Auburn’s Jay Jacobs seems more comfortable

The time Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs spent with members of the Dothan-area media last week was a wise move. In the half-hour I sat down with him in the radio studio, he was candid and believable.

From this corner, it was time somebody from the school explained to the grass-roots sector of the Auburn fan base what went down between former coach Tommy Tuberville and the administration.

Frankly, Jacobs looked shaky when he faced the media in the days that ensued following Tuberville’s departure. Last week, he appeared much more at ease, direct, and sold on the direction of his football program. And, just as he told Eagle sports editor Jon Johnson and myself, he insists it was Tuberville who initiated everything.

“Tommy came in and said he was tired, he’d lost 15 pounds and his wife had been after him for two years to quit,” Jacobs said. “And to be honest, he looked tired.”

Everyone who watched the Tigers from the midpoint of the season on last year could see that as well. And his team reflected its coach’s personality, appearing listless and uninspired.

As to the baffling $5 million payoff to Tuberville despite the coach resigning, Jacobs said it was all President Jay Gogue’s idea.

“It was the Auburn thing to do,” Jacobs said. “(Tuberville) had generated millions of dollars for the school while he was there.”

Jacobs went on to explain a couple of other lingering questions: Why not play UCLA in next year’s wildly popular Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta, and what about a future game with Troy?

“The UCLA game was all something ESPN was trying to work out, something that happens all the time,” he said. “I had two conversations with them that lasted about two minutes. I never even told coach (Gene) Chizik about it until it was all over. I simply said we are not going to break any more contracts while I’m the athletics director, because we had a reputation for doing that. I said I’d be glad to play them in 2012 or 2013, but we’ve got Clemson in 2010 and 2011 and I wasn’t going to add another BCS opponent.”

As for Troy, Jacobs acknowledged the emergence of the Trojans both on and off the field as a legitimate contender.

“They’ve done a great job there,” Jacobs said, referring to the administration and the coaching staff. “But we went head-to-head with them Tommy’s last year in recruiting for a couple of kids. Why would I help their program? So no, we’re not going to play them while I’m here.”

Meanwhile, the new basketball arena will be open for the 2010-11 season, an addition Jacobs hopes will be a shot in the arm to Jeff Lebo’s inconsistent program.

“He’s doing a good job,” Jacobs said. “We’ve just got to win some games.”

Phil Paramore’s column appears Tuesday and Friday in The Dothan Eagle. He can be heard weekday mornings from 7-9 on AM 560 WOOF or at www.woofradio.com.