This week we're talking with Tommy Tuberville, the former Auburn head football coach who has thrown his name in the hat for the U.S. Senate.

Before we get to that, let's quickly go over the state of play the Senate race because a LOT has happened in the last ten days. Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth is officially not going to pursue the seat. Neither will Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh. Ainsworth cited being able to spend time at home with his family in Alabama and focusing on his new job as Lieutenant Governor as his main reasons for staying out. Marsh said the partisan nature of the U.S. Senate had lost its appeal in recent weeks and months, and that he enjoyed "getting things done" in the State Senate. Both men had done extensive polling on the race. Sources with knowledge of those numbers said it probably wasn't in the cards for Marsh, at least not without a significant ad campaign to raise his name ID. Del actually polls pretty well in the Birmingham media market, probably from all those ads he ran in the last election, but he'd have a lot of work to do in other markets. Ainsworth polls pretty strongly, which is residual carryover from his statewide race in 2018. However, the entrance of Tuberville gave him competition in the “outsider” lane.

Also not running, sort of officially: Congressman Mo Brooks. Brooks told a group of constituents that it would take a "seismic" event to get him to enter the race at this point. I interpret that to mean Mitch McConnell or Donald Trump - or both - calling him up and asking him to run. That is, how can I put this, unlikely.

In any case, those are three potentially prominent candidates no longer a part of the conversation. That leaves Congressman Bradley Byrne, who announced in February, and Tuberville, who announced last week. Maybe it was by coincidence, or maybe not, but Byrne spent this week campaigning in Lee County and Etowah County, the backyards of Tuberville and Marsh, respectively. Besides a healthy amount of cash, Byrne’s main advantage in this race is a well-established network of staff and volunteers situated throughout the state. Many were involved in his 2010 gubernatorial campaign and are still advocating for Byrne at the local level.

Washington, D.C-based Club for Growth is still searching for a candidate to compete with Byrne. Having struck out with Ainsworth, Brooks, and Gary Palmer (and perhaps others), Club is moving onto Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill. Sources familiar with the situation tell IAPthat Merrill is being vetted and interviewed by Club representatives. No one pounds the pavement harder than Merrill, and that alone makes him a serious candidate. However, his federal fundraising prowess has yet to be tested and you’d have to think the baggage from the 2014 campaign would come out in a more serious way in a U.S. Senate race.

And, of course, the elephant in the room is Roy Moore, who many expect to enter the race soon. What does soon mean? Maybe by this summer? Moore still commands around 20 percent of support within the GOP electorate, give or take a few points. That's the kind of number that would just dare a guy like him to jump in, despite what happened last time.

But back to Tuberville. I find his entrance into the race interesting for a few reasons. For one, he seems to be taking it seriously and he is being taken seriously as a candidate. He's done a slew of media over the last ten days and done a pretty good job. Second, he's fitting into the "outsider" lane more naturally that I thought he could. For the crowd that just doesn't want anyone who is part of the current political establishment, a former coach who communicates well could be an attractive choice.

I really enjoyed interviewing Coach Tuberville. I was at Auburn for the height of the Tuberville era at Auburn and I have fond memories of lots of games from that time. I also have some bad memories, for what it's worth. We talked about why he decided to get in the race, what issues he really wants to press, how he plans on catching up to more experienced candidates on policy, and a little football.

Tuberville strikes me as sincere and interested. Who knows where his candidacy will go, but for now he has brought some intrigue to the race. Here's our interview.