No one quite understands how Gene Chizik won the job of Auburn’s new head coach after Tommy Tuberville was forced to resign. Chizik has a 5-19 record in two seasons at Iowa State University. That’s not exactly inspiring numbers.
 

But worse still, there are rumors spreading that Buffalo coach Turner Gill was passed over for the job because he’s black… and his wife is white. This is the Deep South, you know.
 

Gill took over at Buffalo when the team was struggling and led them to an 8-5 season and their first MAC championship. Those are numbers that inspire. And yet no job offer.
 

On “Outside the Lines” today, ESPN.com football writer Mark Schlabach said that two other SEC coaches told him Gill would never get the job at Auburn because he’s married to a white woman.
 

And don’t get Charles Barkley started. The Auburn alum said the only reason Gill didn’t get the job is because he’s black, plain and simple. ESPN reports:

"I'm just very disappointed," Barkley said. "I just thought Turner Gill would be the perfect choice for two reasons: He's a terrific coach and we needed to make a splash. I thought we had to do something spectacular to bring attention to the program. Clearly, if we'd hired a black coach, it would have created a buzz."

Barkley, who works as an NBA analyst for Turner Network Television, said he spoke with Gill before Gill interviewed with Auburn officials last week.

"We talked about the whole race thing in Alabama," Barkley said. "I told him it's there and it's going to be anywhere you go. I told him you can't not take the job because of racism. He was worried about being nothing more than a token interview. He was concerned about having a white wife. It's just very disappointing to me."

Maybe race really did have nothing to do with the decision. But then again, maybe not…