Auburn's next offensive coordinator?

This is quite a stretch for my first Auburn football blog, but it’s something that’s been on my mind for quite a while: who will be Auburn’s next offensive coordinator. Not only who will Tuberville want, but who would even consider taking the job after the precedent we’ve set? I hope what I’m about to say doesn’t make everyone discount my opinion, because it’s simply food for thought.

Something my dad and I talked about around the time of Tony Franklin's dismissal was where is Brandon Cox nowadays? As I'm sure most of you know, he is our former QB and winning-est QB in school history. It might be a stretch, but I’m thinking he could be a good dark horse (very dark) candidate for the offensive coordinator job - kind of like Mike Bobo at UGA and Patrick Nix, previously at Ga Tech - or at least quarterbacks coach.

Cox was a very smart QB  and a good game manager who could come in and teach the classic Auburn offense if they decide to go away from the spread next year, which I suspect they might do, especially after Tuberville’s evaluation at the end of the season. Tubbs kind of has a history of saying one thing and then doing another. I love the guy, but sometimes it's difficult to trust what he says. Like most coaches, he's going to say what he thinks he needs to say - kind of like a politician.

One reason Cox might be a good candidate is because he wouldn't be so quick to leave or get fired if he struggled at first. He also knows the coaching staff and bringing him in would provide the continuity the offense has lacked this year. But wait, the real question is this: would the wonderful Auburn faithful - trustees included - put up with such a move. He wasn't always the most popular QB, despite his ridiculous win-loss record. In fact, he was hated at times. 

Anyway, assuming ol' B. Cox isn't really up to much these days, maybe he could get a shot, or at least come in as the QB coach and possibly OC-in-waiting or something while he gets experience.  I'd like to see it. Does Auburn even have a quarterbacks coach? Of course, but you wouldn't know it b y watching them play. I’d also like to see Stan White in consideration, but he’s got the radio gig and I think he’s pretty happy with it.

On a related note, I believe Tubbs is going to be asked to dismiss at least one member of his loyal offensive coaching staff. That said, I think our WR coach is suspect, at best. Greg Knox is a great recruiter and I believe he is a valuable member of the coaching staff, I’m just not sure he teaches good technique. We’ve had pretty decent talent at the position, but none of it seems to materialize. When guys like Devin Aromashodu come in as five-star prospects and have to sign free-agent contracts in the NFL at the end of their careers because they didn’t get drafted, something isn’t right. I’m not saying it’s definitely Knox’s fault that our passing game is ineffective year-in and year-out, because the quarterback position hasn’t exactly been loaded with talent either.

But in my mind, he certainly isn’t helping things. Think about it. We’ve had receivers who are pretty good - Aromashodu, Ben Obomanu, Anthony Mix, Ronney Daniels, Courtney Taylor, Rod Smith – but lack that certain something that makes receivers successful at the next level. One thing I’ve noticed is a lack of that killer instinct when the ball is in the air. Auburn hasn’t had a receiver who goes up to get the ball since Frank Sanders in the mid-90s.

Now, one possible explanation for this is that we simply aren’t signing high caliber wide receivers like the Floridas, Georgias and Alabamas of the world, but that’s hard to believe with Auburn’s reputation for developing talent. Something’s got to give, and Tuberville’s renewed commitment to recruiting the skill positions is definitely a step in the right direction. But it’s just one step. Somehow Auburn’s going to have to find a way to develop the talent at the WR position (Rod Smith aside).

Anyway, the Brandon Cox idea is a pretty big stretch of the imagination and is really just something that popped into my head.