What to Make of the Rich McGlynn Hire

Auburn University President Chris Roberts announced Tuesday that Rich McGlynn will be the interim Auburn Athletic Director until a permanent hire can be made. McGlynn takes over the responsibilities held by Auburn athletics chief operating officer Marcy Girton, who stepped in after the departure of former AD Allen Greene.

While McGlynn may not be a household name, he has been a member of the Auburn household for almost 20 years now, proving highly competent and an invaluable member of the Auburn family.

So what do we know about McGlynn?

• He has worked at Auburn since 2006.
• He previously oversaw the university’s compliance office.
• Before coming to Auburn he worked at the NCAA.
• He navigated the university’s response to both the Cam Newton and Chuck Person situations.

McGlynn checks all of the boxes you would want in a caretaker athletic director. He has been responsible for keeping Auburn out of trouble with the NCAA, which means he plays by the rules. He reportedly has an excellent relationship with Coach Bruce Pearl, who reportedly has become one of the most influential people in the athletic department after the departures of Allen Greene and Gus Malzahn. And, McGlynn has been at Auburn for 18 years, which means he knows how to uphold Auburn values and knows what is expected from the coaches within the department.

When Roberts announced McGlynn would be the interim AD, he also mentioned the university would begin a national search for a permanent replacement for Greene. We would assume that means McGlynn would not be a candidate for the AD on a permanent basis which would allow him to run the the day-to-day operations of the department and assist in finding a permanent replacement.

Roberts’ naming of McGlynn is a solid decision that will keep the ship righted as we go into football season and the athletics department goes under the microscope more than it does during any other part of the year.