The Auburn Tigers are in the midst of a full blown search for their next head coach after parting ways with Hugh Freeze following two and a half seasons which simply did not produce enough wins for fans or administration to be satisfied.

Despite the momentum Freeze was able to create on the recruiting trail, he simply couldn’t translate it to the field and things were not showing any signs of getting better anytime soon. Now, it’s up to director of athletics at Auburn John Cohen to figure out who the coach is to take the program back to glory, and there’s one guy that has been floated more than anyone else.

Huntsville native and former Troy head coach as well as current Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall has been seen as the hottest name out there even since before the Tigers got rid of Freeze, and most signs are pointing to Sumrall being the guy for Cohen.]

During a recent appearance on the Next Round, national college football reporter for CBS Sports Brandon Marcello issued a stern warning to Cohen and told him Sumrall should be the choice.

“Yeah, it just makes sense,” Marcello said when asked if Sumrall is Auburn’s guy. “John Cohen isn’t talking to me, he’s not picking up my phone calls. But I know he’s the search committee. Just don’t outthink it, John. Don’t outthink yourself, don’t think about social media, don’t think about the reaction, go hire Jon Sumrall. And I’ll tell ya right now, you go hire Jon Sumrall, Auburn’s winning 10 games here within the next two years, just put me down saying that right now.”

Whether or not Cohen takes Marcello’s advice remains to be seen, but he certainly is the most popular name and at this point, it feels like hiring someone else would be a surprise.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.