Whatever sources the Washington Post was using to report that Gus Malzahn had entered a verbal agreement with Vanderbilt University, they appear to be a touch flighty. ESPN.com's Chris Low, a reliably reliable sort, is reporting that the Auburn defensive coordinator has turned down a multimillion-dollar offer to become the head football coach of the Commodores.
Low's source also indicates that Malzahn "has decided to stay at Auburn," but December's not even half over yet. There are many spins of the coaching carousel still to come. Malzahn could be holding out for a shot at a job where he'd have an easier time succeeding, like the Pitt vacancy. He could be harboring dark hopes that Rich Rodriguez is cast off by Michigan following the Wolverines' trip to the Gator Bowl, thinking to angle for that more prestigious gig. Or he could be content with his lot as the offensive steward of a hotshot team gunning for a national title. Or he deeply loathes overprocessed country music. Your guess is as good as ours, which is to say useless, is our point.
SB Nation's Anchor of Gold suggests a bidding war may have played a part in Malzahn's decision, but we'll likely never know for sure about that, either. This development puts Maryland OC James Franklin back in the mix as the Commodores' reported second choice; we'll have more on him when there's more to report.
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