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Auburn leadership moves toward ending AD Jay Jacobs' tenure
Posted on September 29, 2017 at 6:55 PM
By Kevin Scarbinsky
kscarbinsky@al.com
Auburn's president and board of trustees have laid the groundwork to end Jay Jacobs' tenure as athletics director, AL.com has learned. Unless the leadership changes its current position, which it discussed in a conference call this week, the only variables are who will replace Jacobs and when the transition will take place.
That transition was expected to take place after the current football season, but recent scandals involving the school's softball and men's basketball programs have accelerated the process, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Earlier Friday afternoon, Leath declined to comment when asked by AL.com if he still maintained confidence in Jacobs' ability to run the program given the scandals.
A former Auburn walk-on football player, Jacobs was named Auburn's 14th athletics director in 2004 after working in various areas of the athletics department for two decades.
Auburn has won 12 national championships during Jacobs' tenure as AD, but the program has been plagued in recent years by a series of coaching hires that went wrong and scandals that put the university in a bad light.
At the moment, Birmingham law firm Lightfoot, Franklin and White is conducting separate reviews at the request of the university of the softball and men's basketball programs.
The softball review comes in the wake of the resignations of head coach Clint Myers and associate head coach Corey Myers after a Title IX complaint alleging the younger Myers had and pursued improper relationships with student-athletes and the elder Myers, his father, allowed the behavior to occur.
The men's basketball review is related to an FBI probe that has resulted in the arrests of 10 different people connected to the sport, including Auburn associate head coach Chuck Person. Person has been charged with six federal crimes for his alleged involvement in a bribery and conspiracy scheme to steer Auburn players to a disgraced financial adviser named Martin Blazer, who was working as an FBI informant.
In August, Jacobs said he "could have been more forthcoming" about the school's own investigation into former softball assistant Corey Myers. He issued a statement suggesting he had acted properly, but he was heavily criticized for allowing Myers to resign last fall but then return to the team. Myers resigned abruptly during the season in March, and his father followed him out the door in August, although Clint Myers' departure was called a "retirement" in Auburn's official release.
The basketball scandal has called into question Jacobs' selection of head coach Bruce Pearl, who was still under a show cause for NCAA violations in his previous coaching position at Tennessee when Auburn hired him.
One name that may receive consideration to replace Jacobs: David Benedict. Currently the UConn AD, Benedict spent two years as the chief operating officer of Auburn Athletics before taking the Connecticut job in 2016.
Posted on September 29, 2017 at 6:55 PM
By Kevin Scarbinsky
kscarbinsky@al.com
Auburn's president and board of trustees have laid the groundwork to end Jay Jacobs' tenure as athletics director, AL.com has learned. Unless the leadership changes its current position, which it discussed in a conference call this week, the only variables are who will replace Jacobs and when the transition will take place.
That transition was expected to take place after the current football season, but recent scandals involving the school's softball and men's basketball programs have accelerated the process, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.
Earlier Friday afternoon, Leath declined to comment when asked by AL.com if he still maintained confidence in Jacobs' ability to run the program given the scandals.
A former Auburn walk-on football player, Jacobs was named Auburn's 14th athletics director in 2004 after working in various areas of the athletics department for two decades.
Auburn has won 12 national championships during Jacobs' tenure as AD, but the program has been plagued in recent years by a series of coaching hires that went wrong and scandals that put the university in a bad light.
At the moment, Birmingham law firm Lightfoot, Franklin and White is conducting separate reviews at the request of the university of the softball and men's basketball programs.
The softball review comes in the wake of the resignations of head coach Clint Myers and associate head coach Corey Myers after a Title IX complaint alleging the younger Myers had and pursued improper relationships with student-athletes and the elder Myers, his father, allowed the behavior to occur.
The men's basketball review is related to an FBI probe that has resulted in the arrests of 10 different people connected to the sport, including Auburn associate head coach Chuck Person. Person has been charged with six federal crimes for his alleged involvement in a bribery and conspiracy scheme to steer Auburn players to a disgraced financial adviser named Martin Blazer, who was working as an FBI informant.
In August, Jacobs said he "could have been more forthcoming" about the school's own investigation into former softball assistant Corey Myers. He issued a statement suggesting he had acted properly, but he was heavily criticized for allowing Myers to resign last fall but then return to the team. Myers resigned abruptly during the season in March, and his father followed him out the door in August, although Clint Myers' departure was called a "retirement" in Auburn's official release.
The basketball scandal has called into question Jacobs' selection of head coach Bruce Pearl, who was still under a show cause for NCAA violations in his previous coaching position at Tennessee when Auburn hired him.
One name that may receive consideration to replace Jacobs: David Benedict. Currently the UConn AD, Benedict spent two years as the chief operating officer of Auburn Athletics before taking the Connecticut job in 2016.
Yay! Keeping BRUCE is my primary concern but this is obviously a great thing.
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Yo @Jay G. Tate how does it feel to be #scoopedbyscarb??
'We've been hearing things as well'
-Obbernsports.com
'We alluded to this earlier last week when we said JJ should be fired'
Once again, the best in the biz Scarbinsky is at it again.
Yeah it makes sense that someone would leak this info to the #1 sportswriter in the state. Just isn't something a lowly message board moderator would be able to handle appropriately.
He's been cutoff since being labeled the reporter 'friendly to the softball corch'.
Pretty much exactly how it will be said when it finally goes down. Those blowhards never break a story. But I remember them being so produ to (maybe) be the first to report that Chirp Lindsey was officially being hired. It was like yeah, everyone knew yesterday, but congrats on being OFFICIAL
JGT has yet to make an appearance tonight. Kind of surprising.
what? He made his profile private now. We'll never know when he's lurking or not anymore.
That said I bet GREG is the selection for all things JMU. No way there is somebody better.
He's working to confirm the story that scarb already wrote with his sources (likely PMarsh).
Hard to top yore art, but YES you just did. Best scribe Eva
Don't let this be a tease. Get it done before noon on Monday. That weasel will figure out some way to try to save his job if you try to run out the clock on him
I think it will take them a little while. The tbb will be in full blown panic until it is announced. It will be pure entertainment similar to the Cowart LOI signing.
To be fair, JLee broke a commitment story before the commit did. So they get props for that "win".
I actually posted on the bunker last week and called this and jgt got all salty about it but it's been a done deal since a week ago that Friday was the day and Monday would be official.
Boog recruiting coverage has taken a hit since he left.
FYI guys. Not that his hasn't already been discussed, but I have it on good authority that David Benedict is being considered for replacement AD. Is he good? Don't know much about the man
I'd be surprised if it is him. I think we will here a lot of names floated out there and the first ones out normally are not it.
But he ain't JJ
It's not from rumors that I heard it, but he doesn't have it locked up or anything. But he is on radar of Leath
Everybody that talks about Leath from the university assures that he will clean it up too. Time to start fresh
DB would get a look because he was at AU not that long ago.
I believe Leath has his own man that he wants to hire but will go through the process. DB may not be JJ (no one is as bad as JJ) but he helped facilitate taking RL off of our hands and would be connected to the Good Ole Boy network. I want someone unconnected and likely to make their own decisions when it comes to hiring firing Gus.
I believe Leath has his own man that he wants to hire but will go through the process. DB may not be JJ (no one is as bad as JJ) but he helped facilitate taking RL off of our hands and would be connected to the Good Ole Boy network. I want someone unconnected and likely to make their own decisions when it comes to hiring firing Gus.
that’s not saying much... when Jeff Lee is the replacement - there will always be a hit compared to the predecessor... regardless of the role that clown is filling
he could be your new garbage man and your service would decrease
I've heard really good things.
That's what I was told. Sorry if it doesn't pan out.
