Tommy Tuberville is no stranger to politics in the state of Alabama. In fact, one could make the case that he’s become more known for politics ever since he became the United States senator of Alabama in 2021.
Before that, though, Tuberville was a college football coach for 21 years between stints at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech and Cincinnati. Tuberville coached at Auburn from 1999 to 2008 and boasted an 85-40 record with the Tigers, including going 5-3 in bowl games.
He may be looking to use that record to his advantage in the political sphere, but he’ll need more than just Auburn fans to vote for him as he’s now looking to run the whole state.
According to Kim Chandler of the Associated Press, Tuberville is planning on running for governor of the state of Alabama in 2026.
“Two people who have spoken with Tuberville about his plans said Thursday they expect him to announce a gubernatorial bid,” she reported. “They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk about a campaign.”
Tuberville is expected to announce a decision on Tuesday. “It was a hard decision,” Tuberville said, per the AP.
Tuberville beat incumbent Democrat Doug Jones in 2020. In that 2020 republican primary, he had beaten former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions for the republican nomination.
The current governor of Alabama, Republican Kay Ivey, can’t run again due to term limits.
In 2004, Tuberville helped Auburn go 13-0 and win the SEC. That season included a win over Alabama in the Iron Bowl and then a win in the Sugar Bowl against No. 9 Virginia Tech.
Tuberville was the Walter Camp Coach of the Year that season.
