach Arnett (2023) — Fired Mike Leach (2020-2023) — Died of heart issues Joe Moorhead (2018-2019) — Fired Dan Mullen (2009-2017) — Left for Florida Sylvester Croom (2004-2008) — Fired Jackie Sherrill (1991-2003) — Retired/resigned Rockey Felker (1986-1990) — Fired Emory Bellard (1979-1985) — Fired Bob Tyler (1972-1978) — Resigned (fired as AD) NOTES: Mississippi State also has a unique case in Leach, who was beloved in Starkville and probably could have finished his career there had he lived. Sherrill and Tyler both left under a cloud; Sherrill facing NCAA sanctions, Tyler because he’d been forced to give up the athletics director’s job. Mullen — probably the best coach in modern program history — certainly left on his own to take a better job, though it obviously did not work out for him in Gainesville. OLE MISS Lane Kiffin (2020-present) Matt Luke (2017-2019) — Fired Hugh Freeze (2012-2016) — Resigned under pressure Huston Nutt (2008-2011) — Fired Ed Orgeron (2005-2007) — Fired David Cutcliffe (1999-2004) — Fired Tommy Tuberville (1995-1998) — Left for Auburn Joe Lee Dunn (1994) — Interim not retained Billy Brewer (1983-1993) — Fired Steve Sloan (1978-1982) — Left for Duke Ken Cooper (1974-1977) — Fired NOTES: Ole Miss might be the closest comp to Auburn in terms of no coach getting out of Oxford “alive,” but Tuberville is the glaring exception. He’d taken the Rebels out of NCAA purgatory and made them competitive again when he left to become Tigers head coach. Sloan also technically left on his own, though his departure was similar to that of Curry from Alabama; he wasn’t particularly popular and might have been fired eventually. TENNESSEE Josh Heupel (2021-present) Jeremy Pruitt (2018-2020) — Fired Butch Jones (2013-2017) — Fired Derek Dooley (2010-2012) — Fired Lane Kiffin (2009) — Left for USC Phillip Fulmer (1993-2008) — Fired Johnny Majors (1977-1992) — Forced out Bill Battle (1970-76) — Forced out NOTES: Tennessee also has just one coach in the last 50 years who unquestionably left on his own. It’s ironic that it’s Kiffin, who was fired with extreme prejudice from both the job he had before the Volunteers (the NFL’s Oakland Raiders) and the job afterward (USC). Heupel also seems pretty safe for now, though rumblings are beginning that he’s not getting as much out of his team as the fanbase and boosters demand. VANDERBILT Clark Lea (2021-present) Derek Mason (2014-2020) — Fired James Franklin (2011-2013) — Left for Penn State Robbie Caldwell (2010) — Resigned Bobby Johnson (2002-2009) — Retired Woody Widenhofer (1997-2001) — Resigned Rod Dowhower (1995-1996) — Fired Gerry DiNardo (1991-1994) — Left for LSU Watson Brown (1986-1990) — Fired George MacIntyre (1979-1985) — Resigned Fred Pancoast (1975-1978) — Resigned NOTES: “Even Vanderbilt” has had multiple coaches depart of their own choosing in the last 50 years. Franklin and DiNardo both left for better jobs. The most unusual case is that of Johnson, who retired abruptly at age 59 during the summer of 2010. He was replaced by Caldwell, who apparently would have been retained after his interim season, but also decided he’d had enough. So there’s your proof. Auburn is the only school that has been a member of the SEC since 1975 that has not had a coach leave voluntarily in that time. But what about the schools who have joined the SEC since 1975? There are six of those — Arkansas and South Carolina in 1992, Missouri and Texas A&M in 2012 and Oklahoma and Texas in 2024. It’s not a straight apples-to-apples comparison given those schools weren’t in the SEC that whole time (which is what we’re talking about here, after all), but I’ll indulge it in the spirit of full disclosure. Here’s that list, dating to 1975 just for argument’s sake (again, not including interim coaches who did not coach a full season): ARKANSAS Sam Pittman (2020-25) — Fired Chad Morris (2017-19) — Fired Bret Bielema (2013-17) — Fired John L. Smith (2012) — Interim not retained Bobby Petrino (2008-2011) — Fired Houston Nutt (1998-2007) — Fired Danny Ford (1993-1997) — Fired Jack Crowe (1990-1992) — Fired Ken Hatfield (1984-1989) — Left for Clemson Lou Holtz (1977-1983) — Forced out Frank Broyles (1958-1976) — Retired NOTES: The Razorbacks have certainly been a coach-killing machine since joining the SEC (Crowe was fired after his first game as an SEC head coach), but their history was slightly more stable before that. Hatfield left because he didn’t get along with Broyles (who was by then AD), and took the Clemson job without ever having visited the campus. Holtz’s departure has always been disputed; he claimed he resigned, Broyles claimed he fired him. MISSOURI Eli Drinkwitz (2020-present) Barry Odom (2016-2019) — Fired Gary Pinkel (2001-2015) — Retired Larry Smith (1994-2000) — Fired Bob Stull (1989-1993) — Forced out Woody Widenhofer (1985-1988) — Fired Warren Powers (1978-1984) — Fired Al Onofrio (1971-1977) — Fired NOTES: Pinkel could have coached at Missouri as long as he wanted to, but retired after being diagnosed with cancer (he’s still living, though continuing to undergo treatment). Drinkwitz seems destined to leave for another, more high-profile, job at some point, perhaps as soon as this year. OKLAHOMA Brent Venables (2022-present) Lincoln Riley (2017-2021) — Left for USC Bob Stoops (1999-2016) — Retired John Blake (1996-1998) — Fired Howard Schnellenberger (1995) — Resigned Gary Gibbs (1989-1994) — Resigned Barry Switzer (1973-1988) — Resigned NOTES: Riley and Stoops obviously left on their own, and could have gone on coaching the Sooners indefinitely. One interesting note I’ve picked up during this study is that, up until the last 20 years or so, it was at least as common for unsuccessful coaches to resign rather than to be fired. Huge contract buyouts are the reason for that; a coach who resigns doesn’t necessarily get his money. SOUTH CAROLINA Shane Beamer (2021-present) Will Muschamp (2016-2020) — Fired Steve Spurrier (2005-2015) — Retired Lou Holtz (1999-2004) — Retired Brad Scott (1994-1998) — Fired Sparky Woods (1989-1993) — Fired Joe Morrison (1983-1988) — Died of heart attack Richard Bell (1982) — Fired Jim Carlen (1975-1981) — Fired NOTES: Holtz and Spurrier had both run their course with the Gamecocks, but obviously weren’t going to be fired had they not chosen to retire (in Spurrier’s case, in the middle of the season). Morrison is the other unusual case, a very successful coach who died on Feb. 5, 1989, who collapsed in the shower and died after playing racquetball at a court located inside Williams-Brice Stadium. TEXAS Steve Sarkisian (2021-present) Tom Herman (2017-2020) — Fired Charlie Strong (2014-2016) — Fired Mack Brown (1998-2013) — Fired John Mackovic (1992-1997) — Fired David McWilliams (1987-1991) — Fired Fred Akers (1977-1986) — Fired Darrell Royal (1957-1976) — Retired NOTES: To quote Maxwell Smart: “missed it by that much.” While technically not 50 years, we’ve certainly found a school that is similar to Auburn in spirit. The Longhorns have fired every football coach since the legendary Royal retired from coaching — but remained on as AD — at the end of the 1976 season. It will be interesting to see what happens with Sarkisian, who certainly is in no danger of being ousted now, and might leave for the NFL before things begin to (inevitably, so it would seem) sour in Austin. TEXAS A&M Mike Elko (2024-present) Jimbo Fisher (2018-2023) — Fired Kevin Sumlin (2012-2017) — Fired Mike Sherman (2008-2011) — Fired Dennis Franchione (2003-2007) — Forced out R.C. Slocum (1989-2002) — Forced out Jackie Sherrill (1982-1988) — Resigned Tom Wilson (1978-1981) — Fired Emory Bellard (1972-1978) — Resigned NOTES: Success! To quote from The Empire Strikes Back, “Echo base, this is Rogue Two, I found them! Repeat, I found them!” Not only has every Texas A&M coach since the 1970s been fired or forced out, but you have to go back to Paul “Bear” Bryant in 1957 to find one who departed on his own (Bryant, of course, left the Aggies for Alabama). Between Bryant and Bellard, coaches Jim Myers, Hank Foldberg and Gene Stallings were all fired or resigned under pressure. Bellard resigned at mid-season 1978 over fears he would be fired at season’s end, though the Texas A&M administration denied it at the time. Sherrill is the lone Aggies coach in the last 65-odd years whose exit was not tied to lack of on-field success; A&M was then embroiled in an NCAA investigation that led to his resignation. Elko, of course, could break that string, and certainly looks like he’s winning at a rate that will keep him in College Station as long as he wants to be there. ---So there you have it. That’s about as comprehensive as I can be to answer this question. It is true that Auburn had fired or forced out football coaches at a higher rate (100%) than every school that has been in the SEC for the entirety of the last 50 years. But once you add in the more-recent additions to the conference, the Tigers get some company.
