Tuberville, AU Agree On Contract Extension

AUBURN — After more than a week of controversy, suspense and rampant rumors, the Tommy Tuberville saga was resolved in an unexpected place: a New York hotel room.



Tuberville, Auburn University’s head football coach, met with athletic director Jay Jacobs on Tuesday in New York. After a few hours of conversation, the coach accepted Auburn’s offer of a two-year extension to his contract.



The deal, originally offered by Jacobs on Nov. 26 and reiterated in a written proposal last Friday, will extend Tuberville’s contract two years, through 2013. The contract will pay Tuberville an average of $3.3 million annually, starting with a $2.8 million salary in 2008 and climbing by $200,000 each year.



Tuberville’s previous deal stretched through 2011 and paid him an average of $2.9 million annually.



The deal also changes Tuberville’s buyout. The buyout clause, currently $6 million, will remain $6 million next season, then drops to $5 million in 2009 and $4 million in 2010. It will remain $4 million for the remainder of the contract.



The process concludes a lengthy period of uncertainty that began last month, when reports linked Tuberville to the vacant head-coaching job at Texas A&M. Rumors of his possible departure continued despite A&M’s hiring of Mike Sherman on Nov. 25.



The rumors hit high gear last Thursday when an Arkansas television station erroneously reported Tuberville —then vacationing in Arkansas — was close to a deal to become the University of Arkansas’ head coach. The reports were denied and withdrawn, but the controversy ignited frustration in many Auburn fans, who vented their feelings on the Internet and on talk radio.



Speaking to the Opelika-Auburn News Tuesday evening, Jacobs said the lengthy process hadn’t frustrated him as much as it bothered Auburn fans on the outside.



“When you’re involved in the game, it’s not as frustrating as it is on the sidelines watching it,” he said. “We knew we were going to get it done. The main thing is we’re going to do what’s best for Auburn. This is what’s best for Auburn.”



Tuberville is 79-33 in nine seasons at Auburn, with an undefeated season and Southeastern Conference championship in 2004. He has led the Tigers to eight consecutive bowl appearances, including this season’s Chick-fil-A matchup with Clemson on Dec. 31.



“I think it shows our appreciation for what Tommy’s done,” Jacobs said.



Jacobs and Tuberville met Nov. 26, then didn’t meet again until Tuesday. Scheduling conflicts — including Tuberville’s long-planned hunting trip to Arkansas — prevented an early meeting.



The two men were in New York on Tuesday — along with AU President Jay Gogue — for the National Football Foundation’s Hall of Fame induction banquet. They met Tuesday afternoon, before the banquet began. A press release with a formal announcement of the deal was issued at 8:16 p.m.



Jacobs said the week-long gap between meetings wasn’t due to a negotiating disagreement. The two men discussed the football team’s facilities, assistant coaches’ salaries and other athletic department issues, but none of those issues represented a sticking point, according to Jacobs.



“The assistants isn’t what held it up,” he said. “It was just a matter of getting together and finalizing it. There wasn’t any sticking point at all. It was a matter of getting together to review it one more time.”



“I’m very appreciative for this extension and look forward to continuing the success that we’ve established at Auburn,” Tuberville said in a statement released by the school. “Auburn University is a great institution and we have an outstanding athletics department. We look forward to being at Auburn for a long time.



“I’d like to thank the best college football fans in the country, the Auburn fans and the Auburn family for their support and patience over the last few weeks,” he said. “Myself and the entire coaching staff are excited about the past, present and especially the future of Auburn football.”