Tommy Tuberville can relate.

The former Auburn coach knows exactly what Gus Malzahn is facing. In fact, it appears if you have been the head coach at Auburn in recent years, you have a pretty good idea.

Last week, former Auburn coach Gene Chizik defended Malzahn on ESPN radio, saying he was “fighting an uphill battle.”

On Wednesday, Tuberville joined me and Lee Shirvanian on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 and talked about Chizik’s comments.

“Gene’s been there,” Tuberville explained. “I’ve been there. It’s just a tough situation. Gus has been there six years now and done an admirable job. He went to the dang finals and lost to Florida State. It’s been up and down where everybody wants consistency. Unfortunately at Auburn, you have a lot of people who stick their nose in who know nothing about football. That’s basically what he is saying.”

“The people at Auburn have a knee jerk reaction or at least in the past they have, because of what’s going on across the state," Chizik said on Friday. "And it’s never gonna change.”

Still, Tuberville was optimistic about Auburn’s future.

“Auburn will get it back,” he said. "Auburn’s always been resilient. It usually fights through it. When I left, two years later - with mostly my players - they won the national championship. A couple of years later, Gene Chizik was gone. They bring Gus in. And he goes to the national championship game.

"It’s tough, not just for Gus, but any coach at Auburn. Those are things they really shouldn’t have to deal with."

Tuberville, who coached Auburn from 1999-2008, has been very vocal this season about reports coming out of Auburn. Last month, there were reports Auburn - or someone linked to Auburn - reaching out to former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops.

It was something he called “typical Auburn.”

“There’s problems in Auburn,” said Tuberville, who led the Tigers to an undefeated season in 2004. “There’s always been problems in Auburn. And, for some reason, they will continue to be problems in Auburn.”

Auburn meets Purdue on Friday in the Music City Bowl. Check out full coverage here.