He is one of the best recruiters in the country and is probably dirty doing it.
A little absolution goes a long way, O Holy one.
SZVETITZ: No weaknesses on Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn's staffGus Malzahn is batting 1.000.With Friday’s hiring of Tim Horton from Arkansas, Malzahn’s staff is now complete, and it’s quite possible Auburn’s new head coach could have the best roster of assistants in not only the SEC but the country.It’s that good. Really.At least three could be running his own program – one actually did, three different times.Three were recruiting coordinators at their last stops.Six have been coaching football longer than any current Auburn player has been alive.All nine have at least four years experience – in some capacity – coaching at BCS-level programs.And all but offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee have coached college or professional football for at least nine years. Lashlee, although he’s just 29, might as well be a veteran since he’s been running Malzahn’s offense for close to 15 years, starting when he was Malzahn’s quarterback at Shiloh Christian High School in Arkansas.One of the knocks on Malzahn when he was hired by Auburn was that he lacked head coaching experience. He spent just one year as a college head coach. That was at Arkansas State of the Sun Belt this past season.Heck, Malzahn’s only been in the college game for seven years.But what he lacks in head coaching experience, he’s making up for by hiring quality assistants who have spent plenty of time in the game, especially in the SEC.Here’s the experience of six of Malzahn’s first seven hires.Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Ellis Johnson: 30-plus years coaching football, 16 in the SEC.Safeties coach Charlie Harbison: 28 years coaching, 12 in the SEC – 18 in both SEC and ACC combined.Offensive line coach J.B. Grimes: 33 years coaching in college, five in the SEC and 24 at major, now-BCS conference schools.Defensive line coach Rodney Garner: 22 years coaching, all in the SEC.Cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith: 31 years coaching, 18 in the SEC.Special teams and running backs coach Rich Bisaccia: 30 years coaching, seven in the SEC.Oh, by the way, Bisaccia has 11 years of NFL coaching experience, and four as an assistant head coach.Not too shabby.Malzahn’s staff is legit. Period.And in the last two days he took it to another level by adding Bisaccia, Dameyune Craig and Horton, who, along with coaching running backs, was Arkansas recruiting coordinator for the past five years.First off, Malzahn hired the best defensive coordinator he could in Johnson, who can flat out coach defense – an area Auburn desperately needs to get better in.Then, securing Harbison, Garner and Smith to shore up that side of the ball was pretty impressive.Out of all the defensive hires, Garner, who spent 15 years at Georgia coaching and recruiting against Auburn for the same prospects, was a slam dunk. That was a great get for Malzahn and the Tigers.So was Craig, who spent the last three seasons as quarterbacks coach and recruiting coordinator at Florida State.Both Garner and Craig are recruiting forces who know and understand Auburn. They can also coach on the field and work a living room. Those two together on the recruiting trail is a huge, huge plus for the Tigers.Now, throw in Horton’s SEC experience …And then there’s Bisaccia, who brings something to the staff no one else can: A Super Bowl ring.Think that doesn’t go a long way with recruits?Bisaccia spent the last 11 season in the NFL. He won a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay in 2002.He not only brings more than a decade worth of professional experience coaching running backs and specializing in, well, special teams, but he also brings instant credibility.The goal of every high school player who signs with a university is to one day play in the NFL. Bisaccia’s been there, done that.He knows what it takes to go from playing on Friday nights to Saturdays to Sundays.He will also help the current Auburn players take that next step if they’re good enough.As we saw with former Auburn defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder, however, just because you have an NFL coach on your staff doesn’t mean the players will be ready for Sundays.There’s a process that comes with it.This staff will have some time to build that foundation. This isn’t a one-year fix.And, of course, this is just on paper.Again, just because a coach has the credentials, it doesn’t mean he can deliver. Just like players with stars by their names, rankings and resumes only go so far.We saw with Gene Chizik’s initial staff that being a great recruiter is one thing. You’ve also got to be able coach on the field and develop talent.Chizik’s staff could get them on campus, but the development once they got to the Plains left a lot to be desired.There’s one big difference with Malzahn’s staff. The group he’s put together is experienced, talented and, most of all, proven – on the trail and in the huddle.And just like players, you can’t coach experience.MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News
Cheerios are overrated in nutritional value. Waa Waaaaaaaa......
Saddest thing I've read all day.Hope is a good thing. Maybe the best thing.
Get busy livin' or get busy dyin'.
I don't suppose it would help for me to explain to them that I'm not gay?
Hey, we all need friends in here. I could be a friend to you
Don't have any loose change on me to pay for the article right now.
Free usually doesn't cost anything.
Can I get a Pepsi-Free?
54 Replies
6200 Views