Since the firing of Bryan Harsin, the Auburn Tigers have been playing some inspired football and looking as good as they have all season. The players and fans alike are feeding off the energy and life brought into the program by former star running back and current interim head coach Carnell “Cadillac” Williams and it shows both on the field and in the stands.
Now, depending on who you ask, the prospect of Williams actually becoming Auburn’s next permanent head coach can sound ridiculous or it can sound somewhat possible. Yesterday on The Game Plan, former Tigers QB Ben Leard said that if Auburn were to miss out on the huge names, i.e. Lane Kiffin and Deion Sanders, then Williams should get the job:
On The Game Plan, former Auburn QB @btleard tells @Schultzycast that if Auburn misses out on the absolute top-tier hires like Lane Kiffin and Deion Sanders, then Cadillac Williams should get the job: pic.twitter.com/fkVbWe4lpR
— 105.5 WNSP (@1055wnsp) November 16, 2022
I tend to agree with Leard here. Of course, let’s see how things play out for Auburn over the next couple of weeks, but you simply don’t see the kind of life in a stadium that you saw in Auburn on Saturday night for a game between two 3-6 teams. This is what Williams brings to the program.
Of course, Auburn needs to do their due diligence and make a run at the Kiffin’s of the world, but if they do miss out on the top tier guys, why the heck should they settle for their fourth choice rather than just giving the job to Williams? Auburn is having fun and playing the best ball they have played all season, and there were 20 plus elite recruits that were there to witness the party at Jordan-Hare on Saturday night. After the Bryan Harsin disaster, Auburn needs someone that players can get excited to play for.
Ultimately, I do not believe that the Auburn coaching search will end in the hiring of Williams due to it being such a tough sell to those in charge at Auburn. After all, they want the flashy hire. Not to mention, Auburn did only beat a team that was 3-6 and miserable offensively 13-10, and Williams has never really been a head coach at any level before this experience.
That all being said, if Auburn beats the heck out of Western Kentucky this week and gives Alabama a game in Bryant-Denny Stadium, serious consideration should be given to keeping Williams in the head role. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen, but “Coach Cadillac” would sound pretty dang good to a lot of the Auburn fanbase.