On Monday, the College Football Playoff (CFP) Management Committee announced that former Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn had been named to the CFP Selection Committee.
Malzahn, who hung up his visor and playcall sheet in February, will begin a three-year term with the CFP committee starting this spring. Dr. Bryan Maggard, athletics director at Louisiana, and Jeff Tedford, former head coach at Cal and Fresno State, were also named to the selection committee.
In addition to leading the Auburn program from 2013 to 2020, Malzahn served as head coach at Arkansas State and the University of Central Florida. He also coordinated offenses at Arkansas, Tulsa, Auburn and most recently Florida State.
Rich Clark, executive director of the CFP, said of the three new appointees, "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. 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."
The CFP wrote of Malzahn as follows:
Gus Malzahn spent 35 years in the coaching ranks, known for his innovative offensive philosophy and consistent success at the highest levels of the sport. His resume includes a national championship, a second National Championship Game appearance, three conference championships and eight conference championship game appearances. He spent 13 years as a head coach at Arkansas State (2012), Auburn (2013-20), and UCF (2021-24), posting a career record of 105-62.
His Auburn teams reached the postseason in all eight of his seasons and won two SEC Western Division titles. In 2013, his first season as head coach at Auburn, he led a remarkable turnaround taking over a team that finished with three wins the season before and leading the program to a 12-2 record, the SEC championship, and a spot in the BCS National Championship Game.
Malzahn had a decorated career as an offensive coordinator with Arkansas, Tulsa, Auburn, and most recently Florida State. He earned the 2010 Broyles Award as the nation's best assistant coach while directing Cam Newton and an offense that powered Auburn to the school's first national championship since 1957.
Before entering collegiate coaching, Malzahn was a high school head coach in Arkansas for 14 seasons. His overall record of 144-36-1 included three state championships. Malzahn was inducted into the Arkansas High School Sports Hall of Fame in 2013 and is the only coach to earn 100 wins as an FBS head coach and as a high school head coach.
Malzahn earned his bachelor's degree in physical education from Henderson State in 1990. He began his collegiate career at Arkansas, playing wide receiver for the Razorbacks in 1984 and 1985 before transferring to Henderson State.
In a tweet, Malzahn called it an "honor" to be on the committee.
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