re: Sounds like ADAG will be gone really soon.

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Speaking of Muschamp, if things go down, I wouldn't be shocked at all

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Auburn is still in the early stages of its search for a new athletic director. In fact, Wednesday is Allen Greene’s last day on the job, after he resigned from his post last week.

The goal is for Auburn to first find a suitable interim AD before launching a national search for Greene’s full-time replacement.

And a highly successful Group of Five AD — just like Greene was when Auburn hired him from Buffalo — has expressed interest.

Utah State athletic director John Hartwell was asked Wednesday on WNSP 105.5 in Mobile, Alabama, about his name surfacing as a possible candidate in Auburn’s impending search. He certainly didn’t deny being in the early mix for the job.

“My name being associated with that job is a total credit to our student-athletes’ and our coaches’ success at Utah State,” Hartwell said.


Hired in the summer of 2015, Hartwell’s success at Utah State — and at Troy before that — has made him one of the most well-regarded athletic directors at the Group of Five level.

“That’s flattering to be associated with the job,” Hartwell said. “To answer your question, I still think it’s one of the very best jobs in the entire country. If they called I would absolutely listen.”


Hartwell is familiar with both Auburn and Greene. His parents, his sisters and his grandparents all graduated from Auburn, so he grew up a Tigers fan. Hartwell also crossed over with Greene at Ole Miss, when he worked in the financial department of the athletics program, and Greene was the Rebels’ assistant AD in 2012.

Hartwell’s name was also in the mix for the job in 2018, when Greene was ultimately hired to replace Jay Jacobs.

“There’s been some odd situations there,” Hartwell said of Auburn and Greene’s exit.

In its two major sports, Utah State has excelled in recent years, thanks to a couple head-coaching hires by Hartwell. He landed Blake Anderson ahead of last season to lead the football program, and the Aggies went 11-3 and ended the season ranked for the first time in three years.

Utah State men’s basketball made two NCAA tournaments in three seasons under Craig Smith, whom Hartwell hired in 2018. Smith took the job at Utah ahead of last season, and his replacement, Ryan Odom, went 18-16 in Year 1.

“The opportunity to potential lead a program in the SEC — in my home state where I’ve had long-time family affiliation with — I would certainly listen,” Harwell said.


Greene’s contract was set to expire in January, and there were no indications that Auburn and new president Christopher Roberts had discussed an extension.

“The decision to step away from Auburn athletics is not an easy one, but it is the right time for me to begin the next step in my professional journey,” Greene said last week.

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“That’s flattering to be associated with the job,” Hartwell said. “To answer your question, I still think it’s one of the very best jobs in the entire country. If they called I would absolutely listen.”

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