Chizik to be guest analyst for ESPNU on signing day

AUBURN – Former Auburn football coach Gene Chizik will be a guest analyst for ESPNU’s coverage of National Signing Day on Feb. 6, the network announced Thursday.

Chizik will be joined in studio by former Tennessee coach Derek Dooley to provide “insight into their experiences with the day last year and first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to recruit in a conference that has nine schools ranked in the Top 20 class rankings,” according to a release from ESPN.

Both Chizik and Dooley were fired at the end of last season. Auburn fired Chizik on Nov. 25, one day after losing 49-0 to eventual BCS National Champion Alabama in the Iron Bowl to complete an 3-9 season and 0-8 SEC campaign – the worst season in 60 years for the program.

Auburn is still paying Chizik as part of his $7.5 million buyout and any compensation he earns during the remainder of the term of his contract offsets against what the university owes him. It will be the first public appearance for Chizik, who led the Tigers to the 2010 BCS National Championship, since his firing.

Auburn and Alabama are among the 13 schools where ESPNU will have a reporter on scene for signing day. Tom Rinaldi will be in Tuscaloosa and Paul Carcaterra will be in Auburn as the network’s coverage begins at 8 a.m. Central Time Feb. 6.