MARK EDWARDS

Tuberville looking for respect

As the Auburn-Texas A&M coaching story drags on, we can see this is less about Tommy Tuberville wanting a new challenge and more about wanting a bit of leverage.

It's about respect for Tuberville, who has coached Auburn for nine years.

He wants that more than the job at Texas A&M, which is expected to open as soon as the Aggies negotiate a settlement with Dennis Franchione, who has hopped from school to school and successfully out-run the ax until now.

Sure, the Auburn coach makes $2.6 million a year with annual raises. He also has about as much job security as any Southeastern Conference coach has a right to expect.

But how would it make you feel if the school up the road, your biggest rival, just handed an eight-year, $32 million contract to a new coach?

Yes, Nick Saban has a national championship to his credit. He also had a 2-3 record against Tuberville in five years at LSU.

That record can change quickly, but Tuberville has acquitted himself well against Alabama in the past.

He is 7-2 against the Crimson Tide. Sure, the NCAA ripped Alabama's program apart with sanctions during that span, but that's still a pretty good record.

Auburn has named its stadium after a coach, Ralph "Shug" Jordan, who went 9-16 against Alabama. Auburn named the field after another coach, Pat Dye, who went 6-6 against Alabama.

Like it or not, Auburn measures its performance on and off the field against Alabama's. So why should it be wrong for Tuberville to expect the same in negotiations?

Championships?

Tuberville has won the Western Division twice in nine years at Auburn and the SEC Championship Game once.

That's once more than Tennessee football in the past nine years. It's only one less than Florida.

Tuberville also has successfully avoided NCAA sanctions, sleeping with his secretary and having fans of his school subpoena his phone records and finding suspicious calls — something not every SEC coach has avoided.

In short, he hasn't embarrassed Auburn.

He also has built a solid staff and kept it together, even though the school up the road is the one that pays more for its football assistant coaches than anyone else in the SEC.

Defensive tackles coach Don Dunn, running backs coach Eddie Gran, receivers coach Greg Knox, offensive line coach Hugh Nall and defensive ends coach Terry Price have stayed at Auburn with Tuberville all nine years. In fact, all five spent four years with him at Ole Miss before he took the Auburn job.

Linebackers coach James Willis served as a graduate assistant coach at Auburn during 2001-03 before returning last season for a full-time job. Offensive coordinator Al Borges came in 2004 and has stayed.

Tight ends coach Steve Ensminger was brought to Auburn in 2003 as quarterbacks coach and play-caller. He was demoted the following year, but has remained.

If you were Tuberville, wouldn't you think those guys are worth as much as any assistant coach Alabama has?

Sources say Auburn is ready to re-negotiate Tuberville's contract, which runs through 2011, and if you cheer for the Tigers, you should consider this the right thing to do.

Blame Alabama for creating that necessity — not Tuberville.