Butch Thompson and Jack Leggett interviewing at Auburn

AUBURN – Auburn is in the process of interviewing two candidates for its open head baseball coach position.

Sources have confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser that Mississippi State pitching coach Butch Thompson and former Clemson head coach Jack Leggett are scheduled for on-campus interviews with athletics director Jay Jacobs and various athletics officials this week.

Sources close to the situation confirmed to the Montgomery Advertiser late Monday evening that Thompson is currently in Auburn and had an interview session Monday that included speaking with Jacobs, the Auburn baseball search committee and various head coaches including football coach Gus Malzahn, men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl and Auburn softball coach Clint Myers. Multiple sources close to the Mississippi State assistant coach said the 44-year-old Thompson, who interviewed on campus with Auburn officials about the opening in 2013, would again listen if contacted by Auburn officials.

Thompson is noted as one of the best pitching coaches and recruiters currently in college baseball, especially the southeastern part of the country. During his seven seasons at MSU, Thompson has involved in the development of 23 undrafted players out of high school into Major League Baseball draft picks. He was named the 2014 National Assistant Coach of the Year by both Baseball America and the American Baseball Coaches Association.

Sources have also told the Montgomery Advertiser that Thompson would consider reaching out to former Auburn All-America selection and 7-year MLB veteran Gabe Gross to join his staff as a full-time hitting coach.

Multiple phone calls and messages to Mississippi State baseball coach John Cohen were not returned.

Leggett, 61, reached the College World Series six times (1995, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006 and 2010) in his 22-year tenure at Clemson. Sources have confirmed Leggett is expected to be on Auburn’s campus this week to interview with athletics officials for the position. Leggett was fired this past season after Clemson finished the 2015 baseball season with a 32-29 record and but went 0-2 as a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Fullerton Regional.

Leggett’s 1,332 overall wins rank him 10th all-time among Division I baseball coaches and fifth among active coaches. Leggett, an American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame inductee won eight NCAA Regional titles (2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010). He won the Atlantic Coast Conference regular season championship twice (1994 and 2006) and was named ACC Coach of the Year in 1994, 1995 and 2006.

Jacobs announced in a university release on Sept. 27 that Sunny Gollowaywas being fired as Auburn’s head baseball coach with cause but did not reveal the nature of the violations in the statement. Jacobs told reporters on Oct. 1 that he wanted to get the program through fall drills, which are going on this week, before commenting on the head baseball coach search.

Jacobs announced that assistant coach Greg Norton, who played in Major League Baseball from 1996-2009, will be responsible for Auburn’s baseball operations until a new coach is hired.

In a phone interview with the Montgomery Advertiser, Golloway said he didn’t understand why he was dismissed from his position after two seasons with the Tigers program. Multiple sources have also confirmed to The Advertiser that Auburn placed associate head coach/pitching coach Tom Holliday on paid administrative leave at the same time they dismissed Golloway.

Golloway was in the third year of a five-year contract worth a reported $650,000 annually. Multiple outlets have also reported the contract contained a buyout clause and a longevity bonus of $20,000 per season to be paid out at the end of the five-year deal. By firing Golloway with cause, Auburn can claim to void the contract immediately and not be required to pay him the remainder of the deal.

In a media statement, Golloway’s attorney called the decision by Auburn “outrageous” and threatened possible litigation if a settlement on severance compensation couldn’t soon be reached between the two parties.