Chizik on success, hard work, and not backing down

[Ogre]

Melick: Auburn coach Gene Chizik on success, hard work, and not backing down

During a 30-minute speech to the Birmingham Rotary Club Wednesday, Gene Chizik didn't accuse anyone of cheating.
He didn't brag about the assistant coaches he'd hired away from other programs.

He didn't even gloat about the recruits he'd stolen from Southeastern Conference rivals on signing day.

In fact, Auburn's new head coach wouldn't even bite when asked what he thought about a certain head coach who came into the league about the same time he did who has received a lot of attention for doing all of those things and more.

"I don't pay a lot of attention to all of that," Chizik said. "I'm just trying to work hard and do my job. I promise you I don't pay attention to all of that. I've got my hands full."

 
Someone once told me a con man's pitch is as much about convincing himself as it is convincing others. He needs to know the crowd believes in him in order for him to believe in himself.

That's not Chizik. He's not going to talk trash to fire up the fan base. But then he also doesn't seem the least bit interested in addressing the perception that because all of his success came as an assistant, he might be in over his head as a head coach at Auburn.

To Chizik, success is success. It doesn't seem to occur to him that he might be considered anything other than successful at every stop of his career.

"I've been doing this for 23 years," Chizik told the lunch-time crowd. "I've never been fired. I've never taken a job I sought. They've always sought me.

"I believed if you worked hard and did things right the opportunity would come to me. And in 23 years, I've never made a bad decision. I've never failed in this position."

That's pretty big talk for a guy who went 5-19 in two years as a head coach, a record that hardly qualifies as having "never failed."

But then perhaps Chizik is looking at his career as a sum total instead of in parts. Every step has been a step forward. He did something in every job - even, you'd have to say, Iowa State - that was good enough to get him enough attention to move one step closer to his ultimate goal.

That's how Chizik sees his career: One long journey that has brought him back to Auburn, the first time he's ever gone back to a place he's been.

Which is why Chizik believes this might just be his last stop.

"Honestly, it's so much easier here because this is the first time I've actually returned somewhere," Chizik said. "Every time I took a better job it was to some place new. So this is a change. It's neat. You can take up where you left off. It really makes it easier."

But since Chizik left this conference after Auburn's undefeated 2004 season, the SEC has only gotten tougher.

The league has won three consecutive national championships. Nine of the 12 schools have changed head coaches. Two of the most successful coaches in the conference have been let go. And it seems like every schools' recruiting class has been consistently ranked among the top 25 in the nation.

Chizik told the Rotary Club that he sees what he does as a "ministry," that besides coaching football he wants to prepare the young men who come to him "built like NFL veterans, 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds, but who act like 13-year-olds" and help them become successful citizens.

To do that, of course, he knows he's got to win.

"After 23 years, I've got no reason to believe it won't work or that it won't happen," Chizik said.

In 30 minutes Wednesday afternoon, Chizik didn't call anybody out.

But then, he didn't back down from anybody, either.

Link

[Kaos]

Hat - 5

Cattle - 0

[War Eagle!!!]

Hat - 5

Cattle - 0

Why do you like Les Miles so much?

[Saniflush]

Why do you like Les Miles so much?

He has a big head.

[Snaggletiger]

He has a big head.

He loves teh big melons

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

A top 15 class earns him at least one calf grazing in a field somewhere.

[Kaos]

A top 15 class earns him at least one calf grazing in a field somewhere.

Unfortunately he didn't achieve that.  He did about what Tuberville did his first recruiting season and didn't match Miles, Saban or Meyer's first. 

The thing about this is that people who don't recognize mistakes will continue to make them. 

"And in 23 years, I've never made a bad decision. I've never failed in this position."

Seriously?  If he honestly believes that, if he didn't learn dick from his abortion at ISU, then we're in a great big world of shit. 

[Godfather]

Hat - 5

Cattle - 0

What do I win?

[Snaggletiger]

Why do you people hate John Wayne?

[Buzz Killington]

Hat - 5

Cattle - 0 Coming up to bat

FTFY

[The Prowler]

Here's the Coach's first recruiting classes ranked by Scout and Rivals:

Coach Zook/Coach Meyer's UF Class of '05 ranked 11th and 15th
Coach Midget/Coach Hat's LSU Class of '05 ranked 19th and 22nd
Coach Shula/Coach Midget's uat Class of '07 ranked 22nd and 11th
Coach Tuberville/Coach Chizik's AU Class of '09 ranked 15th and 18th

"And in 23 years, I've never made a bad decision. I've never failed in this position."

He is correct...Because he's talking about his Profession.  Every decision that he has made, in his profession,  has been a step up.  If he wouldn't have taken the ISU job, there's a Really good possibility that he wouldn't have been offered the Head Coaching job at Auburn.  But, Kaos...you just keep listening to the PF show, I'm sure he will sympathise with you. 

[Kaos]

Well let's see, dipshit. 

a) I posted my thoughts this morning well before Finebaum would have gone on the air. 

b) Where I live, I don't even get his damn show so I have no idea what he would or wouldn't sympathize with.

c) Keep licking the chizznuts if you wish.  I just hope he stops saying stupid things.

[The Prowler]

Well let's see, dipshit. 

a) I posted my thoughts this morning well before Finebaum would have gone on the air. 

b) Where I live, I don't even get his damn show so I have no idea what he would or wouldn't sympathize with.

c) Keep licking the chizznuts if you wish.  I just hope he stops saying stupid things.

Well let's see, Fucker.

a) Coach Chizik's recruiting class was on par or even better, in his first year, than the coaches that you listed.  And, he and the rest of the coaching staff had to do it against most of the media, I only say most, because there were some media people that actually looked past his ISU record, looked at the man, and looked at why he might be a better fit than the coaches that Auburn was going after.

2) With your Coach Chizik BASHING, you would be a perfect fit for special guest on the bammer network.

F) There's no licking of nuts, only the simple Facts.  So, just make up more shit to try to prove your point, your point is that you basically hate Coach Chizik and that you think he's going to be a complete failure.

[Kaos]

Well let's see, Fucker.

a) Coach Chizik's recruiting class was on par or even better, in his first year, than the coaches that you listed.  And, he and the rest of the coaching staff had to do it against most of the media, I only say most, because there were some media people that actually looked past his ISU record, looked at the man, and looked at why he might be a better fit than the coaches that Auburn was going after.

2) With your Coach Chizik BASHING, you would be a perfect fit for special guest on the bammer network.

F) There's no licking of nuts, only the simple Facts.  So, just make up more shit to try to prove your point, your point is that you basically hate Coach Chizik and that you think he's going to be a complete failure.

Q) How do you talk with Chizik's nuts jammed down your throat?

&!) With your Chizik blowing, you'd be a perfect sitcom on the LOGO Network.

M4) Your point is that you love sucking Chizballs and if he took a shit on your kitchen floor you'd call it a Christmas ham.

X) You like looking at "the man" and thinking about how he'd fit. 

%) I don't have to make up shit. Chizik's dumb ass comes up with much more ignorant stuff than I could invent.


Just so you know, Chizluber, I see way past 5-19.  The record is just a symptom of the complete disorganization and destruction Chizik unleashed on a program that had finally struggled out of the muck and gotten itself to legitimacy.  His dumb ass set it back a decade. 

[Greaseyweasel]

I'm all for the stupid fucker to continue on his coaching journey. Hell I'll even pitch in on his Greyhound ticket to where ever the hell he thinks he "deserves" for his successfull coaching record to take him. Remember he doesn't believe that yo can win championships at Auburn. So let him leave for where ever eh thinks a 3 win season can do that for a head coach.

[The Prowler]

Remember he doesn't believe that yo can win championships at Auburn.

When and where did Coach Chizik say this?

I remember him saying this:

"If I didn't feel like the University of Texas wasn't the best job in the country, I wouldn't have left Auburn for it," he added. "Auburn is a tremendous university with great tradition. We just came off an undefeated season. That situation over there is one of the best in the country as well. It was going to take something to get me out of Auburn that would've been something to help me move forward as a head coach. There are very few places in the country that would do that and Texas was certainly the one."

And this:

"Chizik's departure comes less than three weeks before Signing Day. The effect it will have on Auburn's recruiting remains to be seen. Chizik did say that he would do what he could to see that his leaving won't reflect negatively towards the Tigers 2005 class.

"We talked about that with coach (Tommy) Tuberville," said Chizik. "I made it very clear to him that I would do anything possible, call recruits and talk to recruits and explain to them that they don't come to Auburn University for Gene Chizik, they come to Auburn University because they think it's the right fit."

But, no where in that article did he say that you can't win Championships at Auburn.  I'm calling BS on that statement, until proven otherwise.  As far as you calling Coach Chizik a "stupid fucker".....you're going to call him that without him giving you a reason to, makes you look like the Stupid Fucker (Now, if Auburn had hired Coach Kiffin, then yeah, because he's given you a reason to call him a stupid fucker).

[War Eagle!!!]

I'm all for the stupid fucker to continue on his coaching journey. Hell I'll even pitch in on his Greyhound ticket to where ever the hell he thinks he "deserves" for his successfull coaching record to take him. Remember he doesn't believe that yo can win championships at Auburn. So let him leave for where ever eh thinks a 3 win season can do that for a head coach.

I can understand where Kaos stands on the Chiz matter. He is not happy with the hire and he doesn't think Chiz is going to make it. I understand that. I even understand that he is fucking with everyone and antagonizes the shit out of people in some of his posts. I think it's funny watching him get some people so fucking fired up.

What I don't understand is weasel. I don't understand that you want to run Chiz out RIGHT THIS SECOND without at least giving him some what of a fair shot. I wasn't happy with the hire either, but Chiz has done nothing since he arrived at Auburn that has made me want to shit bricks. Matter of fact, he has done the opposite. He has given me just a little bit of hope. You are so wrapped around the fact that you hate JJ and Chiz, that you can't understand that this may be...and I stress MAY BE...a decent hire for Auburn. He has brought in great coaches to surround him and he seems to have brought back the fire that Auburn has been missing. What the fuck is wrong with that???? And don't give me the answer of 5-18...I understand that. But let's look at his work since he has been at AUBURN and THEN have an educated and reasonable discussions about that time period...

[The Prowler]

But let's look at his work since he has been at AUBURN and THEN have an educated and reasonable discussions about that time period...

  

[Greaseyweasel]

OK he has no wins but claims an undefeated season.
He has gone and publically announce that he has never been unsuccessfull. Yet he has never been successfull as a head coach.

[Jumbo]

OK he has no wins but claims an undefeated season.
He has gone and publically announce that he has never been unsuccessfull. Yet he has never been successfull as a head coach.

You are not successful as a poster so whats your fucking point?