Its official, Tiger Fans: Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs announced earlier this afternoon that the program has dismissed Gene Chizik from his position as head coach.
The Iron Bowl proved to be the icing on the terrible cake that was this past season, with Alabama shutting out Auburn with 49 points. Most fans did not expect Auburn to overcome the Tide’s incredible strength, but I don’t think anyone was prepared to watch our beloved Tigers suffer total embarrassment at the hands of the potential SEC Champions. That was no way to end a season, even if it hasn’t been a very strong one.
Auburn Athletic Director Jay Jacobs
The Athletic department has yet to say if any of Chizik’s staff will be leaving as well, or who potential replacements are (although some members of the Auburn family speculate towards the hire of former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino).
Fans took to social network sites such as Twitter and Facebook, most expressing nothing but kind remarks in support of Chizik. After all, he brought us Heisman winner Cam Newton, an Iron Bowl win over Alabama, Auburn’s first National Championship title in 53 years, and a win this past season’s Chick-fil-A Bowl. So amidst all the uncertainty of Auburn’s football future, there is an outpouring of overwhelming respect for Gene Chizik as he moves on from the Tigers.