2026-07-17 03:02:02 Gus Malzahn, Jeff Tedford to join College Football Playoff selection committee this spring – NEW WTOP Skip to main content

Gus Malzahn, Jeff Tedford to join College Football Playoff selection committee this spring

Former coaches Gus Malzahn of Auburn and Jeff Tedford of Cal will join the College Football Playoff selection committee this spring, the CFP announced Monday.

Arkansas athletic director Hunter Yurachek will return for a second year as selection committee chair, and Louisiana-Lafayette AD Bryan Maggard will join the group. The new members will serve three-year terms and replace the outgoing Chris Ault, Jeff Long and David Sayler.

“The additions of Bryan Maggard, Gus Malzahn and Jeff Tedford will introduce strong, fresh perspectives to the selection committee as we enter our 13th season,” CFP executive director Rich Clark said in a statement. “Each brings a deep understanding of the game, a genuine passion for college football and a commitment to integrity and excellence. Their diverse backgrounds as university leaders, recent coaches and former student-athletes will complement our returning members and allow for a seamless transition.”

Known for his innovative offenses during a 35-year coaching career, Malzahn was 105-62 in 13 seasons as a head coach at Arkansas State (2012), Auburn (2013-20) and Central Florida (2021-24).

He was offensive coordinator under Gene Chizik at Auburn in 2010 when Cam Newton led the Tigers to the national championship. Malzahn led Auburn back to the title game in his first year, losing to Florida State, but was fired late in the 2020 season. He retired after spending last season as Florida State’s offensive coordinator.

Tedford compiled a 126-79 record at Cal (2002-12) and Fresno State (2017-19 and 2022-23). He orchestrated a remarkable turnaround with the Golden Bears, leading them to eight bowl games and a share of the 2006 Pac-10 title.

Maggard is in his 10th year as Louisiana-Lafayette’s athletic director. ___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here and here (AP News mobile app). AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Far from the Final Four, a protest in track spells out NCAA’s drug-fighting issues across all sports

It was supposed to be a time to celebrate as the top finishers in the NCAA Division III 5,000-meter title race lined up on the eight-tiered podium to receive their trophies. Instead, when winner Seth Clevenger’s name was announced, the other seven runners stepped off their perches and walked away. With the NCAA holding its biggest party of the year at this week’s Final Four, the protest over Clevenger’s alleged use of performance enhancers at one of its smaller championships is a telling illustration of what critics see as a glaring weak spot in college sports. They point to an NCAA anti-doping policy rife with imperfections, all of which undercut the association′s ability to provide a level playing field -- a responsibility that means more than ever with growing name, image and likeness opportunities that raise the stakes for players.
Read Next Story