#Gus Malzahn gets $21 million from Auburn to go away

Gus Malzahn’s seat finally got too hot.

After what felt like years of his job status being questioned, Auburn parted ways with him close to the end of his eighth season with a 68-35 record and two SEC West crowns, the school announced on Sunday. The buyout of $21.45 million over the next four years is big, but when you take into account the backward trend of the program, and high expectations at Auburn, the move wasn’t out of left field.

“After evaluating the state of the Auburn football program, we’ve decided that it was time to make a change in leadership,” Auburn athletic director Allen Greene said in a released statement. “We appreciate everything that Gus did for the program over the last eight seasons. We will begin a search immediately for a coach that can help the Auburn program consistently compete at the highest level.”

Playing in the rugged SEC West, the toughest division in the country most years, he won 10 games or more just twice. He did beat Alabama three times and led the Tigers to the national championship in his first season. But since losing in the SEC title game to Georgia in 2017, Malzagn went 23-15, failing to finish higher than third in the SEC West.

He’ll get another shot. It was time at Auburn.