Tommy Tuberville sounds like he wants the Auburn athletic director job

Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs is resigning by June 2018, he announced last week. Jacobs says he’ll leave his job earlier if his replacement’s ready to go.

One guy who’s interested: Tommy Tuberville, the 63-year-old former Auburn football coach who worked with Jacobs in the 2000s. Tuberville was leading Auburn to a 13-0 record in 2004 when Jacobs came on board as his boss, and the two worked together until Tuberville resigned following the 2018 season.

AL.com’s Mark Heim writes Thursday:

Tuberville, who joined me on The Opening Kickoff on WNSP-FM 105.5 on Thursday, was asked if he would be interested in the Auburn’s athletic director position.

“I would love to help Auburn’s athletic program,” Tuberville said. “I don’t think there’s anyone more qualified than me. I know it. I know the people. I know the boosters, the alumni. I know the city, the community. I would love to talk to the president, whether I am a candidate or whether I can help.”

The coach adds that Auburn is currently “underachieving,” and:

“I just want Auburn to get the full use out of everything they have because it is a great place,” he said. “I’ve always told people - even when I was there - you can’t worry about anyone else but Auburn. ...

”You can take it or leave it. But I don’t think there are many people who know it any better than me, not just Auburn, but the entire conference and the southeast.

Short of Tuberville asking for the job on air, that’s as up-front as the coach could’ve been about his interest.

The idea’s worth considering, because Tuberville does know Auburn and has been successful there in the past. But his background’s in coaching, not administration.

He went to Texas Tech after Auburn and then to Cincinnati, where he went 29-22 in four seasons. Tuberville stepped down from that job after 2016. He’s worked this season as an analyst for ESPN.

Auburn’s AD job is at least the second big Alabama position Tuberville’s expressed interest in lately. The last one was governor of Alabama, a role Tuberville considered running for before deciding against it last spring.