Rhoads says path to Auburn is long term
Paul Rhoads knows coaches often seem like job-hunting nomads - and Auburn's defensive coordinators have been no exception.
The Tigers' latest defensive boss can point to the fact that he turned down the job six years ago to remain at Pitt as proof that he tends to stay put longer.
"My profession is very nomadic, but if you look my track record, I don't follow that," Rhoads said Friday, his first official day on the job in Auburn. "I've been very stable in my stops and my progression along the way."
Rhoads spent the past eight seasons as Pitt's coordinator, most coming after turning down the same job at Auburn in 2002. He has now become the fourth to hold the position for coach Tommy Tuberville since then.
That group includes Will Muschamp, who left after the season to run the defense at Texas.
"What appeals to me obviously is the chance to compete at the very highest level in college football," said Rhoads, who reportedly received a two-year contract. "I don't think there's much argument that the Southeastern Conference is the premier football conference in the country. The opportunity to meet that challenge head-on at an institution that plays football as well as Auburn University does, that was the obvious appeal to me."
Rhoads, 40, joined Pitt in 2000 after spending five seasons at Iowa State, where he coached the inside linebackers for one season and the secondary for four seasons. Rhoads, a former player at Missouri Western, was an assistant at Pacific from 1992-94.
London Calling: Mike London's career has included four years at Richmond as a defensive back, a one-year stay in the NFL as a defensive assistant and six years at Virginia, the past two as coordinator for one of the nation's top defenses.
All that work earned him a homecoming.
The 47-year-old London was introduced as the new coach of the Spiders just eight days after Dave Clawson resigned to become the offensive coordinator at Tennessee. London becomes the first former Richmond player to guide the team since Ed Merrick from 1951-65 and the first black coach of a major program at Richmond.
"This has always been a job that, had it come open, it would have been the right job," London said. He got it on his second try, having interviewed four years ago when Clawson was hired.
During the interview process, the one-time city of Richmond police detective was asked by school president Edward Ayers about the pressure of high expectations.
"Pressure was when I was a Richmond city detective and had to serve a search warrant," London said he told Ayers as the room erupted in laughter. "That's pressure."
other college football news:
Former Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid said he will transfer to Texas Southern for his final season.
Connecticut coach Randy Edsall agreed to a five-year contract averaging $1.5 million annually.
[More at www.knoxnews.com]
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