And the #1 answer for "The most terrible Fucking Coaching Decision Ever..."

[Snaggletiger]

Most HCs get a house much like a preacher with a parsonage. He would have gotten that at a lot of places.

Tooberville is still trying to sell his house in Auburn.  Lord Saybinz built a phat azz house on the river.  Still, even if he is given a house to live in, that's an enormous benefit.

[Godfather]

Tooberville is still trying to sell his house in Auburn. 

I thought you bought that bitch?

[Kaos]

I would never take a promotion for a 50% pay cut. NEVER.

What if you faced the very real possibility that the job you were in would be eliminated within a year.  Would you stay where you were and ride it out with your fingers crossed or take the 50% cut with a guarantee of three years plus a new house that you didn't have to pay for. 

Only two options for Malzhan really. 

1) Stay and hope he could turn things around.  Downside?  What if he doesn't.  He saw Roof eased gently out the door for a lesser job.  This is a HC position, which regardless of pay, outranks coordinator.  BIG difference in answering to somebody and being in charge.  Big. 

2) Leave for either another OC job or take a HC job at a place he thinks he can win and use that as a springboard to a BCS level job in a couple of years.  Larry Fedora, Urban Meyer, Saban.  All followed that route.  All did pretty okay. 


It's pretty obvious to me that this season of dysfunction (whether you blame diapers, Tuberville, Trotsley or bad attitudes) had the guy scratching his head.  He tried all the usual things he's always tried and none of them worked. If he stays he's got to modify what he does probably.  And if it doesn't work?  He's screwed. 

Time to go?  Yeah.  And Arky State makes sense. 

Is there REALLY that much difference between 850k and 1,300,000 if you live in Fuckerstick Arkansas?  And don't pooh-pooh the house deal.  He wasn't getting free residence in AU. 

[AUTiger1]

Crazy theory?  What if in all his interviews he was asked about his lack of HC experience and felt like he had to take something like the Arky St job to build his name up as a HC and not just be a top OC at a program?  Could that be the case?  Could him and Chizik left on good terms?

[JR4AU]

What if you faced the very real possibility that the job you were in would be eliminated within a year.  Would you stay where you were and ride it out with your fingers crossed or take the 50% cut with a guarantee of three years plus a new house that you didn't have to pay for. 

Only two options for Malzhan really. 

1) Stay and hope he could turn things around.  Downside?  What if he doesn't.  He saw Roof eased gently out the door for a lesser job.  This is a HC position, which regardless of pay, outranks coordinator.  BIG difference in answering to somebody and being in charge.  Big. 

2) Leave for either another OC job or take a HC job at a place he thinks he can win and use that as a springboard to a BCS level job in a couple of years.  Larry Fedora, Urban Meyer, Saban.  All followed that route.  All did pretty okay. 


It's pretty obvious to me that this season of dysfunction (whether you blame diapers, Tuberville, Trotsley or bad attitudes) had the guy scratching his head.  He tried all the usual things he's always tried and none of them worked. If he stays he's got to modify what he does probably.  And if it doesn't work?  He's screwed. 

Time to go?  Yeah.  And Arky State makes sense. 

Is there REALLY that much difference between 850k and 1,300,000 if you live in Fuckerstick Arkansas?  And don't pooh-pooh the house deal.  He wasn't getting free residence in AU.

Gets it...mostly.

By the way the "Auburn is crumbling" train has left the station and is to warp speed on WJOX.

[Buzz Killington]

Crazy theory?  What if in all his interviews he was asked about his lack of HC experience and felt like he had to take something like the Arky St job to build his name up as a HC and not just be a top OC at a program?  Could that be the case?  Could him and Chizik left on good terms?

No.  No way.  Haven't you seen Joe Shat's tweets?  He was happy to get out of Dodge.  The program will go down hard unless Troopa Taylor leaves as well.  I just got hit by a big 'ol piece of the sky this morning, so I'm staying in until the Chikin Bowl so I don't get hit again.

[GH2001]

What if you faced the very real possibility that the job you were in would be eliminated within a year.  Would you stay where you were and ride it out with your fingers crossed or take the 50% cut with a guarantee of three years plus a new house that you didn't have to pay for. 

Only two options for Malzhan really. 

1) Stay and hope he could turn things around.  Downside?  What if he doesn't.  He saw Roof eased gently out the door for a lesser job.  This is a HC position, which regardless of pay, outranks coordinator.  BIG difference in answering to somebody and being in charge.  Big. 

2) Leave for either another OC job or take a HC job at a place he thinks he can win and use that as a springboard to a BCS level job in a couple of years.  Larry Fedora, Urban Meyer, Saban.  All followed that route.  All did pretty okay. 


It's pretty obvious to me that this season of dysfunction (whether you blame diapers, Tuberville, Trotsley or bad attitudes) had the guy scratching his head.  He tried all the usual things he's always tried and none of them worked. If he stays he's got to modify what he does probably.  And if it doesn't work?  He's screwed. 

Time to go?  Yeah.  And Arky State makes sense. 

Is there REALLY that much difference between 850k and 1,300,000 if you live in Fuckerstick Arkansas?  And don't pooh-pooh the house deal.  He wasn't getting free residence in AU.

I think your first paragraph is probably his train of thought. Not saying he panicked, but he saw a way out, in his home state, with a pretty good salary. It was worth the cut for him apparently.

[Godfather]

What if you faced the very real possibility that the job you were in would be eliminated within a year.  Would you stay where you were and ride it out with your fingers crossed or take the 50% cut with a guarantee of three years plus a new house that you didn't have to pay for. 

Only two options for Malzhan really. 

1) Stay and hope he could turn things around.  Downside?  What if he doesn't.  He saw Roof eased gently out the door for a lesser job.  This is a HC position, which regardless of pay, outranks coordinator.  BIG difference in answering to somebody and being in charge.  Big. 

2) Leave for either another OC job or take a HC job at a place he thinks he can win and use that as a springboard to a BCS level job in a couple of years.  Larry Fedora, Urban Meyer, Saban.  All followed that route.  All did pretty okay. 


It's pretty obvious to me that this season of dysfunction (whether you blame diapers, Tuberville, Trotsley or bad attitudes) had the guy scratching his head.  He tried all the usual things he's always tried and none of them worked. If he stays he's got to modify what he does probably.  And if it doesn't work?  He's screwed. 

Time to go?  Yeah.  And Arky State makes sense. 

Is there REALLY that much difference between 850k and 1,300,000 if you live in Fuckerstick Arkansas?  And don't pooh-pooh the house deal.  He wasn't getting free residence in AU.

Precisely!

It is also not all about money for everyone, he is still getting a buttload of it.  IMO it is also a job with A LOT less stress.  He was getting attacked from bammers and the Auburn Family.

[Kaos]

I think your first paragraph is probably his train of thought. Not saying he panicked, but he saw a way out, in his home state, with a pretty good salary. It was worth the cut for him apparently.

Ten years ago I left a stable company making a very good salary with plenty of benefits to take a chance on finishing/selling a piece of software my partner and I developed, had ONE order for and believed in. 

Didn't even have enough money to rent a real office, had to trade out doing software maintenance work for a guy to have a one-room office space.   I went from making a guaranteed $xx,xxx to no guarantee at all.  Wasn't even able to pay myself for a while. 

I still remember my incredulous boss asking me what I was thinking.  Why would I trade my salary and bennies for that? 

Why?  Because I got to be my own boss. I got to make the decisions.  I didn't have to rely on some CEO/CIO choosing a path and then shoving it on me to implement when it was quite possibly the most ignorant thing I'd ever heard of.  I got to make the ignorant decisions. 

Because I didn't trade my position for a higher one in that company (or another) with added pressures and expectations I was able to learn and grow on my own.  Looking back if the today me was the boss of the ten year ago me, I would fire myself for some of the blunders I made getting this thing off the ground and running.  But I also probably wouldn't have done some of the things that succeeded beyond my anticipation. 

Risk?  Yep.  Reward?  Check. 

So don't tell me nobody would ever take the right opportunity for less money.  If you believe in what you do and think the opportunity is right, less money is always temporary situation. 

I'd like to take the time now to publicly thank my wife for sticking with me when I vaulted out of my previous position ten years ago.  She trusted me to do what's right and now that I think about it, that took a lot of trust on her part.  Just dawned on me how much trust it took. 

[JR4AU]

Ten years ago I left a stable company making a very good salary with plenty of benefits to take a chance on finishing/selling a piece of software my partner and I developed, had ONE order for and believed in. 

Didn't even have enough money to rent a real office, had to trade out doing software maintenance work for a guy to have a one-room office space.   I went from making a guaranteed $xx,xxx to no guarantee at all.  Wasn't even able to pay myself for a while. 

I still remember my incredulous boss asking me what I was thinking.  Why would I trade my salary and bennies for that? 

Why?  Because I got to be my own boss. I got to make the decisions.  I didn't have to rely on some CEO/CIO choosing a path and then shoving it on me to implement when it was quite possibly the most ignorant thing I'd ever heard of.  I got to make the ignorant decisions. 

Because I didn't trade my position for a higher one in that company (or another) with added pressures and expectations I was able to learn and grow on my own.  Looking back if the today me was the boss of the ten year ago me, I would fire myself for some of the blunders I made getting this thing off the ground and running.  But I also probably wouldn't have done some of the things that succeeded beyond my anticipation. 

Risk?  Yep.  Reward?  Check. 

So don't tell me nobody would ever take the right opportunity for less money.  If you believe in what you do and think the opportunity is right, less money is always temporary situation. 

I'd like to take the time now to publicly thank my wife for sticking with me when I vaulted out of my previous position ten years ago.  She trusted me to do what's right and now that I think about it, that took a lot of trust on her part.  Just dawned on me how much trust it took.

Even more true when so many of your own fan base don't appreciate you.

[AUChizad]

I would humbly accept an $850,000 salary.

When you look at it in terms of  a $450,000 loss, to average Joe with a 5 figure income, that's a shit ton of money. Not to a millionaire.

He's not going to be in the food stamp line. After several years of making millions, he could work for free and still be comfortable off of interest. The $850,000 and a free ballin ass house will keep him from giving hand jobs in the streets for change.

[AUChizad]

Malzahn will coach the chicken bowl.

[Townhallsavoy]

Malzahn will coach the chicken bowl.

But I thought he couldn't wait to get out of Auburn?  I thought Chizik was such a buffoon that Malzahn was paying people to hire him as their interim head coach?  I thought Malzahn was Dyer's best friend and was ditching the bowl game in order to protest his suspension? 

I thought Schad said he was leaving to be happy.  And now you're telling me he's a masochist? 

[AUChizad]

But I thought he couldn't wait to get out of Auburn?  I thought Chizik was such a buffoon that Malzahn was paying people to hire him as their interim head coach?  I thought Malzahn was Dyer's best friend and was ditching the bowl game in order to protest his suspension? 

I thought Schad said he was leaving to be happy.  And now you're telling me he's a masochist?

According to sources close to the situation, he likes it when Kristi ties him up and kicks him in the balls.

[AUTiger1]

But I thought he couldn't wait to get out of Auburn?  I thought Chizik was such a buffoon that Malzahn was paying people to hire him as their interim head coach?  I thought Malzahn was Dyer's best friend and was ditching the bowl game in order to protest his suspension? 

I thought Schad said he was leaving to be happy.  And now you're telling me he's a masochist?

Surely you jest?

[Buzz Killington]

According to sources close to the situation, he likes it when Kristi ties him up and kicks him in the balls.

she enjoys it more, because she can bitch at him and he can't get away

[Kaos]

Even more true when so many of your own fan base don't appreciate you.

You're breakin' my heart. 

*sniff*

[GH2001]

But I thought he couldn't wait to get out of Auburn?  I thought Chizik was such a buffoon that Malzahn was paying people to hire him as their interim head coach?  I thought Malzahn was Dyer's best friend and was ditching the bowl game in order to protest his suspension? 

I thought Schad said he was leaving to be happy.  And now you're telling me he's a masochist?

I enjoyed your use of hyperbole. The post was very facetious.

[JR4AU]

Another reason for Gus to take the job?  Ark. St. was 10-2, 8-0 in the Sun Belt this year, and returns a very athletic Sr. QB that can also throw.  The whole offense will be mostly Jr. and Sr.   And they were productive this year.   Like Freeze, it may be a one year gig for Malzahn.

Also, that youtube video of his obnoxious wife, it hurt him with bigger jobs.

[wesfau2]

After reading many posts (rational, ir- and all in between), here is my take (if I rip of your thoughts/posts, consider it an homage):

1) Gus committed to Auburn for 3 years...and that's what he gave.  He probably WANTED the Vandy job last year, but didn't want to earn the rep of a liar amongst his coaching brethren.

2) After year 3 Gus interviewed for a pretty good gig in UNC.  He was (speculation warning) likely passed over due to a glaring gap in his coaching resume: collegiate HC. 

3) He took a gig on familiar ground, with a loaded roster, with which he can make immediate noise and garner some instant interest to be parlayed into a big-time gig.   He will be the man, responsible for the entire program.   I'll be very surprised if he's at ASU after 2 years.

4) Problems with Chizik/Auburn?  Pfffft.  He probably chafed, like any strong-willed and competent person, under authority, but realized that coordinators have to defer to the head man.  If there was ill will, I doubt he'd stick around for the Chicken Bowl.

Parse away, fret, chew your fingernails and shake your fist at the ill-winds of fortune, but the end is NOT nigh for the Auburn Tigers.  Chizik, when he was hired, spoke of always having a list of assistants that he would want to hire.  I doubt he's ignored that list in the last three years.  He put together a mostly great coaching staff the first time around (remember...not much turnover in 3 years) and I trust the guy to do it again.