New Baseball Coach

With the departure of fCSG, Auburn needs a new baseball coach. With Fall practice starting and the 2016 season only 5 months away, this is just about the worst time to try to find a coach. Couple that with Auburn being pretty meh over the last 20 years, this hire will not be easy.

If I am Jacobs, I am going to form a committee, just like the Gus and Pearl hires, and let them do work. I would however insist upon vetting out the following three coaches.

1. Butch Thompson Bio Butch has coached at Auburn before and he is a top-notch pitching coach. He isn't a head coach so it would be easier to pull him here at this time than a head coach.
2. Mervyl Melendez Bio Mervyl has turned two separate programs that were bottom feeders into serious contenders. Both Bethune-Cookman and Alabama State were has been programs til he got there. I have followed his career quite intently since his Bethune-Cookman squad played Auburn several years ago. I believe is a top-flight coach and is a winner. I would have been happy had we have hired him 2 years ago. Him being at ASU makes a transition to Auburn favorable with the timing.
3. Alan Dunn Bio Dunn was just named the 2015 Top Pitching Coach in the Country. In his 4 years at LSU he has produced an All-American pitcher every year. He has spent many years in the pros and knows how to develop talent. He has spent time with a H.O.F. coach in Maneri and has had time to familiarize himself with college recruiting.

I think one of these three of these will be our next coach and I don't think any of them would be a bad hire that we would have to do over again in 4 years.