Is Gus Malzahn The Right Coach For Auburn?

Malzahn and Auburn

The Auburn Tigers and the Arkansas Razorbacks were both looking for a head coach. At some point they were both probably looking at the same guy. They were looking at a man who had found nothing but success at every stop. Gus Malzahn had a history with both schools. If both universities had wanted him, it would have seemed Arkansas would've been his next stop. He was not only born and raised there, but in 1984 he walked on to the Razorback football team. His first experience as a college football coach would also come at Arkansas in 2006.

Where had the pinnacle of his success come from? So far that would've been at Auburn in 2010. So it wasn't completely shocking that he would have chosen the Tigers over the Razorbacks. He's been at both schools and clearly he knew which of the two he'd rather be at. The last three head coaches that preceded Malzahn have all had undefeated records at Auburn. (Bowden 1993, Tuberville 2004, and Chizik 2010) It's not difficult to believe that Gus Malzahn will do so as well.

Frazier and Wallace

The hurry-up no-huddle offense that Malzahn believes in and runs was successful for Auburn in 2010. It has been successful everywhere it has been implemented. He runs a style of offense that is based on having the right athletes in place. The best thing you can say about coach Malzahn is that the players want to play for him. There are two quarterbacks at Auburn right now who are made for his offense. Mobility is key for a QB in Malzahn's offense. He has two mobile QB's right now in Kiehl Frazier and Jonathan Wallace.

The one thing that everyone says about Gus is that he's passionate about the game. Both coaches and players. His game has always been to spread them out and attack them quick. With the right players I think he will have incredible amounts of success. The system he runs has continuously won games everywhere he's gone. His attention to the smallest details allow him to win with less than the best players.



Watch the videos and notice how well he teaches these plays. I can see exactly why players want to learn from him.

I truly believe that this is what brought Auburn the National Championship in 2010. The plays are not all as simple as the two above, however I think his clean and clear approach in explaining the smallest details make the biggest difference. His players have a full understanding of how and why things works.




Success At Every Stop

Hughes (AR) HS  - Made it to the championship game in 1992 and 1994. 


Shiloh Christian (AR) HS (1996–2000) - Malzahn guided the Saints to back-to-back state championships in 1998 and 1999.

Springdale (AR) HS (2001-2005) -  Malzahn's 2005 squad at Springdale went 14–0, easily won the state’s Class 5A championship, outscoring their opponents 664–118, including a 54–20 victory over West Memphis in the championship game.

Arkansas (OC /WR) 2006 - Lost the Capital One Bowl and finished the season 10-4.

Tulsa (co-OC/AHC/QB) 2007-2008
      2007 - Tulsa ranked 1st in the nation in total yards per game
      2008 - Tulsa was again leading the nation with 7,980 total yards of offense averaging 570 yards per game.

Auburn (OC/QB) - 2010 BCS National Championship and Heisman Award winner Cam Newton.

Arkansas State (HC) 2012 - Conference Championship win over Middle Tennessee State, 45-0. Final record 9-3.

Phillip Marshall on Gus Malzahn

"Very Passionate"

 I like to think that even if you do not subscribe, this is a very nice post and expresses my view of Coach Malzahn and what he represents and what he will do for the program. Consider this a little bonus to today's events and for those without a subscription, it is worth getting if you love Auburn and not just football!


Gus Malzahn wasn't the first choice of the committee looking for Auburn's next football coach. Going in, he might not even have been the second choice.

But he was the final choice. That's what matters now. And don't try telling Chris Todd, Malzahn's first Auburn quarterback, it was anything but a good choice.
"I think Coach Malzahn will come in and do a great job," Todd said when the telephone caught him between sales calls Tuesday. "He's very dedicated to what he does, vey detail-oriented and very passionate. I think it's great."
When I asked Todd about concerns expressed by many that Malzahn won't stress discipline enough for a team that has had precious little of it, he laughed out loud.
"Coach Malzahn?" he said. "That's not ever going to be a problem. I don't think there is any question about that. He's always shown an expectation for toughness. Discipline has never been an issue. He expects a lot on and off the field. Even in practice, as far as small things like running on and off the field, he demands it be done right. That carries right on to the bigger things. He is very demanding and has very high expectations."
So there you have it from one who knows.
Auburn's search that began nine days ago finally concluded Tuesday afternoon when the committee of athletics director Jay Jacobs, Heisman Trophy winners Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson and highly successful businessman and former Auburn player Mac Crawford voted unanimously for Malzahn.
It didn't come easily.
They went into the weekend with Florida State head coach Jimbo Fisher as their No. 1 choice. That didn't work out. They reached out to other prominent head coaches. How many they actually contacted, how many were interested, how interested they were is uncertain and probably will stay that way.
In the end, they chose Malzahn. And if he wins big at Auburn, it won't matter whether he was the first or last pick. If he doesn't, it won't matter if he was the first or last pick.
I can tell you what I know about Malzahn from having been around for three years:
He is very demanding of himself, his staff and his players. He is fierce competitor and extremely intelligent. And if you want to make him frown, tell him he runs a spread offense.
"The biggest thing with that offense is I think a lot of people have a misconception that he is running this spread offense and everything else," Todd said. "A lot of stuff is done out of shotgun, but it's a downhill, Power-I offense coming out of the shotgun.
"You still cater to big physical running backs people like to see in the SEC. Also, you have a really good play action passing game. That downhill running game is there. Coach Malzahn does a really good job of scheming and play-calling."
Malzahn will, no doubt, hit the ground running. There is a staff to be hired, a recruiting class to pull together and additional players to recruit. And there is a fractured team that must be made whole again.
Will he do it? Will he make Auburn a big winner? No one can know that for sure about any coach. But from what I've seen of the guy, I like his chances.

Ellis Johnson Tagged as Top Candidate for Defensive Coordinator Job

Quick announcement. Just received a text message from Auburn Undercover stating that Ellis Johnson is the top target to be the next Defensive Coordinator at Auburn University. This is welcoming news and a great target. Ellis Johnson is widely considered the best defensive coordinator out there right now.

I really like Brian Van Gorder and Willie Martinez and believe they would be a solid hire for the DC and Secondary coach position that they held with Chizik. I believe they can get this thing turned around and heading in the right direction especially with BVG hiring his own defensive staff and recruiting players to his scheme. However, I like Ellis Johnson and feel we will be good with either or.

To read more, please visit: http://auburn.247sports.com/Article/Johnson-a-top-target-in-DC-search-105123

Hop on the Gus Bus! ALL IN! WDE!

Gus Malzahn Tagged as New Head Coach Down on the Plains

Expresses "Good Men On AND Off the Field"

 

           The whole saga of selecting a head coach can be a trying one. There are always going to be fans who have an opinion on the man they want to run their program. That was never more truer than today when Gus Malzahn was named the 26th coach in Auburn Football history. Before discussing the hiring process and nine day period filled with various names, I would like to touch upon a little history that started from the beginning of the year until today.
          From the start of the season, most if not all of us fans were optimistic and hopeful for the year. We had mostly gotten on board with the new OC (though if you checked the Auburn Undercover, AuburnSports, or Scouts/Rivals boards for the school, there were more than enough voices stating their displeasure and questioning Scott Loeffler as the hire) hire and the were already proclaiming the defense vastly improved with the hiring of Brian Van Gorder (BVG, aka "The 'Stache!"). We had gotten updates throughout spring and fall practice that Kiehl Frazier was absorbing the playbook, being more vocal in the leadership role, and making strong, accurate throws and improving daily. He was the lead for the QB1 spot coming out of spring. Most thought him a lock and greatly improved from the news we were getting. The defense was making adjustments as BVG would say they are learning slowly as it is a lot different than what they had previously done. Working on fundamentals, etc. was discussed and he was quite pleased with a few names (Dee Ford and Corey Lemonier received praise) and really felt like the defense was a slowly, trod instead of a quick trot.
          Fast forward to fall practice and Chizik was continuing his usual coach speak and having his infamous pressers, etc. One big question heading into the first game was who would the starting QB be? Of course most everyone assumed it was Frazier based on all the reports in the spring and some early reports in the fall. However, suspicions started taking hold and the message boards were lit up like a Christmas tree. On Auburn Undercover (a board I am a proud member of) Phillip Marshall was fending off questions left and right. He had stated there is no reason to suspect otherwise that Frazier was the starter. Plenty of members were suspicious and questioning what Phillip was saying. Some went so far as to say, "if he is that good, why hasn't Chizik named him the starter?" To which Phillip and various other members would say, "he didn't name Cam until a few days before the Arkansas State game." Turns out Frazier was selected and Clemson was coming up.
          I looked forward to that game as a return to a win for the loss last year. We had played well, the defense starting off sluggish but vastly improved in the secondary, tackling still being an issue, but holding our own and scoring on Clemson. Then came the 4th quarter melt down and a few bad calls and questionable plays. The result? 26-19 Clemson. A good, fought game but not without mistakes. Well the weeks continued to snowball and momentum picked up around the Internet about Coach Chizik and his lack of leadership, accountability, and coaching. Kids had gotten in trouble, some unfortunately lost their life to sad circumstances, and there was no improvement from week to week. Once the Arkansas game had played out, it was on the minds and tongues of many that Chizik would not be with us after this year. The losses mounted and aside from an OT win against LAMON , which had previously beaten Arkansas and Tyler Wilson the week before, had come in on a lower than low note (worse than us) and proceeded to summarily dismiss us. That was the true demise of the program and Coach Chizik and with embarrassing losses to Texas A&M (most lopsided in history), Georgia (who likes an thUGA), and Alabama (really?) Chizik was finished with his time at the university. What did we get for that? 8-5 first year and bowl win. 14-0 NC (BCS Crystal Football Title) & SEC Championship with the most dominant QB to ever grace a college football team and a record setting year culminating in a BCS Championship and Heisman winner.  Now we had fallen so far in 2 years, that Chizik was out and a replacement was to be found.

Names Come and Go, but Auburn is Forever!

 

            When the search began, the usual names cropped up: Patterson of TCU, Peterson of Boise St, Charlie Strong of Louisville, a surprise with Jimbo Fisher of FSU (having been a former Auburn assistant and calls this his dream job), and not surprisingly: the one name to rule them all BOBBY PETRINO! For 9 days a lot of us on AUC (Auburn Undercover) had to listen to the Bobby Petrino support system on why he was the best choice available, how we could win with him now, how he made the most sense, how his past transgressions (Atlanta aside since he was lied to). and how he was the messiah for Auburn was the only logical choice. Many of us defied that logic by stating he cheated on his wife (But that doesn't matter that is between him and his wife, he can coach football and that is what matters), to lying to past employers (How did he lie? He pursued other jobs. Isn't that the goal of a head coach to get to the top of the heap? He didn't lie to Atlanta, he wasn't allowed to say good-bye so he left a note what is wrong with that? At least he asked to do that and was denied hence the note.), to do we honestly want someone like that as coach that goes against the Creed and would not be able to convince a mother and father that he can guide their son on the football field and in life with morals and ethics when he was going against that very nature with the lying to his bosses, hiring a mistress with inappropriate misuse of university funds and saying there was nothing to the accident and the rumor he was committing adultery? (Oh here we go, the bible thumpers. Jesus gave second chances why cant we? He knows how to win. Strict Disciplinarian which we have lacked, can win games, guaranteed to be a winner, etc. To which a reply to that assertion was he never won against BAMA, LSU, or Georgia (one time) while at Arkansas! They replied he has more talent here and better recruiting, he will win. That shouldn't count and be used against him! Blah! Blah! Blah!). This had gone on for seemingly a month and a half (before the firing) and grew louder after the firing. This caused other coaches to take note to the divided fan base and caused some to be concern and drop out of job to be our next coach (Jimbo Fisher is reportedly one such coach to have concern and some say Pelini and Bob Stoops as well.)

Bobby Petrino Makes the List and Shoots UP!

 

          It had been stated by Phillip Marshall that he would be surprised if Petrino got the job and that he doubts he would receive an interview based on sources information given by Auburn University. That started to chance the closer we got to today and had Petrino listed as the top man to turn around the program. For about 4 days Petrino went from warm to White Hot with Jimbo Fisher right there (the committees unequivocal leader and favorite that didn't pan out after being turned down). All of a sudden, he wasn't given an interview yet and several others had: Patterson, Kirby Smart, Chad Morris, and Gus Malzahn. 

Gus Bus

 

          The Petrino supporters were upset that as of yesterday morning, he still had not received a formal interview or any contact of the kind. It came out later that he received a 35 minute phone conversation; however, Gus Malzahn had assumed the front runner position for the opening at Auburn. Fans of Petrino were outraged and called the searching committee a puppet and that this is a JABA (Just Auburn Being Auburn) and a Jay Jacobs decision. They vilified Jacobs as not learning his lesson and they were ready to commit to a mediocre hire without giving Petrino his just desserts. There were so many insiders claiming it was a done deal, that yours' truly got cussed out on his own photo on Facebook for being a know it all and saying it wouldn't be Petrino. (Looking at you S.R. How you like me now?) Finally, word came later today that Petrino had his phone conversation and the supporters all walked to the edge of the cliff. There were cries for not buying anymore Auburn gear, nor tickets, nor supporting TUF (Tigers Unlimited Foundation), or season tickets or cheering for them, etc. They got blasted for their statements and kindly shown the door. 
          About 2pm I received a text message announcing that Gus Malzahn had been chosen to be the next Auburn Football Coach. I was taken aback by the announcement because he seemingly shot up the board past Petrino and even Kirby Smart who was very impressive in his interview with the committee (for those who don't know it was made up of Samford Head Coach and former Auburn QB and First Heisman winner Pat Sullivan, Heisman winning record breaking two sport star Bo Jackson, and Mac Crawford, former Dye fullback and CEO of CVS Pharmacy along with Jacobs). That is saying something that an Alabama DC can impress standup Auburn men. It was announced mistakenly that he had gotten the job around 11pm last night. That of course was refuted and Gus Malzahn was announced today.
          It was a bit of a surprise to be sure and he wasn't my first choice, but he is genuinely a great man and a very successful coach who has won where he has been. He set records on offense and has taught some successful kids in the process. I won't go into how Chizik forced him out at Auburn or how he landed at Arkansas State because of it, but I will say that he is genuinely happy to be back and sure fits right in. I will end with my subheading of this article. He stressed one thing right out the gate and that is something we ALL can get behind.: "First order of business is to get these young men to be good both on AND OFF the field. We will get their mindset right and show them that they represent not only themselves and their parents, but they represent Auburn University, the fans, and what we stand for. We will be better and we will be playing championship football! WAR EAGLE!"
WAR DAMN EAGLE COACH MALZAHN! I am all in on the Gus Bus.

 

 

Latest Coaching News

Latest Coaching Update as of 11/26 7:00 PM

Malzahn In the Mix at Arkansas

According to Phillip Marshall:

1 p.m.

* We are told by very reliable sources that Arkansas State head coach Gus Malzahn is very much in the mix at Arkansas. Auburn also has interest, though it's not clear where he stands in relation to other candidates.


11:50 a.m.

* We are told the search for a replacement for Gene Chizik could, in the best-case scenario, be over in 3-4 days but is more likely to take 7-10 days.


* Despite rampant conspiracy theories, Pat Dye was not involved in putting together the search committee and will not be involved in the search or the eventual decision.


* Athletics director Jay Jacobs' search committee of Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Mac Crawford have agreed to what amounts to vow of silence. First-hand information is not going to be easy to get.


* The biggest question being asked today is if Bobby Petrino will get an interview. We don't have a confirmed answer. If he does, obviously his chances of being the next head coach increase dramatically.


* To the best of our knowledge, no interviews are being conducted today. That does not mean there aren't indirect talks through agents in progress.

Coaching Search Committee

Jacobs Names Search Committee

Two Heisman Winners Among Them

          So, after the announcement was made that Chizik had been fired, Jay Jacobs immediately went to work searching for a new coach. The benchmarks that Dr Gogue laid out entailed the coach be: established with a record of winning and succeeding; recognized; no up and comer; ethically and morally sound (rules out Petrino); and a leader & disciplinarian for the young men coming to Auburn. While Chizik was All In, one of the biggest complaints was that he and the whole staff were more of a buddy type system instead of a coaching system where there was accountability, leadership, and discipline. This is one thing that Dr. Gogue stressed was important in our next coach. Earlier today I posted a blog that listed some coaching names currently being considered as candidates for Auburn. Well the good news is, Jacobs has done something right in his time at Auburn University, in my opinion anyway. He has selected 3 former Auburn players to help him choose the next coach at Auburn.




Those men are:

• Bo Jackson
• Pat Sullivan
• Mac Crawford

          What more could you ask for in finding our next beloved coach than 2 former Heisman winners and a bruising fullback who is CEO of CVS Pharmacy? Personally, I love the choices Jacobs made because to me, he is just incompetent when it comes to picking coaches for our teams. Swimming, basketball, and baseball have gone down since he has taken over (even if they started that way before Housel was booted). His hiring of Chizk was questionable at best but it was a gamble that turned out perfect in 2010. I wasn't sold on Chizik when he was picked but the more he spoke in his first two years, the system he had in place, and the hard fought games I started to think he was a pretty good selection. [Who could forget the guy from the video?] Seems like the gentleman from the video, while rude, was spot on in his assessment. With that being said, who could be upset with his choice to help him find our next coach?


          What does make me worry is that these are Pay Dye players, which is no knock on their ability to lead (Pat Sullivan is coaching at Samford and instilling values and hard work to the team there. Bo Jackson is now a motivational speaker with a degree from Auburn and gives back much to the university and community.) Mac Crawford is an unknown quantity but seems to be a good man who just wants what is best for Auburn. Let's look a bit further at each man shall we?


Pat Sullivan
Sullivan, an All-American quarterback at Auburn Tigers, won the Heisman Trophy in 1971 and then played six seasons in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. He is currently the head coach at Samford University; he was previously the head coach at Texas Christian University (TCU) and the offensive coordinator at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).

Bo Jackson
Jackson, a former baseball and football player at Auburn was the first athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports, and he also won the Heisman Trophy in 1985. He was a running back for the Los Angeles Raiders and he played left field and was a designated hitter for the Kansas City Royals, the Chicago White Sox and the California Angels. Bo knows football. Bo knows coaching. Bo knows Heisman. Bo knows success, etc. you get the idea.

Mac Crawford
Crawford was a two-year letter winner at fullback for Auburn from 1968-69. Recognized as one of the country's most successful businessmen and turn-around experts , he was the Chairman of the Board of CVSCaremark and CEO and Chairman of the Board of CaremarkRx, Inc. Currently he is a private equity investor in the healthcare services industry.



          Overall, I think that is a nice group of guys to have helping select our next coach. What I would love to see was more people involved though not the power brokers at Auburn. Ultimately, this is the litmus test for our beloved university and for Jacobs. The wrong hire could set us back a decade or more. We don't need another Saban, we need someone who isn't afraid to look him in the eye, laugh, and say, "Good luck to you coach, you're going to need it." I think we can make that hire. So what do you all think? Leave your coaching comments below with who you would like to see and why?

Coaching Search Update

List of Coaching Candidates

          Here are a list of names as possible coaches at Auburn. Remember we got Sullivan and Bo (Bo knows coaches and coaching search committees). In no particular order: Jimbo Fisher, Jeff Fisher, Gus Malzahn, Kirby Smart, and Charlie Strong. Bob Stoops has also been mentioned along with Larry Fedora and Bobby Petrino. Only the last name here seems to be a real long shot and pretty much guaranteed (though his chances have went up slightly) to NOT be our coach next year.


          This is a preliminary list that has been confirmed as being candidates. There are other names that have NOT been discussed anywhere and not out in the public forums. This gives me a good feeling and I am hoping, as my friend mentioned in his latest blog, that the coach they secure will from the NFL. WDE!

Auburn Has Fired Gene Chizik

http://www.auburntigers.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/112512aab.html



Auburn head coach Gene Chizik has been fired. After a horrible season and the second worst loss in Iron Bowl history this is a move that had to be made. It was a questionable hire when Chizik was named head coach, but with Cam Newton, Gus Malzahn and Tommy Tuberville's players he won the National Championship.

It's my opinion that Auburn needs to look toward the NFL for the next head coach. There are several coaches that aren't currently coaching. The opportunity to coach in the SEC is a deal maker. If you can win the conference title then you're almost assured a spot in the championship game, or playoff when they start that in 2014. Auburn has a rich history and will be a great job worthy of a great coach.

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