Three Years Ago Today, Auburn Hired Two Proven Coaches…

Three years ago today, Auburn’s AD Jay Jacobs stood in front of the press and introduced two new coaches. Arizona State’s Clint Myers was announced as the new softball coach and, later in the day, Oklahoma’s Sunny Golloway was announced as the new Baseball coach

Under pressure to deliver, Jacobs had said he was looking for proven winners who could contend for championships. He appeared he got his men in hiring Golloway and Meyers.

Auburn fans responded with celebration. And why not?  Both had more than proven themselves on the national level.

In nine years in Norman, Golloway had a 346-181-1 record and had taken the Sooners to four NCAA Super Regionals and one College World Series. In addition he had been the Head Coach at Oral Roberts University before being the skipper at OU. He took his Tulsa teams to six NCAA Regionals and won an average of more than 46 wins per season, for a .731 winning percentage.

Meyers on the other hand led his teams to the Women’s College World Series in seven of eight seasons, winning two national championships along the way. He had a 427 -105 record in Tempe, averaging 53 wins per season. Before his ASU stint, Meyers had won six national championships at Central Arizona College.

Since that day in June, 2013, the two coaches have had very different outcomes. Coach Meyers won back to back SEC Tournament Championships and twice took his team to the Women’s College World Series, narrowly missing a national championship this year.

Golloway, came in boasting his team would play in the College World Series the first year; he failed to deliver. Although the Tigers did make an NCAA regional one of those years, Golloway’s program was constantly embroiled in controversy almost from the start when he kicked veteran players and later a coach off the team. The program never really recovered from those moves and he was fired “for cause” in September, 2015. He currently is suing the school for wrongful termination.

Even though, both appeared to be outstanding hires, fulfilling Jay Jacobs’ goal to hire proven winners who could contend for championships, the two coaches are evidence that there are no guarantees when hiring coaches – even ones that are proven winners.

Auburn hired two new spring sport coaches two years ago today. Both started out with so much promise. One has delivered. The other crashed and burned.

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