The last month has not been kind to the public image of former Auburn football head coach turned Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville. His recent political statements, including a misunderstanding of ex-President Donald J. Trump’s pledge to exempt service worker gratuities from the federal income tax, have drawn significant criticism. On Monday, he demanded that Trump turn America back into the country he “grew up in,” although Tuberville grew up in the South during Jim Crow. However, these controversies pale compared to an old coaching horror story from Tuberville’s time with the Auburn Tigers that resurfaced earlier this month.
In a recent episode of The McCready and Siskey Podcast, co-host Tyler Siskey, a former wide receiver with the Auburn Tigers, shared a surprising karma-filled story about his relationship with Tuberville. College football fans are now reliving the time Tuberville, while operating as the head coach with the Texas Tech Red Raiders, unexpectedly walked out of a team dinner to accept the frontman position with the Cincinnati Bearcats. This unexpected move left many in shock and sparked a wave of discussions among fans.
Tommy Tuberville: Uncermonoius transition from Texas Tech to Cincinnati
From a record standpoint, Tommy Tuberville and the Auburn football program dominated in the early 2000s. Tuberville led the team to eight straight bowl games from 2000 to 2007, including an undefeated record and a Sugar Bowl win in 2004. However, after a brutal 5-7 record in 2008 and the firing of his offensive coordinator, the now 69-year-old resigned. After just a year hiatus, Tuberville rejoined the college football world, landing the head coaching gig at Texas Tech on the heels of the Mike Leach firing.
Despite his past success, the Arkansas native struggled to replicate it at Texas Tech, posting a 20-17 record. Nevertheless, the University of Cincinnati backed up the Brink’s truck for Tuberville before the team’s bowl game. Cincinnati’s offer was so lucrative that Tuberville left Texas Tech in an unexpected and disrespectful manner.
The legend goes, according to junior college recruit Devonte Danzey, Tuberville stepped away from a team-sanctioned dinner in mid-December, never to return. Danzey didn’t know then, but Tuberville fielded a call from the Cincinnati Bearcats. After likely hearing the multi-million dollar contract waiting for him, he never returned to touch his meal. During a Tuberville-less campus tour the following day, Danzey and his fellow recruits learned about the latter’s departure to Cincinnati. Tuberville signed for $2.2 million and did not coach the team’s bowl game victory. This controversial departure from Texas Tech and his subsequent struggles at Cincinnati has been a topic of much debate among college football fans.
Tommy Tuberville, while head coach at Texas Tech, left a recruit *in the middle of dinner* to go take another job (from which he was ultimately fired). One of the slimier ones in a profession full of them (football coaches AND legislators). https://t.co/GLcA3tsWHV
— Cheese For Everyone! (@CheeseForEvery1) June 10, 2024
Tommy Tuberville scammed veterans in his own charity.
Got Lubbock authorities to look the other way when his drunk wife crashed into & killed an elderly person.
Ducked out the bathroom during a football recruitment dinner because he took the job at Cincy w/o telling players.
— Latino Donald Trump (@latinodonjtrump) June 11, 2024
I have it on good authority that Tuberville was the Texas Tech coach out to dinner with his assistants and recruits. He gets a call, excuses himself from the table, accepts the Cincinnati HC job, and simply walks out, leaving to coaches & recruits wondering why he didn’t return
— Mark Morris (@MarkMDawgFan) June 10, 2024
Have a buddy that went to Tech and he told me Tuberville literally left recruits at a dinner to take the Cincinnati job.
— BRF1 (@BRFuriousOne) June 10, 2024
Texas Tech guy here. Haven’t trusted Tuberville since he crawled out the bathroom window during a recruiting visit and ran to Cincinnati.
— TexasDude 🌵 (@JimOReilly1011) June 9, 2024
Did he tip when he snuck out of a dinner with a recruits family at Texas Tech to take the Cincinnati job?
— ucf (@ucf4lyfe) June 18, 2024
Tubbs was at Texas Tech when one of ours was on OV there. Got up in the middle of dinner, said bye and left that night to take job at cincy.
— Jayson Roberts (@tech813coach) June 13, 2024
Tuberville: Karma Costs Auburn Football 3x National Champion Winning Quarterback
This month, the Tommy Tuberville horror stories have taken full swing on social media. However, none of this would have likely happened if not for Tyler Siskey of the McCready and Siskey Podcast, sharing the impact of his relationship with Tuberville that would define the college football landscape in the late 2000s. Siskey, a wide receiver at Auburn during the hiring of Tuberville, was ousted by the bench boss after he added six wideouts to the recruiting trail. Tuberville handed Siskey his already signed and printed release forms, “Tyler, I signed six wide receivers yesterday. If you have any more aspirations of running out of that tunnel, it will be on the visiting sideline. Would you like your release?”
Siskey also accounts how Tuberville released another Auburn football player from his scholarship unannounced. However, Tuberville’s lack of decency proved costly for him years later. In 2007, Siskey, now with St. Paul’s Episcopal, ran into Tuberville when the Auburn head coach came to recruit. Upon realizing Siskey’s identity, Tuberville attempted to smooth things over with the former wideout, but the now offensive coordinator remained unfazed. “If they ask me about you, I’m going to tell them the truth,” said Siskey. Tuberville did not land any recruits from St. Paul’s Episcopal. Among them were future three-time BCS National Champion A.J. McCarron and All-American safety Mark Barron.
For More Football News:
For More Football News and to dive into the excitement, follow me on Twitter at @alec_musa. Let’s get the conversation rolling! I’m all ears for your thoughts and insights. You can also reach out to me via email at musaalec@gmail.com. To read more of our articles and keep up to date on the latest college and NFL news, click here!
