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AUBURN – According to multiple reports, Auburn running backs coach Tim Horton will not be the next head coach at North Texas. According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, TCU co-offensive coordinator Doug Meacham and North Carolina assistant Seth Littrell are the two primary candidates, according to people familiar with the situation. The Denton Record-Chronicle reported on Nov. 22 through a Freedom of Information Act request that Horton was one of at least seven to have applied for the University of North Texas opening, which has been open since the school fired Dan McCarney on Oct. 10. McCarney was 22-32 in five seasons at North Texas but started 0-5 this season and was dismissed after a after a 66–7 loss to Football Championship Subdivision opponent Portland State. Horton is in his third season at Auburn and produced back-to-back seasons where an Auburn running back (Tre Mason and Cameron Artis-Payne) led the Southeastern Conference in rushing in 2013 and 2014. Peyton Barber is currently 24 yards short of becoming the seventh different 1,000-yard rusher under Horton’s guidance since 2007. “Tim's an outstanding coach, an outstanding person, outstanding recruiter,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said on Nov. 10. “He's got all the things to be a very successful head coach in the future.” A 27-year coaching veteran, Horton was recognized by Rivals.com and ESPN.com as one of the nation's top recruiters during his tenure at Arkansas. read more: http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/auburnauthority/2015/11/30/report-horton-not-selected-north-texas-head-coach/76586772/

Horton has shown an interest in becoming a head coach in recent years. He was reportedly one of the top candidates at Georgia Southern, which recently moved into the Sun Belt, but turned down the opportunity because of his family recently moving from Arkansas to Alabama. "I don't want to (become a head coach) at the expense of my family and now I have a daughter at college who is a freshman at Auburn, and it's probably a little easier to move on from here -- just because I want to be a dad first," Horton told AL.com in August. "It's kinda old-fashioned, maybe, but that's just the way I think. I want to be a good dad first." "Well, I don't know anything about Tim and other jobs," Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "I really don't. He and I haven't talked about that, so that's kind of the first I've heard of it. I know Tim's like me — we're as deep as we can be in getting ready for this week. That being said, Tim does a great job here. He'd be an excellent coach as a head coach. That's kind of the first I've heard of it. As far as I know and as far as I think he is, he's really happy here and has done a really good job for us." "I believe in running the football just like coach Malzahn believes in running the football," he said. "I think what we do at Auburn is terrific. I do think this, though, for any head coaching job: in a certain sense you've got to tailor it to fit that school. For example, I spent seven seasons coaching at the Air Force Academy, I worked with Fisher DeBerry, who is a College Football Hall of Famer. Great man, great coach. I don't know if our system here at Auburn would work at Air Force. I think at Air Force you probably need to run the triple option. I think that's the offense that gives you the best chance to win, because to be honest, athletically, you're probably going to be out-athleted most Saturdays. I think you do have to tweak it to the school that you're at but I love what we do at Auburn. If and when I'm a head coach, that's what I'll do." read more: http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2015/11/auburn_assistant_submits_resum.html “Tim's an outstanding coach, an outstanding person, outstanding recruiter,” Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said on Nov. 10. “He's got all the things to be a very successful head coach in the future.” http://www.montgomeryadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/auburnauthority/2015/11/22/report-tim-horton-applies-north-texas-opening/76241406/