Scarbinsky: Petrino the Elephant in the Room

[AUChizad]

http://mobile.al.com/advbirm/pm_31141/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=zeiDqT35&rwthr=0

Scarbinsky: Bobby Petrino is the elephant in the room in Auburn's coaching search
Kevin Scarbinsky 11/27/2012 7:22 PM

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama - They can compile a list of potential candidates.
They can interview all of the candidates that will sit down with them at an undisclosed location.

They can weigh pros and cons, compare notes and resumes and come to a consensus about the best man for the Auburn head coaching job.

At the end of the day, at the end of the search, Jay Gogue, Jay Jacobs and their search committee are going to have some explaining to do.

They’re going to have to explain why they hired Bobby Petrino.

Or why they didn’t.

They’ll get more questions than usual, from inside and outside their own family, either way.

Hire him, and that portion of the Auburn family that values the Auburn Creed as a real guide to living will reach for their smelling salts. They’ll focus on the baggage Petrino carries rather than on the places he likely would carry the program.

Don’t hire him, and that part of the Auburn family that places particular value on the following line in the Auburn Creed - “I believe this is a practical world” - will want to know why their leaders passed on the best coach available.

Make no mistake. Petrino isn’t the only good coach available. He isn’t the only coach that could go to Auburn and win because every coach that goes to Auburn wins. Every Auburn coach since Pat Dye has done more than one of the following: Won at least 11 games in a season at least once; taken the Tigers to the SEC Championship Game; won the SEC title; gone undefeated.

Petrino, though, is the best coach available because he knows the territory, he knows the enemy and - unlike some pie-in-the-sky names - he is available.

From all indications, Petrino is very much on Auburn’s radar, even more so after Alabama 49, Auburn 0. Some Auburn people you would think would never support him taking over their program have begun to warm to the idea.

In so many ways, for so many reasons, this would be the perfect time for a man with flaws to take over a program with warts. It sounds like a contradiction, but for all of the personal and professional mistakes he’s made, Petrino knows how to run a tight ship.

Considering how this program has spiraled out of control in different ways, he would be the kind of control freak Auburn needs.

Of course, the school would take a PR hit, but is there a program in America that’s survived more of those without suffering any real damage in recent years than Auburn?

Short answer: No.

If PR hits were fatal to a major college football program, Auburn would’ve turned Jordan-Hare Stadium into the world’s largest outdoor swimming pool by now.

The Tigers have taken more shots this week. National pundits have chimed in on just how hard they think the Auburn job really is at the moment. From Gregg Doyel of CBSsports.com to Matt Hayes of The Sporting News, they seem to think it would be easier to serve as Petrino’s image consultant.

Their main point: You don’t want to be the Auburn coach at the moment because the Alabama coach is the best in the business.

“Any candidate willing to take this job should be crossed off the list,” Doyel wrote, “because he must be a moron.”

Funny. The last guy to take the job was no Einstein, by coaching standards. Gene Chizik took it right after Nick Saban had gone 12-0 during the regular season, earned a No. 1 ranking and signed the 2008 recruiting class that would be the heart of Alabama’s 2009 national championship team.

Against those odds, Auburn won the 2010 national championship. Feels like ancient history now, doesn’t it?

As good as both of its chief rivals are now - Alabama and Georgia will play a national semifinal Saturday in the SEC Championship Game - this is a critical time and a critical hire, but despite its own problems, Auburn has too many things going for it to stay down for long.

That is, as long as it hires the right head coach.

When Jacobs finally steps to the podium to introduce his man, there will be an elephant in the room that has nothing to do with Alabama. It’ll have everything to do with Petrino, whether he’s in the room or not.

[AUTiger1]

Good read and Scarbo is right.  It seems to be about 50-50 within the fanbase on wanting/not wanting Petrino.


So according to PM and Tate we have the following as potential candidates and interviews may begin Thursday:
Petrino
Strong
Gus
Jimbo
Patterson
Mora Jr

Going to be an interesting next few days.

[djsimp]

I believe Scarb was right on target with this article.

[AUChizad]

Damn right he is. Twitter has been hilarious/sad since Petrino took the forefront.

Guys like WarBlogle & TheAuburner are fuckin' livid. Bashing anyone and everyone who has anything nice to say about Petrino. Saying they "don't understand what Auburn is about", screaming about the Creed, and giving ultimatums that they won't watch Auburn football anymore if he's hired.

People have lost their damn minds.

Also, as usual, Scarbinsky nails it. The rare occasion that he writes something not in our best interest, everyone bashes him as a Bammer. He is clearly the only non-bammer on staff at al.com.

[djsimp]

Damn right he is. Twitter has been hilarious/sad since Petrino took the forefront.

Guys like WarBlogle & TheAuburner are fuckin' livid. Bashing anyone and everyone who has anything nice to say about Petrino. Saying they "don't understand what Auburn is about", screaming about the Creed, and giving ultimatums that they won't watch Auburn football anymore if he's hired.

People have lost their damn minds.

Also, as usual, Scarbinsky nails it. The rare occasion that he writes something not in our best interest, everyone bashes him as a Bammer. He is clearly the only non-bammer on staff at al.com.

Agreed 100%.

Petrino did make a huge mistake but at the end of the day it is his family that reserves the right to pass any judgment, mainly his wife. Honestly, I think that the way all of this went down for him both professionally and personally along with the dumpster fire at Auburn is perfect timing. I certainly would think that Petrino would be walking a much straighter line morally or whatever as a result of what it cost him at Arkansas as well has igniting even more so his fire for coaching.

[Saniflush]

Agreed 100%.

Petrino did make a huge mistake but at the end of the day it is his family that reserves the right to pass any judgment, mainly his wife. Honestly, I think that the way all of this went down for him both professionally and personally along with the dumpster fire at Auburn is perfect timing. I certainly would think that Petrino would be walking a much straighter line morally or whatever as a result of what it cost him at Arkansas as well has igniting even more so his fire for coaching.

I would say you are incorrect with this statement when you are talking about him also hiring the piece of strange over more qualified applicants.  You are talking about HUGE civil liability by by Arkansas.  I can get past him actually cheating.  Everyone makes mistakes and that's his wife's and his business.  I have a lot larger issue that he was too stupid to realize the spot he put Arkansas in when it comes to fair hiring practices. 

Dumbass.

I don't want that big of a dumbass for my coach.

[Townhallsavoy]

The creed lovers will find a way to justify rooting for Petrino as early as March. 

They're the same group that watches a 2 minute practice video and thinks they see why multiple players on offense will win the Heisman trophy. 

They're the same group that goes into Alabama week with a 3-8 record and sincerely believes we have a chance to win simply because "it's the Iron Bowl!  Anything can happen!" 

They're the same group that would criticize another school for innovative-yet-a-bit-shady recruiting tactics and love Big Cat Weekend and Hummer limosuines. 

They're the group that will go to the A-Day game after spending a few months of questioning the values of Jay Jacobs and leave claiming that because the team looked like it had passion during warm ups, that Bobby Petrino must have atoned for his sins because only a godly, righteous, Auburn man could coach our beloved boys to look like SEC champions within his first few months. 

 

[Godfather]

So according to PM and Tate we have the following as potential candidates and interviews may begin Thursday:
Petrino - not crazy about, but vs some of the others on this list yes
Strong - NO
Gus - FUCK NO
Jimbo - Meh
Patterson - Hell yes
Mora Jr - interesting, yes

Going to be an interesting next few days.

HEY JACOBS FOCUS ON THIS!

[Godfather]

Everyone makes mistakes and that's his wife's and his business.  I have a lot larger issue that he was too stupid to realize the spot he put Arkansas in when it comes to fair hiring practices. 

Huge selfishness....put his team in their current position.

das what I am sayin!

[Saniflush]

Huge selfishness....put his team in their current position.

das what I am sayin!

Oh and don't get me wrong.  Whoever they hire Petrino included I will be rooting to be successful but if you want to talk about past fuckups being indicators of future performance you gotta be nervous as fuck about the possibility of BMFP.

[djsimp]

I would say you are incorrect with this statement when you are talking about him also hiring the piece of strange over more qualified applicants.  You are talking about HUGE civil liability by by Arkansas.  I can get past him actually cheating.  Everyone makes mistakes and that's his wife's and his business.  I have a lot larger issue that he was too stupid to realize the spot he put Arkansas in when it comes to fair hiring practices. 

Dumbass.

I don't want that big of a dumbass for my coach.

I do agree with that part for sure but from reading some of others remarks, not here, that it is mainly the issue that he cheated.

I still think the way all of this went down for him, his love for coaching will steer him straight. Of course I don't know that.

[AUJarhead]

They're the same group that goes into Alabama week with a 3-8 record and sincerely believes we have a chance to win simply because "it's the Iron Bowl!  Anything can happen!" 

When someone makes statements like that, the next thing you know, they like penis.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

I do agree with that part for sure but from reading some of others remarks, not here, that it is mainly the issue that he cheated.

I still think the way all of this went down for him, his love for coaching will steer him straight. Of course I don't know that.

I'll go ahead and say that part of what bothers me is that he cheated, but that doesn't disqualify him as coach.  The fact that he put his former employer in such a tough position should be a major red flag, it shows a selfishness and a feeling of being above the rules that I don't think we really need at Auburn.  But I'm not going to stop watching or cheering for Auburn if he's the hire.

I wouldn't expect any announcements until after this weekend's games.  If Strong and Fisher are really on the interviewee list they are not going to want distractions until after their conference championship games this week.

[GH2001]

Damn right he is. Twitter has been hilarious/sad since Petrino took the forefront.

Guys like WarBlogle & TheAuburner are fuckin' livid. Bashing anyone and everyone who has anything nice to say about Petrino. Saying they "don't understand what Auburn is about", screaming about the Creed, and giving ultimatums that they won't watch Auburn football anymore if he's hired.

People have lost their damn minds.

Also, as usual, Scarbinsky nails it. The rare occasion that he writes something not in our best interest, everyone bashes him as a Bammer. He is clearly the only non-bammer on staff at al.com.

This this and fucking THIS^^^

Tubs lied to ole miss.

Chizik bad mouthed a bit going out the door to Texas.

Cam had a checkered past.

Saban was a liar and always a mistress to the next team

No one is clean. And people more times than not learn from it, hear the criticisms ad do better. Why are we acting different with Petrino? When he wins, a lot of that will quiet down. Just like with cam. Just like with saban at Bama.

[GH2001]

I'll go ahead and say that part of what bothers me is that he cheated, but that doesn't disqualify him as coach.  The fact that he put his former employer in such a tough position should be a major red flag, it shows a selfishness and a feeling of being above the rules that I don't think we really need at Auburn.  But I'm not going to stop watching or cheering for Auburn if he's the hire.

I wouldn't expect any announcements until after this weekend's games.  If Strong and Fisher are really on the interviewee list they are not going to want distractions until after their conference championship games this week.

Honestly, PM and others don't know jack shit. They are selling subscriptions so you can view their rumors or hot boards. As I said before only a select few know what is truly going down and it ain't Phillip, hokansen or jay g Tate. It may happen to be they turn out to be right on their guesses but only because it was a lucky guess. Not because they know insider info.

[Jumbo]

We've been naming the top 3 coaches in the search for 3 weeks now. Maybe that fat fuck Marshall gets his info from us?

[Godfather]

Oh and don't get me wrong.  Whoever they hire Petrino included I will be rooting to be successful but if you want to talk about past fuckups being indicators of future performance you gotta be nervous as fuck about the possibility of BMFP.

I'm with ya Kemosabe.

[Godfather]

When someone makes statements like that, the next thing you know, they like penis.

Fuckin

+penis

[Tiger Wench]

Oh and don't get me wrong.  Whoever they hire Petrino included I will be rooting to be successful but if you want to talk about past fuckups being indicators of future performance you gotta be nervous as fuck about the possibility of BMFP.

That contract will be written tighter than a Chihuahua's asshole.

If I were writing it...

The strictest morals clause in the history of morals clauses.  BMFP won't be able to fart in the general direction of anything female that is not his wife. 

He won't have total and unconditional hiring authority - there will be at least one person that is not in the AD that will have to vett any hires he makes. 

Any violations of employment law will be grounds for termination and probably some nasty penalties. 

The carrot would be financial incentives for running a clean program( NCAA-wise as well as AUPD-wise), a decrease in off field player shenanigans, keeping his own personal house in order and out of the media, and winning some GOTDANG football games.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

That contract will be written tighter than a Chihuahua's asshole.

If I were writing it...

The strictest morals clause in the history of morals clauses.  BMFP won't be able to fart in the general direction of anything female that is not his wife. 

He won't have total and unconditional hiring authority - there will be at least one person that is not in the AD that will have to vett any hires he makes. 

Any violations of employment law will be grounds for termination and probably some nasty penalties. 

The carrot would be financial incentives for running a clean program( NCAA-wise as well as AUPD-wise), a decrease in off field player shenanigans, keeping his own personal house in order and out of the media, and winning some GOTDANG football games.

All of which points to another problem.  Everybody thinks that the best thing that could happen is Jacobs to not be involved, Jackson to take a hike, and the PTB to not interfere.  But if we hire Petrino prudence demands a lot of oversight on off the field issues.  That kind of thing can quickly turn into oversight of on the field issues which nobody (except the people interfering) want.