Auburn Football: Top 3 head coaching candidates to replace Gus Malzahn

2. Mario Cristobal

Mario Cristobal is going to be a hot name in head-coaching circles, especially until the Ducks step up and give him a big-money extension. So far, he’s 24-9 at Oregon and is fresh off a Rose Bowl win.

If Michigan ends up having an opening, he would likely be a candidate there and you could easily see Auburn football going after him too. He’s in Oregon right now, but he’s very familiar with the Florida area and he’s known as being an exceptional recruiter.

Obviously, Oregon is a very good job and one of the better Power-5 jobs in the country, but the SEC has a certain pull and Auburn, as I said is one of those places that has resources to win.

It not only takes innovation to win at beat Nick Saban, but you have to be able to recruit and with Cristobal, the Tigers would likely recruit at a very high level. They would also be getting a hot name that’s been a proven winner at multiple stops.