Arkansas State interim coach David Gunn is leading the GoDaddy.com Bowl preparations, but the school may have hit a home run for its future when it landed Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn as its new head coach. Malzahn, who is expected to be formally introduced at ASU on Wednesday afternoon, knows the territory well:
Malzahn attended high school in Fort Smith, Ark., and later attended two in-state universities. He rose to fame as a high school coach in northwest Arkansas before earning his first college job at University of Arkansas in 2006.
Many were surprised that Malzahn did not land at a more high-profile location, as he'd reportedly spurned Vanderbilt, among others, in the past, but whatever his reasons, Arkansas State will be happy to have him on board.
It probably does not affect their bowl preparations much, if at all, but the players at least can put the uncertainty about their next head coach to bed, which can't hurt.
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