AUBURN — The trait Tony Franklin most admired in Tommy Tuberville was loyalty.
In fact, he gushed about Tuberville in the pages of his tell-all book, “Fourth Down and Life to Go,” calling him “my favorite Division I head coach.”
“Tuberville is known for treating his assistants with respect and dignity and they in return are incredibly loyal to him,” Franklin wrote despite admitting at the time that he had met Tuberville only briefly.
Auburn’s assistants share a type of reverence for their boss that is uncommon in today’s world.”
If Franklin thought he would win a power struggle with Tuberville’s band of longtime assistant coaches — well, he didn’t read his own book.
The Franklin hire before last year’s bowl game was probably destined to fail for several reasons. But it certainly didn’t help that Franklin, an offensive iconoclast, found himself quickly isolated on an offensive staff that includes three coaches who have been with Tuberville for 14 years and one who has been with him for six.
al.com
10/9/08
