Gene Chizik won’t comment on Sheridan allegations

Auburn coach Gene Chizik would not comment on remarks made by national sports analyst Danny Sheridan alleging Auburn has pulled two assistant coaches off the road from recruiting due to possible NCAA rules violations.

“I don’t have time for all of that,” Chizik said. “I’ve got one direct focus: that is my team and my players. That has nothing to do with us winning. Whoever said what has nothing to do with anything, so I am not getting into any of that stuff. I’ve got one track, and that is our players and our coaches and trying to get us to the next win, so, all of that stuff, I have no comment on that.”

AL.com reported on Sheridan’s comments which came during and after a speech Monday night to the Tuscaloosa Quarterback Club.

“Based on what I’ve heard, the NCAA is looking at their program,” Sheridan said in the report. “I’ll say that on the record. I will quickly say, I hope they are exonerated. But if it’s true that they’ve taken two of their coaches off the road, that generally speaking is not a good sign. Usually when you take a coach off the road, it’s an effort to placate the NCAA.”

Sheridan’s accusations come less than a week after Auburn University President Jay Gogue issued a statement saying he shared many of the same concerns regarding performance of the football program as those he has heard from members of the “Auburn Family” and the program would be evaluated in an “objective, thorough and professional process.”

Chizik has not commented on Gogue’s statement, which made no mention of him or Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs, but after Saturday’s loss said he had did not “hear or see” the statement.

Chizik is under contract through 2015 with an annual salary of $3.5 million. He has a buyout which will depreciate to $7.5 million on Dec. 1 of this year which, if exercised, would be paid out over the remaining term of the contract and offset by any compensation he earns elsewhere during that time.