Scarbinsky Today...

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Auburn Football »
Scarbinsky: Malzahn's not going so better players, bigger numbers are coming
By Kevin Scarbinsky -- The Birmingham News
January 19, 2010, 5:30AM

Happy at Auburn? Gus Malzahn says it and shows it. (Birmingham News / Hal Yeager)Did you hear the news? Auburn received its biggest commitment of the 2010 recruiting season Monday afternoon.

He’s bigger than Cameron Newton.

He’s bigger than Michael Dyer.

Marcus Lattimore won’t be as big if he jumps on board.

Auburn’s biggest commitment already had pledged himself to Gene Chizik and company, but after the rumor came up over the weekend that he might go elsewhere, the recruit in question renewed his commitment.

Gus Malzahn said he's not going anywhere.

That means Auburn isn’t going anywhere but onward and upward.

Louisiana Tech was the suitor with the potential to lure Malzahn away because it had something to offer that he wants but doesn’t have.

A head coaching position.

The domino effect that started when Lane Kiffin deserted Tennessee for USC and Tennessee plucked Derek Dooley from Louisiana Tech threatened to fall on Auburn.

The Parker Executive Search Firm, working for Louisiana Tech, called to gauge Malzahn’s interest, and he said thanks, but no thanks.

Afterward, that giant whooshing sound you heard was the Auburn family breathing a sigh of relief.

Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart won the Frank Broyles Award as the top assistant in college football in 2009. It was an honor richly deserved, but if Smart was the best assistant in the nation, Malzahn may have been the most valuable.

I’m guessing someone else on the Alabama staff, in a pinch, may have been able to do what Smart did.

I’m sure no one else on the Auburn staff could do what Malzahn did.

Auburn went 8-5 despite the worst defense in school history.

Auburn went 8-5 because Malzahn turned an offense whose collective talent was only slightly above average into perhaps the best offense in school history.

That title can be debated. The following facts can’t.

This Auburn team ran more offensive plays and gained more total yards than any other Auburn team.

This Auburn team came up one touchdown short of scoring more points than any Auburn team.

Where would Auburn have been without Malzahn in 2009?

See 2008.

Malzahn’s re-commitment carries great weight going forward because he’s not just a mad scientist operating in isolation, like some other offensive coordinators who are allergic to recruiting.

He’s played a critical role in helping assemble what may turn out to be the best recruiting class in Auburn history.

Newton, the five-star juco quarterback, signed and enrolled at Auburn to play for Malzahn. Dyer, the five-star running back, committed to Auburn to play for Malzahn, and helpfully drove down from Arkansas over the weekend to spread the word to some uncommitted visitors.

Lattimore, another five-star running back, has narrowed his choices to Auburn and home-state South Carolina because he’s intrigued at the thought of playing for Malzahn.

He should be.

In its first season on the Plain, Malzahn’s offense produced a 1,300-yard rusher in Ben Tate and a 2,600-yard passer in Chris Todd.

Raise your hand if you thought either player was capable of such numbers. Don’t lie.

As tempting as it may have been to pursue the Louisiana Tech opportunity further, Malzahn has a chance to attract better offers in the future, especially if his offense puts up bigger numbers.

If Auburn keeps rounding up better players, consider it just a matter of time.

[jadennis]

Where would Auburn have been without Malzahn in 2009?

See 2008.

That is mostly true...he was the difference between what we saw last year and the huge numbers of this year.

However, I think the 2009 offense was far from being our best ever, regardless of stats.  On one hand, you can't ignore the stats, the offense did produce numbers.  But to me, a huge part of offense is consistency and reliability.  This offense didn't really have either very often this year.  

Big plays?  Check.   Balanced attack?  Check.  Kept the defense off balance a lot?  Check.  Reliable?  Not so much.  Consistent?  Not so much.

In 1993, 1994, 2004, and even 2005, you just knew that if you had to grind out some plays, we could.  Even if things had been stagnant for a large portion of the game, you had a feeling you could put together that one good drive (Nix to Sanders, Campbell to Taylor, Cox to Aromashodu, etc).  This offense lacked that feeling of reliability and consistency.  

I think another year in the system will help that, and I know that Malzahn is intent on addressing it.  He's mentioned numerous times how frustrating it is that we can rattle off 10 and 25 yard plays all the way down the field, but then get stopped on 3rd and 2.  So I think it will get fixed in the spring and fall practices.  

If it does, and we do get some more consistency on these short yardage plays....we very well may end up with the best offense Auburn has ever seen.

[jmar]

Speaks volumes of Malzahn's value as OC.

[AUChizad]

Here's a bleacherreport blog piece on the same topic.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/328781-gus-malzhan-is-part-of-the-auburn-family

Gus Malzhan Is Part of the Auburn Football Family
by Kevin McGrady

Analyst

I did not interview Gus Malzhan for this article. It simply wasn't necessary. I think most will agree on this point once they have read the article.

I was listening to a morning radio show out of Birmingham, AL, the other day. The station it was on, as well as the host of the show, are all Alabama to the core. The topic of the show, "Gus Malzhan."

There has never been a coordinator at Auburn that struck fear into the very heart of the Alabama fan base like Gus Malzhan. He is not an intimidating or mean person. He does not cut his face in the locker room to work young football players into an emotional frenzy. He simply thinks and works and keeps at it every day.

Gus Malzhan might be an offensive genius. I do not know, and I doubt if his IQ worries him much. While his offensive system is great, it sometimes overshadows the fact that he is simply a great coach.

Players get better under the guidance of Coach Malzhan. Chris Todd is only one example of this. There are many others on the Auburn team that have benefited.

This has not gone unnoticed, and Coach Malzhan is in the running for every third tier head coaching job that comes open. He has earned this attention and respect and deserves it.

I do not think a lateral move into a third tier head coaching job is in the goals for Coach Malzhan. I think he knows that there will be better years upcoming on the plains. With those behind him, he can take an Ole Miss or Arkansas when they come open.

Auburn owes Coach Malzhan respect and thanks for his dedication and results. The Auburn family should be proud and happy for him if he finds another job that meets his goals.

We in the Auburn family should be proud and encouraged when one of our own, including the coaching staff, makes it to the next level. Right now I am enjoying the product Coach Malzhan is putting on the football field.

There is one thing I will miss terribly if Coach Malzhan moves on. No Auburn coach has ever been the main focus for job hunting in the Alabama nation. The effect he has had on that particular rival alone is priceless.

I have heard Coach Malzhan recommended for coaching jobs from the Ole Miss, Alabama, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Florida media. The thing the recommendations had in common—none were for jobs in the SEC. If that is not a compliment for Coach Malzhan, I do not know what is!

[Kaos]

Here's a bleacherreport blog piece on the same topic.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/328781-gus-malzhan-is-part-of-the-auburn-family

Ugh.  

Garbage. 90% of the people on this site write better and more insightful posts than that.  You 10-percenters know who you are.

[notthatcool]

Mix in a paragraph scarbinsky.   

[Token]

Mix in a paragraph scarbinsky.   

That's a collection of tweets.  Don't hate.