What Gus Malzahn Needs to Do to Be Successful

[AUChizad]

It's like you people have amnesia.

Gus was a fantastic OC. Great. We didn't hire him as an OC. The guy that installed my new bathroom is a good carpenter, but that doesn't mean shit in terms of how he'd be as a head coach.

It's like no one remembers what we JUST fucking went through with Chizik. "He was a great coordinator when he was at Auburn! He was even successful at other schools as a coordinator. Even has a little HC experience. Must mean he's a great head coach!"

Are you people really this willfully blind?

I fell into it with the Chizik hire. Pretending this hire was anything but an epic fuckup is akin to burning your hand on a lit oven burner, recoiling in miserable pain, shrugging, and putting your hand on it again.

It is a sign of either insanity or utter stupidity to be frank.

I know I'll eventually come around, at least I hope.
But this time around I totally get what Kaos meant when he sai he could win a National Championship in year two and the hire itself will still be a monumental fuck up.

And by the way, he stated in the press conference that he would "be involved" in the offensive game planning. People seemed to love that. First of all, defense is clearly our biggest problem right now. That aside, when has a head coach meddling in his coordinators' schemes ever worked out well? What patsy coordinator is gonna come knowing that?

[AWK]

It's like you people have amnesia.

Gus was a fantastic OC. Great. We didn't hire him as an OC. The guy that installed my new bathroom is a good carpenter, but that doesn't mean shit in terms of how he'd be as a head coach.

It's like no one remembers what we JUST fucking went through with Chizik. "He was a great coordinator when he was at Auburn! He was even successful at other schools as a coordinator. Even has a little HC experience. Must mean he's a great head coach!"

Are you people really this willfully blind?

I fell into it with the Chizik hire. Pretending this hire was anything but an epic fuckup is akin to burning your hand on a lit oven burner, recoiling in miserable pain, shrugging, and putting your hand on it again.

It is a sign of either insanity or utter stupidity to be frank.

I know I'll eventually come around, at least I hope.
But this time around I totally get what Kaos meant when he sai he could win a National Championship in year two and the hire itself will still be a monumental fuck up.

And by the way, he stated in the press conference that he would "be involved" in the offensive game planning. People seemed to love that. First of all, defense is clearly our biggest problem right now. That aside, when has a head coach meddling in his coordinators' schemes ever worked out well? What patsy coordinator is gonna come knowing that?

Exactly.  Yet, if you point this out to certain people.  You are dumb and should read the creed.  Sometimes our fan base makes me 

By the way, I watched the video of Malzahn landing at the airport.  It was eerily similar to Chizik landing 4 years ago.

[Townhallsavoy]

Exactly.  Yet, if you point this out to certain people.  You are dumb and should read the creed.  Sometimes our fan base makes me 

By the way, I watched the video of Malzahn landing at the airport.  It was eerily similar to Chizik landing 4 years ago.

As was Jay's statements at the press conference.

[Jumbo]

Exactly.  Yet, if you point this out to certain people.  You are dumb and should read the creed.  Sometimes our fan base makes me 

By the way, I watched the video of Malzahn landing at the airport.  It was eerily similar to Chizik landing 4 years ago.

- the guy screaming we need a leader not a loser.

[boartitz]

Shut up, Kristi and stay off motorsickles.

[Jumbo]

Shut up, Kristi and stay off motorsickles.

Glad your back brother.

[jmar]

It's like you people have amnesia.

Gus was a fantastic OC. Great. We didn't hire him as an OC. The guy that installed my new bathroom is a good carpenter, but that doesn't mean shit in terms of how he'd be as a head coach.

It's like no one remembers what we JUST fucking went through with Chizik. "He was a great coordinator when he was at Auburn! He was even successful at other schools as a coordinator. Even has a little HC experience. Must mean he's a great head coach!"

Are you people really this willfully blind?

I fell into it with the Chizik hire. Pretending this hire was anything but an epic fuckup is akin to burning your hand on a lit oven burner, recoiling in miserable pain, shrugging, and putting your hand on it again.

It is a sign of either insanity or utter stupidity to be frank.

I know I'll eventually come around, at least I hope.
But this time around I totally get what Kaos meant when he sai he could win a National Championship in year two and the hire itself will still be a monumental fuck up.

And by the way, he stated in the press conference that he would "be involved" in the offensive game planning. People seemed to love that. First of all, defense is clearly our biggest problem right now. That aside, when has a head coach meddling in his coordinators' schemes ever worked out well? What patsy coordinator is gonna come knowing that?

We needed a hardass like Petrino , Patterson or Mora Jr. I'm still convinced of that.
We have too many problems to address for a fledgeling coach that was once part of the climate.

Current players were chest bumping at the announcement per skreets (why?) More playing time? Or less change and reduced anxiety from not having to deal with one of the three I named above.

I don't know how tough Gus can get with never really showing that side of himself. We know suspending a player is for show much of the time.(media) That's why I didn't want 3 loss Jimbo. He's an experienced Dabo, who BTW has patterned everything at Clemson after Auburn, except he recomended his own AD-and got him.

We can't worry about our biggest rivals and the new giant killer TAMU, we have to first concern ourselves with the Mississippi's. That's where we are. That's how far we have fallen. Not just because of Chizik...it began there but those on board helped to make it what it is- soft, selfish, showy, undisciplined, undeveloped, undersized, out of shape etc. which leads to quitting early, not just before the whistle blows but by the middle of the third quarter.

I hope Malzahn can do a 180 on this bunch but he has to bring in some no nonsense types to help him.
God knows we have enough cheerleaders and towel wavers. But that's my job! I don't want my coaches celebrating prematurely (like Dabo's crew when Cam pulled the fucking rug out from under their asses)
We aren't a team...far from it. We have a collection of individuals. 


   





 

 






 

[The Prowler]

Honest opinion, would we have brought Coach Malzahn back if we would've never signed Cam? Think about that for a minute, think about the 5 games that Cam won, Chizik/Malzahn/Roof didn't win those 5 games, that was all Cam. I still remember my Dad calling me on the final drive against Kentucky, asking me what we should do and I responded with, ”let Cam do his thing” and that's what they did and we escaped a Loss by Kentucky.

”Chizik only won the Championship because of Cam, Fairley & the 70 Seniors.” Well, so did Malzahn.

So, take the 14-0 out of the equation and thought process and put a 7-5/8-5 season in it's place with Caudle & Trotter as QBs. Lemme ask again, would Malzahn be Auburn's 26th HC right now had Cam never signed? I'm guessing probably not.

The way the Championship blinded me and many others from seeing the true Coach Chizik, I feel that it blinded JJ & JG into thinking that Malzahn is a great coach. He's a heck of a OC and he won the Sunbelt with Hugh Freeze's players in his 1st College Head Coaching job, but I do not think he's ready to be a HC in the rough and tumble SEC.

I'm already kinda sick to my stomach, regarding the hire, now if Tennessee brings in any of the ”Big Splash” guys, that will unite their fanbase, that they're going after, then that might just make me throw up everywhere.

[AUJarhead]

I'll even take it a step further.  Say that the Clemson QB doesn't over throw his receiver in OT.  We lose.

Let's say that Garcia doesn't have a brain fart and get benched.  And USC wins.

And maybe Ingram doesn't fumble, and Bama wins.

We finished 9-3.  Maybe win the Cotton Bowl, and end the season 10-3.

Does he get the job then?

[WiregrassTiger]

Honest opinion, would we have brought Coach Malzahn back if we would've never signed Cam?

No. But worrying about the hire that JJ made is like worrying about a sprained toe when you need a knee replacement. Our dysfunctional AD and the athletic dept culture are the real problem. I suspect that this is the reason that we can't attract any big boy interest.

Unfortunately, most don't seem willing to take the steps necessary to correct it. We aren't willing to let our athletic dept shrivel up like a prune.

[GH2001]

No. But worrying about the hire that JJ made is like worrying about a sprained toe when you need a knee replacement. Our dysfunctional AD and the athletic dept culture are the real problem. I suspect that this is the reason that we can't attract any big boy interest.

Unfortunately, most don't seem willing to take the steps necessary to correct it. We aren't willing to let our athletic dept shrivel up like a prune.

And that's moreso what I am angry about. This hire and how it was done was just a symptom of the issue at hand: JJ and the den of vipers that is the athletic dept. The search and the committee was a joke. A total fabrication for show. JJ had his guy all along. We knew it was Malzahn. He put together this "search" to save his ass while all along choosing his own guy.

[War Eagle!!!]

Honest opinion, would we have brought Coach Malzahn back if we would've never signed Cam? Think about that for a minute, think about the 5 games that Cam won, Chizik/Malzahn/Roof didn't win those 5 games, that was all Cam. I still remember my Dad calling me on the final drive against Kentucky, asking me what we should do and I responded with, ”let Cam do his thing” and that's what they did and we escaped a Loss by Kentucky.

”Chizik only won the Championship because of Cam, Fairley & the 70 Seniors.” Well, so did Malzahn.

So, take the 14-0 out of the equation and thought process and put a 7-5/8-5 season in it's place with Caudle & Trotter as QBs. Lemme ask again, would Malzahn be Auburn's 26th HC right now had Cam never signed? I'm guessing probably not.

The way the Championship blinded me and many others from seeing the true Coach Chizik, I feel that it blinded JJ & JG into thinking that Malzahn is a great coach. He's a heck of a OC and he won the Sunbelt with Hugh Freeze's players in his 1st College Head Coaching job, but I do not think he's ready to be a HC in the rough and tumble SEC.

I'm already kinda sick to my stomach, regarding the hire, now if Tennessee brings in any of the ”Big Splash” guys, that will unite their fanbase, that they're going after, then that might just make me throw up everywhere.

I agree with you.

But I will say, this isn't about x's and o's. This hire will be about changing the entire attitude of the football program. Can Malzahn do it? I have no clue. But looking at what he did with the offense or what the win-lose record was when he was here doesn't matter. Shit needs to change and it has nothing to do with a particular offense or defense we run.

[JR4AU]

I agree with you.

But I will say, this isn't about x's and o's. This hire will be about changing the entire attitude of the football program. Can Malzahn do it? I have no clue. But looking at what he did with the offense or what the win-lose record was when he was here doesn't matter. Shit needs to change and it has nothing to do with a particular offense or defense we run.

Yep, this debacle started when Tubs players rolled off the roster en mass in 2010.  And again, Malzahn was on the staff, but it wasn't his program.  None of us, no matter how much we prognosticate, can know how he'll drive the bus.  By all accounts he's a tireless worker, and a detail guy, and those traits are important.

[Ogre]

I'm reserving judgment until I see who he brings on as his support staff.  If you think this is a worse hire than Chizik, I'd invite you to take a trip in the way-back machine and remember what it was like after he was announced as our head coach.  We were a laughingstock across the country.  At least this time we aren't being raped by the media and we're not all scratching our heads saying WTF just happened.  People who don't even follow football were giving me hell.  And the worst part was, I couldn't do anything but agree with them.

As it's been stated, this was the safe, lazy hire and it's a true reflection of the ineptitude of our AD.  That doesn't mean I won't pull for Gus to turn it around. 

This is a "meh" hire.  Thanks, Jay.  Now Gus, you better put the clamps down on our undisciplined team and set the tone early that there's a new sheriff in town that doesn't put up with prima donna attitudes.  Otherwise we'll be looking for another new coach in a couple of years, tops. 

[Godfather]

I'm reserving judgment until I see who he brings on as his support staff.  If you think this is a worse hire than Chizik, I'd invite you to take a trip in the way-back machine and remember what it was like after he was announced as our head coach.  We were a laughingstock across the country.  At least this time we aren't being raped by the media and we're not all scratching our heads saying WTF just happened.  People who don't even follow football were giving me hell.  And the worst part was, I couldn't do anything but agree with them.

As it's been stated, this was the safe, lazy hire and it's a true reflection of the ineptitude of our AD.  That doesn't meanI won't pull for Gus to turn it around. 

This is a "meh" hire.  Thanks, Jay.  Now Gus, you better put the clamps down on our undisciplined team and set the tone early that there's a new sheriff in town that doesn't put up with prima donna attitudes.  Otherwise we'll be looking for another new coach in a couple of years, tops.

Oh I will pull for him, I just don't have any faith anymore.

[AUTiger1]

Oh I will pull for him, I just don't have any faith anymore.

This is where I am at.  I also want to see Jacobs die in a fire hotter than a thousand suns, but I digress.

I saw this earlier on the bookfaces, it came from someone on the bunker and I think he is spot on in some of it.  I will let you read and decide for yourself, but one thing in there strikes me in the heart and makes me realize that I was a complete dumbass for getting my hopes up and thinking we would hire a Patterson, Shaw, Petrino type hire.

"later this afternoon Gus will be announced. We'll deny that we ever offered Kirby. He will make some vague statement about how he's happy at Alabama. He won't deny he got the offer. He won't confirm it either.

The rumor mill will say we offered him and he declined. It will be all over the local reports. It will become common belief that he turned us down.

When he hits the recruiting trail, he will tell kids and their parents that he turned down $3.2 million a year from AU because we are a dumpster fire/going on NCAA probation/have a bunch of skeletons in our closet. He'll use it against us on every kid they want for the next few classes. They'll humiliate us with it at every turn.

And who created this rumor...not the turds. It will be our own guys. Our own AD and his cronies that floated this test balloon and never saw the other side of it coming. Self inflicted wounds...and Auburn specialty finally mastered by Jay Jacobs.

And Gus will form a staff that will be full of current guys at AU and guys we've never heard of before because his only connections are at Tulsa, Arkie State and in high schools back in Arkansas."

[Townhallsavoy]

Serious meh on that rumor.  Not because I don't believe it, but because thinking Kirby Smart and Alabama really think recruits will care about Smart turning down $3.2 million dollars because of possible NCAA rumors. 

We already have a few big time recruits reaffirming their commitment to Auburn.

[AUJarhead]

Oh I will pull for him, I just don't have any faith anymore.

No one is rooting for him to fail.  It's just that I see us as a middle of the road SEC type team for the next 4-5 years.  Pencil in a loss to LSU, Bama, UGA, and either Arky or aTm.  Lose to someone we shouldn't.  We are a 7-5 team.

Some people are ok with that.  I'm not.

[Godfather]

No one is rooting for him to fail.  It's just that I see us as a middle of the road SEC type team for the next 4-5 years.  Pencil in a loss to LSU, Bama, UGA, and either Arky or aTm.  Lose to someone we shouldn't.  We are a 7-5 team.

Some people are ok with that.  I'm not.

Dead right, I'm afraid.

[Yoda]

The fact that our AD interviewed Smart knowing he was not going to hire him, shows how much if a dumbass he is.  There is no reason to interview him unless he is your target.  Interviewing him and not getting him, nothing good comes if it.

Agree that this is a lazy and easy hire.  At the same time I am not going to say that Gus will fail.  It all starts with discipline.  I also think he will be able to recruit, whether or not he can recruit talent that will actually show up on the field is still up in the air.