Gus Malzahn, right, was Gene Chizik's OC and replaced him as head coach.

AUBURN, Ala. - Gus Malzahn will try against Central Florida inthe Peach Bowl on Jan. 1 to equal the program record for wins by an Auburn head football coach in his first five seasons.

Malzahn is 45-21 going into Auburn’s game at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. He has won a Southeastern Conference championship, played for another and played for a national championship. He is the only coach in Auburn history to win a championship in his first season.

Auburn has had seven head football coaches since Shug Jordan took over in 1951. With a win in the Peach Bowl, Malzahn can match Terry Bowden’s five-year total of 46 wins. Starting with Jordan’s arrival in 1951, Malzahn,Gene Chizik and Pat Dye are the only Auburn coaches to win championships in their first five seasons.

Bowden posted records in his first five seasons that will be difficult to match. He was 46-12-1 overall, winning 78.8 percent of his games, and 29-10 in the SEC, winning 73.7 percent of his games. He won his first 20 games.

Ironically, Bowden resigned after a 1-5 start in 1998, choosing to leave when he became convinced he would be fired at season’s end.

Dye was 42-18 overall in his first five seasons, winning 70 percent of his games. He was 19-11 in the SEC, winning 63.3 percent. He won an SEC championship in 1983, his third season and then had disappointing seasons in 1984 and 1985. He won 10 games in 1986 and then won three straight SEC championships.

Malzahn has won 68.1 percent of his games overall and has gone 25-15 in the SEC for 62.5 percent.

Here is a comparison of the first five seasons of each Auburn coach, starting with Jordan:

SHUG JORDAN 1951-55

1951: 5-5, 3-4

1952: 2-8, 0-7

1953: 7-3-1, 4-2-1

1954: 8-3, 3-3

1955: 8-2-1, 5-1-1

Total: 30-21-2 (.566) 15-17-2 (.441)

Noteworthy

-- Inherited a program that had gone 0-10 the previous season and had won just nine games the previous five seasons.

-- Only coach in study to have a losing SEC record in his first five seasons.

-- Went on to win the national championship and his only SEC championship in 1957.

-- Teams finished nationally ranked 13 times.

-- Had 13 consecutive winning seasons from 1953-1965.

-- Retired in 1975 after 25 seasons. He remains Auburn’s winningest coach.

DOUG BARFIELD 1976-1980

1976: 4-7, 3-3

1977: 6-5, 5-1

1978: 6-4-1, 3-2-1

1979: 8-3, 4-2

1980: 5-6, 0-6

Total: 29-25-1 (.536), 15-14-1 (.516)

Noteworthy

-- Rebuilt program after a 4-7 start in 1976.

-- Finish 1979 season ranked No. 16.

-- Was let go after a disappointing season in 1980.

-- Promoted from offensive coordinator when Jordan retired after the 1975 season.

PAT DYE 1981-85

1981: 5-6, 2-4

1982: 9-3, 4-2

1983: 11-1, 6-0

1984: 9-4, 4-2

1985: 8-4, 3-3

Total: 42-18 (.700), 19-11(.633)

Noteworthy

-- Won Auburn’s first SEC championship since 1957 in 1983 and finished ranked No. 3.

-- Went on to win four SEC championships in 12 seasons.

-- Named New York Times national champion in 1983.

TERRY BOWDEN 1993-1997

1994: 11-0, 8-0

1995: 9-1-1, 6-1-1

1995: 8-4, 5-3

1996: 8-4, 4-4

1997: 10-3, 6-2

46-12-1 (.788), 29-10-1 (.737)

Noteworthy

-- Went 11-0 in his first season and won his first 20 games, both firsts in Division I football.

-- Holds program record for a coach in his first five seasons with a .788 overall winning percentage and .737 winning percentage in SEC games.

-- Took Auburn to its first SEC Championship Game in 1997, falling 30-29 to Tennessee.

-- Resigned midway through his sixth season in 1998 after starting 1-5.

TOMMY TUBERVILLE 1999-2003

1999: 5-6, 2-6

2000: 9-4, 6-2

2001: 7-5, 5-3

2002: 9-4, 5-3

2003: 8-5, 5-3

Total: 38-24 (.612), 23-17 (.575).

Noteworthy

-- Beat Alabama six straight times and seven out of eight.

-- Averaged 8.5 wins per season in 10 seasons.

-- In his second through ninth seasons, he averaged 9.5 wins per season.

-- Won 16 out of 17 games against SEC opponents in 2004 and 2005 and 22 out of 25 in 2004-2006.

-- Resigned after going 5-7 in 2008.

GENE CHIZIK 2009-2012 (4 YEARS)

2009: 8-5, 3-5

2010: 14-0, 8-0

2011: 8-5, 4-4

2012: 3-9, 0-8

Total: 33-19 (.634), 15-17 (.468)

Noteworthy

-- Won the national championship, going 14-0 in 2010, his second season.

-- Fired after going 3-9 in 2012.

-- Auburn defensive coordinator in 2002-2004.

-- Oversaw greatest comeback in school history from a 24-0 deficit at Alabama in 2010.

GUS MALZHN 2013-present

2013: 12-2, 7-1

2014: 8-5, 4-4

2015: 7-6, 2-6

2016: 8-5, 5-3

2017: 10-3, 7-1 (one game to play)

Total: 45-21 (.681), 25-15 (.625).

Noteworthy

-- Won SEC championship and lost in the BCS Championship Game in 2013, his first season.

-- Won SEC West and played in SEC Championship Game this season after beating No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama in November.

-- Served as Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2009-2011, coaching Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton.

-- Joined Terry Bowden as the only coaches in modern Auburn history to start their tenures with five straight winning seasons.

-- Has taken three Auburn teams to New Year’s Six bowls.

-- With a win over Central Florida in the Peach Bowl, can match Terry Bowden with 46 wins in his first five seasons.

-- Only coach in Auburn history to win an SEC championship in his first season.