http://rootzoo.com/articles/view/NCAA-Football/General/My-opinion-on-Auburns-hire-of-Gene-Chizik_9777
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Go Gatorspromised earlier that I would be back later tonight with my opinion and
breakdown on the hire, so here I am, still as confused as I was earlier
this afternoon. I've been mulling this over all day, at least since we
first heard about the hire, and I can't say it's growing on me at all.
Usually I can trick myself into liking a hire because of some underlying thing that was missing on first impression .
Not so with this case, this is just a bad hire all the way around and
there is really no way to mask that fact. That giant elephant in the
room? Yeah, that's Nick Saban.
Not so with this case, this is just a bad hire all the way around and
there is really no way to mask that fact. That giant elephant in the
room? Yeah, that's Nick Saban.
So
here we stand, less than a month after one of the best football coaches
in Auburn history, Tommy Tuberville, stepped down (or was fired, or
whatever you want to believe about that situation) after ten years in
charge and with a very impressive 85-40 record, including an SEC
Championship and an undefeated season. You also can't forget that
Tuberville was able to string together SIX straight victories over
Alabama before falling this year, in Tuscaloosa, 36-0.
here we stand, less than a month after one of the best football coaches
in Auburn history, Tommy Tuberville, stepped down (or was fired, or
whatever you want to believe about that situation) after ten years in
charge and with a very impressive 85-40 record, including an SEC
Championship and an undefeated season. You also can't forget that
Tuberville was able to string together SIX straight victories over
Alabama before falling this year, in Tuscaloosa, 36-0.
But
now, instead of Mike Leach, Jim Grobe, Gary Patterson, or Turner Gill
we all stand here staring, wide eyed, at Gene Chizik and trying to place
just how exactly he ended up here. There were plenty of coaches that
could have been hired here. There were rumors that Brady Hoke, Todd
Graham, Turner Gill, and Gary Patterson, could end up here. While none
of those names were exactly great candidates (as I mentioned in this
thread:
http://www.rootzoo.com/threads/view/NCAA-Football/Southeastern-Conference-SEC/Why-Tommy-Tubervilles-firingresignation-was-a-HORRIBLE-move-for-Auburn_205051)
they certainly aren't horrible hires. In fact, these potential hires
were only bad when compared with Nick Saban and, be honest, was anyone
not named Meyer, Stoops, Brown, or Carroll ever going to look good when
compared directly to Nick Saban?
now, instead of Mike Leach, Jim Grobe, Gary Patterson, or Turner Gill
we all stand here staring, wide eyed, at Gene Chizik and trying to place
just how exactly he ended up here. There were plenty of coaches that
could have been hired here. There were rumors that Brady Hoke, Todd
Graham, Turner Gill, and Gary Patterson, could end up here. While none
of those names were exactly great candidates (as I mentioned in this
thread:
http://www.rootzoo.com/threads/view/NCAA-Football/Southeastern-Conference-SEC/Why-Tommy-Tubervilles-firingresignation-was-a-HORRIBLE-move-for-Auburn_205051)
they certainly aren't horrible hires. In fact, these potential hires
were only bad when compared with Nick Saban and, be honest, was anyone
not named Meyer, Stoops, Brown, or Carroll ever going to look good when
compared directly to Nick Saban?
Brady
Hoke has resurrected a once dormant Ball State football program. In
his second year, the Cardinals reached a low of 2-9 before this year,
just three years removed from that 2-9 season, they reached as high as
the 12th ranked team in the country (which, admittedly, I decried in
this thread:
http://www.rootzoo.com/threads/view/NCAA-Football/Mid-American-Conference/Petition-to-the-pollsters..._202784)
and ran through a perfect 12-0 regular season before falling short to
Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game. Hoke, certainly, knows his Xs and
Os and can coach players (see his development of Nate Davis into a
premier quarterback for exhibit A, B, and C). He would have been a
great fit for Auburn and would have rejuvenated a program with his young
fire and energy.
Hoke has resurrected a once dormant Ball State football program. In
his second year, the Cardinals reached a low of 2-9 before this year,
just three years removed from that 2-9 season, they reached as high as
the 12th ranked team in the country (which, admittedly, I decried in
this thread:
http://www.rootzoo.com/threads/view/NCAA-Football/Mid-American-Conference/Petition-to-the-pollsters..._202784)
and ran through a perfect 12-0 regular season before falling short to
Buffalo in the MAC Championship Game. Hoke, certainly, knows his Xs and
Os and can coach players (see his development of Nate Davis into a
premier quarterback for exhibit A, B, and C). He would have been a
great fit for Auburn and would have rejuvenated a program with his young
fire and energy.
Todd
Graham would have been another great pick. He has turned Tulsa into a
point a minute offense that could score from anywhere on the field at
any time. If Auburn was looking to rebuild it's lackluster offense,
Graham would have been the way to go. During his time at Tulsa, the
Golden Hurricanes have averaged 45.44 points per game in 27 games.
Graham has also proved to have success through his three year coachingcareer ,
as he has gone 27-13 over three years (one year at Rice, two years at
Tulsa). What was wrong with Todd Graham? That I'm not entirely sure.
He helped build a solid base at Rice, a base that current coach Dave
Bailiff is now continuing to build. Graham would have been a great fit
at Auburn, as well, for much the same reasons Brady Hoke would have. He
is a young coach that could bring some energy back into the Auburn
football program. Whenever you consider his offensive pedigree, as
well, Graham seems to be an even better fit than Hoke would have been.
Graham would have been another great pick. He has turned Tulsa into a
point a minute offense that could score from anywhere on the field at
any time. If Auburn was looking to rebuild it's lackluster offense,
Graham would have been the way to go. During his time at Tulsa, the
Golden Hurricanes have averaged 45.44 points per game in 27 games.
Graham has also proved to have success through his three year coaching
as he has gone 27-13 over three years (one year at Rice, two years at
Tulsa). What was wrong with Todd Graham? That I'm not entirely sure.
He helped build a solid base at Rice, a base that current coach Dave
Bailiff is now continuing to build. Graham would have been a great fit
at Auburn, as well, for much the same reasons Brady Hoke would have. He
is a young coach that could bring some energy back into the Auburn
football program. Whenever you consider his offensive pedigree, as
well, Graham seems to be an even better fit than Hoke would have been.
Then
we get to Turner Gill. The praises that have been sung about this man
over the past month are absolutely true. What he has done at Buffalo
has been absolutely nothing short of a miracle. Gill became the head
coach at Buffalo in 2006, following stints with Nebraska and the Green
Bay Packers, taking over a team that had gone a combined 10-69 in the
seven years that they had been a member of D-1A (now FBS) football. In
2006, Gill did not do much different, as his team limped to a 2-10
record. 2007 saw a turnaround, as the team went to 5-7 before this
year's magical breakout year of 8-5 and the MAC Championship. Gill has
lead the Bulls to five more wins (15) in his three years, than they had
in the seven years prior to his arrival. Once Syracuse whiffed in their
head coaching search and went with Doug Marrone over Turner Gill,
Auburn was handed Gill on a silver platter. What happened? They
whiffed on him too. To be quite honest, Turner Gill was the best
candidate possible for Auburn. He SHOULD be the head coach at Auburn
tonight, not Gene Chizik.
we get to Turner Gill. The praises that have been sung about this man
over the past month are absolutely true. What he has done at Buffalo
has been absolutely nothing short of a miracle. Gill became the head
coach at Buffalo in 2006, following stints with Nebraska and the Green
Bay Packers, taking over a team that had gone a combined 10-69 in the
seven years that they had been a member of D-1A (now FBS) football. In
2006, Gill did not do much different, as his team limped to a 2-10
record. 2007 saw a turnaround, as the team went to 5-7 before this
year's magical breakout year of 8-5 and the MAC Championship. Gill has
lead the Bulls to five more wins (15) in his three years, than they had
in the seven years prior to his arrival. Once Syracuse whiffed in their
head coaching search and went with Doug Marrone over Turner Gill,
Auburn was handed Gill on a silver platter. What happened? They
whiffed on him too. To be quite honest, Turner Gill was the best
candidate possible for Auburn. He SHOULD be the head coach at Auburn
tonight, not Gene Chizik.
Gary
Patterson was another solid choice to replace Tommy Tuberville. What
he has done with TCU has been nothing short of amazing. He has taken an
also ran program that was an afterthought in most people's minds and
made them one of the nation's most consistent football programs that
constantly ranks in the top 25 year in and year out. He has an
outstanding record of 71-27 in his career (all eight years have been
spent at TCU) and is one of the hardest working coaches you could ever
hope to have lead your team. Patterson was, undoubtedly, the most
experienced coach on the Auburn shortlist and likely would have been
just as great for Auburn as he has been for TCU over the last eight
years. However, Patterson is still the head coach at TCU tonight.
Auburn missed a great chance to snatch up a solid head coach who is
destined for bigger and better things.
Patterson was another solid choice to replace Tommy Tuberville. What
he has done with TCU has been nothing short of amazing. He has taken an
also ran program that was an afterthought in most people's minds and
made them one of the nation's most consistent football programs that
constantly ranks in the top 25 year in and year out. He has an
outstanding record of 71-27 in his career (all eight years have been
spent at TCU) and is one of the hardest working coaches you could ever
hope to have lead your team. Patterson was, undoubtedly, the most
experienced coach on the Auburn shortlist and likely would have been
just as great for Auburn as he has been for TCU over the last eight
years. However, Patterson is still the head coach at TCU tonight.
Auburn missed a great chance to snatch up a solid head coach who is
destined for bigger and better things.
Will
Muschamp entered this discussion late yesterday and seemed to be the
one destined for the job. When he was named Texas' head coach in
waiting, many knew that it was just a ploy on the part of the Longhorns
not to lose one of the nation's best coordinators, Muschamp has earned
every bit of the praise that has been lauded on him. Muschamp has a
history with Auburn, replacing Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator when
he went to Texas (on a side note, what's with the connection between
Auburn defensive coordinators leaving for Texas?), and he would have
been a solid replacement. In all honesty, though, he falls short of the
other three names that were really mentioned with this job as he has no
head coaching experience. A school such as Auburn and a program as
prestigious as Auburn, should NEVER be a head coaching debut.
Muschamp entered this discussion late yesterday and seemed to be the
one destined for the job. When he was named Texas' head coach in
waiting, many knew that it was just a ploy on the part of the Longhorns
not to lose one of the nation's best coordinators, Muschamp has earned
every bit of the praise that has been lauded on him. Muschamp has a
history with Auburn, replacing Gene Chizik as defensive coordinator when
he went to Texas (on a side note, what's with the connection between
Auburn defensive coordinators leaving for Texas?), and he would have
been a solid replacement. In all honesty, though, he falls short of the
other three names that were really mentioned with this job as he has no
head coaching experience. A school such as Auburn and a program as
prestigious as Auburn, should NEVER be a head coaching debut.
With
all of those potential replacements laid out and examined, we then
arrive at the winner in this whole scenario, Gene Chizik. So how did
Chizik get here? He started with one of the best defenses ever
assembled, as his 2004 Auburn defense only allowed 11.8 points per game
and then followed that up, after following that aforementioned pipeline
from Auburn to Texas, with a national championship winning defense with
Texas in 2005. Chizik then moved on, as one of the hottest young
coordinators in the country, to his first head coaching position at Iowa
State before the 2007 season. While his 2007 season was certainly
nothing to write home about, the Cyclones did show some improvement late
in the season with wins against Kansas State and Colorado before
finishing 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12. However, the 2008 season
will certainly go down as one of the worst in the long, futile history
of Iowa State football. His Cyclones started 2-0 (and garnered votes in
top 25 polls), before losing 10 straight, including all 8 Big 12 games,
to finish 2-10 and 0-8 in the Big 12.
all of those potential replacements laid out and examined, we then
arrive at the winner in this whole scenario, Gene Chizik. So how did
Chizik get here? He started with one of the best defenses ever
assembled, as his 2004 Auburn defense only allowed 11.8 points per game
and then followed that up, after following that aforementioned pipeline
from Auburn to Texas, with a national championship winning defense with
Texas in 2005. Chizik then moved on, as one of the hottest young
coordinators in the country, to his first head coaching position at Iowa
State before the 2007 season. While his 2007 season was certainly
nothing to write home about, the Cyclones did show some improvement late
in the season with wins against Kansas State and Colorado before
finishing 3-9 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12. However, the 2008 season
will certainly go down as one of the worst in the long, futile history
of Iowa State football. His Cyclones started 2-0 (and garnered votes in
top 25 polls), before losing 10 straight, including all 8 Big 12 games,
to finish 2-10 and 0-8 in the Big 12.
So
how is man who went 5-19 in his two years of being a head coach getting
a job at Auburn? That's what I'm left scratching my head about.
Chizik got this job on his reputation from his time as a defensive
coordinator, obviously, but one really has to wonder if that reputation
wasn't somewhat tarnished by that 5-19 performance as a head coach?
how is man who went 5-19 in his two years of being a head coach getting
a job at Auburn? That's what I'm left scratching my head about.
Chizik got this job on his reputation from his time as a defensive
coordinator, obviously, but one really has to wonder if that reputation
wasn't somewhat tarnished by that 5-19 performance as a head coach?
The
two pieces don't add up here and I can't help but get the idea of Mike
Leach out of my mind. How does Mike Leach fit into all of this, you
ask? I firmly believe that Auburn pulled the trigger on Tommy
Tuberville with the assumption that Leach would come running. That
didn't happen and Mike Leach is still in Lubbock and still the head
coach of the Red Raiders. Then, it seems, Auburn had no plan B. Their
coaching search was a giant, stumbling mess as names were being thrown
around with no real idea what was actually going on. Desperation is
what lead to Gene Chizik getting the phone call and getting the job in
Auburn.
two pieces don't add up here and I can't help but get the idea of Mike
Leach out of my mind. How does Mike Leach fit into all of this, you
ask? I firmly believe that Auburn pulled the trigger on Tommy
Tuberville with the assumption that Leach would come running. That
didn't happen and Mike Leach is still in Lubbock and still the head
coach of the Red Raiders. Then, it seems, Auburn had no plan B. Their
coaching search was a giant, stumbling mess as names were being thrown
around with no real idea what was actually going on. Desperation is
what lead to Gene Chizik getting the phone call and getting the job in
Auburn.
Auburn
HAD to make a splash hire here. They had to replicate what Alabama did
with Nick Saban two years ago. They had to shock the college football
world. They did, but not in the way they were hoping. Instead of
shocking the college football world by bringing in a hot, young coach
the Tigers instead shocked the college football world with the same
horrible decision making that lead to Jetgate back in 2003, when Auburn
was exposed for attempting to lure former offensive coordinator Bobby
Petrino back to Auburn WHILE TUBERVILLE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF COACHING A
FOOTBALL GAME.
HAD to make a splash hire here. They had to replicate what Alabama did
with Nick Saban two years ago. They had to shock the college football
world. They did, but not in the way they were hoping. Instead of
shocking the college football world by bringing in a hot, young coach
the Tigers instead shocked the college football world with the same
horrible decision making that lead to Jetgate back in 2003, when Auburn
was exposed for attempting to lure former offensive coordinator Bobby
Petrino back to Auburn WHILE TUBERVILLE WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF COACHING A
FOOTBALL GAME.
Gene
Chizik was not the kind of shock that Auburn needed. Instead, all
Auburn has managed to do is reinforce the notion that Auburn really does
have the "little brother" syndrome when it comes to Alabama.
Chizik was not the kind of shock that Auburn needed. Instead, all
Auburn has managed to do is reinforce the notion that Auburn really does
have the "little brother" syndrome when it comes to Alabama.
Before I wrap this up, I've prepared a little "Winners/Losers" section from this whole mess to try to clear it up a little:
Winners:
Gene
Chizik: How often do you get to go 5-19 and get a new, more
prestigious job than the one you had? Chizik may go down as the worst
hire in Auburn football, if not all of college football, history.
Chizik: How often do you get to go 5-19 and get a new, more
prestigious job than the one you had? Chizik may go down as the worst
hire in Auburn football, if not all of college football, history.
Iowa
State: How often do you get to unload a coach who went 5-19 in two
years and start over again without actually having to fire him?
State: How often do you get to unload a coach who went 5-19 in two
years and start over again without actually having to fire him?
Tommy
Tuberville: How often do you get fired but still get the chance to
laugh at your former employer as they fell all over themselves in a head
coaching search? Tubbs gets the last laugh, after all.
Tuberville: How often do you get fired but still get the chance to
laugh at your former employer as they fell all over themselves in a head
coaching search? Tubbs gets the last laugh, after all.
Losers:
Turner
Gill: Now that Syracuse has named Doug Marrone head coach and Auburn
has passed on Gill, it now seems like college football's brightest star
will spend another year in Buffalo before getting his big chance.
Gill: Now that Syracuse has named Doug Marrone head coach and Auburn
has passed on Gill, it now seems like college football's brightest star
will spend another year in Buffalo before getting his big chance.
Auburn: Read the story to see why they are the biggest losers in all of this, and IT'S THEIR OWN FAULT!
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