Football has long been the primary sport at Auburn and at other schools throughout the Southeast, but occasionally other sports step up and steal the spotlight.
That is exactly what happened at Auburn in the 2014-15 athletic year.
However, football wasn’t the only sport to struggle.
Nearly all fall and winter sports teams were outdone by their spring counterparts, with two exceptions.
Gymnastics, a winter sport, though the postseason stretches into the spring, capped off its season by placing sixth at the NCAA Championships, the second-highest finish in school history.
The team broke a combined 50 records and recorded six of the eight highest scores in program history.
Meanwhile, the equestrian team had another successful year, as they advanced to the national semifinals before being eliminated by top-ranked Georgia.
Other teams were not as successful.
Football looked to be headed toward a successful season and possibly a berth in the College Football Playoff in Gus Malzahn’s second season, but the defense unraveled down the stretch, prompting the firing of defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.
After a 7-1 start, Auburn lost four of their last five games to conclude a disappointing season.
Hopes were also high for men’s basketball, with Bruce Pearl taking over as the coach for the Tigers in 2014.
Auburn struggled, winning only four conference games before the SEC Tournament.
After disappointments from two major sports, Tiger fans needed something to cheer about, and spring sports delivered.
Baseball posted a record of 36-26, an eight-game improvement from 2014.
The Tigers won one game at the SEC Tournament and appeared in their first NCAA Regional since 2010.
The biggest surprise, however, was the newfound success and popularity of the Auburn softball team.
Clint Myers, in his second year as coach, led the Tigers to a school-record 56 wins and the Women’s College World Series.
Auburn won two games at the WCWS before being eliminated by top-ranked Florida, which went on to win the national title.
Will the fall and winter sports rebound and become competitive on a national level once again sooner rather than later?
It’s likely.
With the addition of Will Muschamp as defensive coordinator to go along with Gus Malzahn’s offense, the football team is expected to once again compete for a spot in the CFP.
Bruce Pearl has recruited well so far, and his team’s three-game win streak in the SEC Tournament shows he is building a solid foundation for the basketball program.
Will spring sports continue to excel as they did in 2015?
They’ve set a high bar for themselves, and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain this year’s production, or possibly take the next step: bringing a national championship back to Auburn.
Regardless of what the future holds, we will remember Auburn’s 2014-15 athletic year more for the beginning of ‘15 than the end of ‘14.
Evan McCullers is a sports writer for The Plainsman. He can be reached at sports@ThePlainsman.com.
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