MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville is considering running for Alabama governor in 2018.

The 62-year-old Arkansas native tells the Associated Press that he's discussing his options with potential backers. Tuberville says he's awaiting poll results that will gauge public support.

Tuberville, center, has never held elected office but describes his life in college football as "being in politics for the last 40 years." AP Photo/Rob Carr

Tuberville coached at Auburn from 1999 to 2008 before finishing his career at Texas Tech and Cincinnati. He's among the most successful coaches in Auburn history but spent part of his tenure at odds with the school's most powerful boosters.

Tuberville has never held elected office but describes his life in college football as "being in politics for the last 40 years."

He would enter an Alabama political arena wracked with turmoil.

Gov. Robert Bentley faces calls for impeachment and allegations that he used state resources to pursue an affair. Term limits bar Bentley from running again next year.