Less than 24 hours after Auburn lost 49-0 to arch rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl, university officials fired Tigers head football coach Gene Chizik.

Chizik’s firing comes two years after Auburn won the 2010 BCS National Championship. His record at AU was 33-19.

Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton helped lead the Tigers to a perfect 14-0 season.

At the time, the Tigers were led by former quarterback Cam Newton, who helped lead Chizik’s team to a perfect 14-0 season.

Since Newton’s departure to the NFL, Auburn has compiled an 11-14 record.

This seasons 3-9 mark was the worst the university has seen in 60 years.

Fan reaction to Chizik’s firing on The Star-News’ Facebook page has been mixed.

“I really think that Gene Chizik knew that this was about to happen (Sunday) and you could see it all over his face (at the game on Saturday),” Jackie Stuckey said.

Jama Jenkins, who isn’t an Auburn fan, said the firing was “ridiculous.”

“If the Auburn football program lets coaches have free reign over their recruitment and training processes, they might have a winning team,” she said. “The athletic department needs to let coaches do their job.”

In the past two seasons, Auburn lost former offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who took a head coaching job at Arkansas State; and former defensive coordinator Ted Roof, who is coaching at Penn State.

Craig Mercer, an Alabama fan, said despite the loss to Alabama and how the Tigers faired this season, firing Chizik was a big mistake.

“Auburn fans should really pull together and stand up for him,” Mercer said. “They were all about Chizik when he took them to the national championship game and won, but most of the credit for that went to the players.

“If that’s the case, then most of the blame for a losing season should also go to the players, but nope, it falls on the coach every time,” he said. “If players don’t do their job, you are not going to win.”

Auburn has put together a search committee of former players Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan and Mac Crawford to help look for the Tigers’ next coach.