Charles Barkley wants Auburn to hire an African-American coach, saying
it would do a lot for the state of Alabama, which is almost certainly
true. The current list of candidates are UAB coach Mike Anderson;
Indiana's Mike Davis, Jeff Capel, Gonzaga coach Mark Few, and
Jeff Lebo.
We haven't heard anything to indicate Jeff Capel is seriously looking at this
position. We hope not. Jeff will do well wherever he goes, but we think he can do better.
Regardless of Barkley's argument, just looking down this list, Mark
Few's name jumps out. That Gonzaga is now considered a flop for losing
early in the tournament underscores what has happened at that school. He'd
be nuts to leave there for Auburn, which also really underscores what a great
job Gonzaga has become. Auburn, as we have said before, is a football school,
and basketball will always be second fiddle. Why would Few leave a
tremendous basketball situation for that?
You could make an argument that for Davis, it would be a good move. He's a native of Alabama, and in an impossible situation at Indiana. And it would be a great platform for Mike Anderson, because succeeding long-term at UAB is going to be tough. But for most people, Auburn would be a tough job.