Takeo to SEC-N

[Kaos]

The SEC Network replaced Chizik with another member of the AU family line. 

Takeo Spikes brings his unrestrained, nail-chewing intensity to the studio show.   

Will be interesting to see how he translates to TV.  Wish he was a coach.   

Memo to Wes?  I fully expect him to be almost brutally harsh on Hardball.

[GH2001]

The SEC Network replaced Chizik with another member of the AU family line. 

Takeo Spikes brings his unrestrained, nail-chewing intensity to the studio show.   

Will be interesting to see how he translates to TV.  Wish he was a coach.   

Memo to Wes?  I fully expect him to be almost brutally harsh on Hardball.

Actually? He already has been.

Count legendary former Auburn linebacker Takeo Spikes among those who have their doubts about the hire.

“This is one of my first concerns was, wow, like if you want to compete with the big boys in the South, why are we going to get somebody outside of the culture? And I get it, sometimes you got to shake things up,” Spikes told Auburn Wire.

It’s not that Harsin can’t coach. In seven seasons at Boise State, he ran up an overall record of 69-19 and 45-8 in the Mountain West Conference. The step up from the MWC to the SEC is a mighty one and, for Spikes, the hire certainly isn’t going to put fear into opposing coaches.

“If I’m going to make a hire, I want to make sure Nick Saban, I want to make sure Kirby Smart, I want to make sure these guys are losing a little sleep at night before we even touched the field,” Spikes said. “Just from the name recognition of the hire. I want to make sure they know guys, look, they [Auburn] went and got somebody from this area, we need to make sure we continue to lock down the places that we’ve been successful in recruiting.”

Recruiting is the key to winning in college football, and Spikes, who grew up in Sandersville, Georgia, doesn’t know how someone who grew up in the Northwest can walk into a living room and sell the school to a recruit.

“When I heard the hire, I thought, I don’t know if we are able to do that,” Spikes said. “I was concerned. I don’t know if he’ll be able to come inside of a kid’s house and be able to talk to a kid and persuading him, ‘Hey, this is why I feel like the reason you should come to Auburn.’ That’s the question that I had.”

[wesfau2]

Actually? He already has been.

I don't really have any qualms with what TS is saying.  My rebuttal would be: who, when this hire was made and under those same conditions, would have met his criteria?

[Kaos]

I don't really have any qualms with what TS is saying.  My rebuttal would be: who, when this hire was made and under those same conditions, would have met his criteria?

I believe he listed Stoops and Meyer.  Actually either Stoops would work.

[Snaggletiger]

Nick Satan went to Kent State.  Coached at Toledo and Michigan State.  How did he come into the SEC and convince kids to go to LSU and Bama?  How is Brian Kelly doing that?  How did Urban Meyer do that at Florida after coaching at Utah?

It's not a matter of where you're from.  You just have to know how to play the game.  Obviously, Breland Hartland didn't know, and is apparently still trying to figure it out. 

Dumb logic, Takeo.  If I wasn't just coming off knee surgery, I'd go kick his ass.

[GH2001]

Nick Satan went to Kent State.  Coached at Toledo and Michigan State.  How did he come into the SEC and convince kids to go to LSU and Bama?  How is Brian Kelly doing that?  How did Urban Meyer do that at Florida after coaching at Utah?

It's not a matter of where you're from.  You just have to know how to play the game.  Obviously, Breland Hartland didn't know, and is apparently still trying to figure it out. 

Dumb logic, Takeo.  If I wasn't just coming off knee surgery, I'd go kick his ass.

I don't think its dumb logic at all. It takes a certain kind of coach to go into living rooms in the Deep South with African American kids and convince them that you are going to: Take care of them, watch over them, mentor them and make them winners. Not every coach has that gift and most of that boils down to culture.

Idaho is a far cry culturally from anywhere Brian Kelly or Saban had been. People from there are just....different. Saban is also technically from the South culturally (WV). He knew the climate and landscape coming into Baton Rouge which is a much easier place to recruit to than Auburn because of state politics and their position in Louisiana.

Again, rules vs exceptions too. Its also about who you surround yourself with on a staff. Chizik may have done that as good as anyone. Harsin has not. Sure - Travon, Caddy and Zak are there but they can't do it alone. They are outnumbered by the Potato Boys. And as you stated - they are just out of their element here playing the game.

All Takeo is saying is a lot of what K and I are saying - that there were possible concerns with his fit, and many of those are starting to come to fruition now.

I'm not sure why its such a crazy thing to say that the guy may be a horrible fit and that its causing serious issues.

[GH2001]

I believe he listed Stoops and Meyer.  Actually either Stoops would work.

You hear things getting tossed around with Stoops and Meyer of how much it would take to pull either of them onto campus. Its always an astronomical number. But is it more astronomical than the last 2 coaches hired are going to end up costing us? Just fill up a damn brinks truck once and for all and get the "best available coach + best fit" and let it roll. Stoops isn't perfect but he would win. As solid of a coach as there is available. The knocks on him are losing "the big game". Guy averaged 10 wins a year over his career in big boy ball....Hell, I would just love to be in "the big game".

[Kaos]

Nick Satan went to Kent State.  Coached at Toledo and Michigan State.  How did he come into the SEC and convince kids to go to LSU and Bama?  How is Brian Kelly doing that?  How did Urban Meyer do that at Florida after coaching at Utah?

It's not a matter of where you're from.  You just have to know how to play the game.  Obviously, Breland Hartland didn't know, and is apparently still trying to figure it out. 

Dumb logic, Takeo.  If I wasn't just coming off knee surgery, I'd go kick his ass.

This goes back to my complaint about Gus and his contacts.  He was insular.  Arky high school.  Arkansas assistant Nutt stabbed.  AU assistant.  Arky St head coach.  Limited network.

Saban?  Yeah Kent State.  But also NFL.  Michigan State. That’s big10 and big time ball. He had time and experience to learn from a lot of quality coaches.  He had connections. 

Hardcopy? Boise QB.  Boise assistant.  Boise coach.  Two mediocre seasons as an assistant at Texas.  One fucky season at Arky St as hc.  I’ve spent a lot of time in boise.  They are some weird ass people.  Boise basically sits around and waits on the Pac10 to sift through recruits and they take what’s left and coach them up.  There’s plenty of time in Boise to take vacations and placate hideous “Housewives of Bogus Basin” bimbo wives.  That shit doesn’t fly here. 

He has no more connections than Gus.  He has even less personality.  He doesn’t work as hard at recruiting.  He hasn’t built relationships. He was shockingly unprepared for the effort this job requires.  Boise, as much as it wants to be, isn’t big time football. Not at this level. 

I want it to work.  But I don’t have to wait and see.  I already know.