Jay Tate speaks to Gus Malzahn...

[The Prowler]

Well, Well, Well....Kaos, looks like your little fuck buddy is well known 'round the internet for being fucking useless when giving his opinion, on Anything that really matters. 

Similar question asked, "what do you think about Malzahn?"....
Similar to what greasey fucker would say, "Cheese Dick hired him so, I think he's a piece of fuckin' shit and he sucks....then something about peeing on him, fucking a goat's skull, and saying that Malzahn did something at some point to him or someone in his family somewhere and that he's afraid that he's going to do it again someday."...... :thumbsup: Yeah, great addition there greasey, very insightful.  :eyeroll:

[Tiger Wench]

Not everyone can be as calm, cool, collected and even handed as you are, Prowler, when making their posts.  It's obviously a special gift you have... :eyeroll:

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Not everyone can be as calm, cool, collected and even handed as you are, Prowler, when making their posts.  It's obviously a special gift you have... :eyeroll:

Nobody gives a shit.  It's not like Greasy doesn't ask for it constantly by mentioning him in every post.  Kaos deserves his fair share, and certainly doesn't need your commentary back up.

Just let them go! It's funny b'damnit!  It's not like there's much else happening on here this time of year.

[Jumbo]

That fuckstick believes with all his heart (he has no mind) that going around Auburn message boards acting like a complete dickhead jerk to other Auburn fans will actually bring about the change he desires.  And the stupid dickhead talks about secrets and inside information he has on Chizik, but can't talk about due to confidentiality agreements.  A typical internet tool.  Everywhere he posts, he post the same fucking moronic drivel.  Everybody tells him he's a moron, and he continues.

WeasyDick is saving the world one message board at a time

[boartitz]

By Dave Hyde
South Florida Sun Sentinel

The story gets better. The surprise grows richer. It wasn't a college play, after all, that slew the Patriots, humbled the genius, enlivened the stodgy NFL and delivered the Dolphins their best moment in years.

"We first used it at Springdale (Ark.) High School," Gus Malzahn said.

So it was a high school play that did all that.

"We were just trying to find a way to get the ball in the best players' hands," he said.

Just when you think you've bumped the creative ceiling in sports, when it seems innovative minds can't innovate anything fresh, here comes the story of a coach who thinks so differently his playbook sounds like a funhouse.

There's a play, for instance, where the tackle splits wide like a receiver, the tight end takes his place, then runs deep and is often wide open. It delivered touchdowns so often at Springdale High it was called "Fight Song," because the band had to be ready to play the fight song after the score. There's also . . .

"Can I say something?" Malzahn said.

. . . a play called "Woody," where the smallest back on the team hunkers down behind the big offensive line, gets the snap and runs in a way the defense can't see him. And there's a no-huddle, hurry-up script where the idea is to run a play every 12 seconds. And there's ...

"Wait, please don't make it sound, you know, like I 'invented' anything," Malzahn, 43, said. "Football's a game where you use ideas that you see. I've used everyone's ideas. This isn't about me at all. Please don't make it sound that way."

OK. Fair enough. But let's study the progression of the "Wildcat" package that led to the Dolphins scoring four touchdowns with it against New England and dumbing down Bill Belichick for one day.

In the fall of 2005, Springdale High's version of Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams were receiver Damian Williams and quarterback Mitch Mustain. Both are at the University of Southern California now.

One of the plays Malzahn invented for them was a version of the Wildcat package the Dolphins used to stun New England. Springdale won the Arkansas state title in 2005.

In 2006, Malzahn became Arkansas' offensive coordinator. There he inherited talents like Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, now with the Oakland Raiders and Dallas Cowboys, respectively.

"Please don't present this as anything more than a way to get the best players on the field at the same time," Malzahn said.

He fine-tuned the Wildcat package. When Arkansas clinched the Southeastern Conference West Division against Tennessee that year, McFadden used it to run for 181 yards, score two touchdowns and throw for a third. Sound familiar, Ronnie Brown?

In 2007, Malzahn became the University of Tulsa's offensive coordinator. Suddenly, it became the No. 1 offense in the country. Meanwhile, David Lee replaced him at Arkansas. Lee inherited the Wildcat package. Using it, McFadden ran for 206 yards and completed three passes to beat top-ranked LSU.

Cut to this season. Lee is the new Dolphins quarterbacks coach. With him came the Wildcat package. He's no doubt put in variations and options to tailor it to the Dolphins' players.

"Shoot, David Lee is a smart coach and it takes a lot of guts to call it in a NFL game like that," Malzahn said.

Malzahn sat in the Tulsa football office Sunday night when he first saw highlight of the Dolphins win and the play that sparked it. And Dr. Frankenstein thought, what?

"I thought it worked great," Malzahn said.

Did he feel a tinge of pride?

He sighed over the phone. "Look I've got to get back to what I'm doing here," he said. "I really, sincerely don't want any credit for this. I'm a little gun-shy. I've just been blessed to be in the right situation with the right players."

You can understand why he needs to work. Tulsa might have won its first three games, but it isn't the top-ranked offense anymore. It's No. 2 right now behind Missouri.

None of this diminishes the smart thinking and bold plans of Dolphins coach Tony Sparano and Lee on Sunday in New England. But, seriously, could someone send Gus Malzahn a game ball, too?

[boartitz]

By George Schroeder
Published: July 5, 2007Buzz up!

The idea hatched during one of those wild, desperate rallies that make football so fun.

A young high school coach watched a defense get shredded in the final moments. And he wondered: If the two-minute drill worked for two minutes, why wouldn’t it work for 48?

Advertisement

Turned out, it would.

Thus was born the philosophy that propelled Gus Malzahn to big success in the high school ranks, to his even- tual hiring as Arkansas’ offensive coordinator — and to his abrupt departure last winter for the same position at Tulsa.

We’ll get into the reasons for that stunning move later. For now, the offense.

Malzahn calls it the hurry-up no-huddle. Others call it a gimmick. Or sandlot football. Or …

“Recess,” says Bartlesville coach Ron Smith. “Like third-graders on a playground.”

Understand that Smith, the father of Tulsa quarterback Paul Smith, isn’t belittling. He’s praising a frenzied attack with so much motion, so much misdirection — so much chaos — “while you’re trying to figure out what they just did to you, they’re on to the next play.”

Over the last decade, Malzahn’s teams set records and piled up points and Arkansas state championships. He built a reputation, wrote a book, produced a how-to video.

But this fall, Malzahn will bring recess to college. Will it work for 60 minutes?

He thinks so, and one thing’s certain: He’s committed to finding out.

At this point, full disclosure is in order — and let’s hope Malzahn’s reputation can survive the revelation: He and I go way back. We’ve been friends since he was a young upstart coaching in Arkansas’ Delta region. Since before he conjured up the hurryup no-huddle.

Back then, Malzahn’s teams didn’t pass the ball all over the place. They didn’t have the personnel. But they won anyway. And when he had the right parts, Malzahn created a unique attack — or, as he prefers, philosophy — that relies on three intertwined principles: Speed up the game. Lengthen the game. Wear down the opponent.

The ideas aren’t new. Teams at all levels run the spread. Plenty go without a huddle and try to play really fast.

Malzahn freely admits to taking bits and pieces from various offenses. But he married the no-huddle to a frenetic pace — his teams want to snap the ball in less than five seconds — and determined to do it all game long.

More important, he’s married to the idea, which produced three state titles and led to Malzahn’s big leap up the coaching ladder.

His hiring was big news across the border. Springdale High had just steamrolled to a state championship. Arkansas had just stumbled through its second straight losing season. And it certainly didn’t hurt that several high-profile Springdale recruits, including the nation’s top prep quarterback, followed their coach to Fayetteville.

The big buzz gave way to success, then to chaos, though neither came from the hurry-up no-huddle.

Malzahn doesn’t talk much about his year at Arkansas, except to call it “a learning experience.” But it’s clear the fit was uncomfortable all the way around.

Although Houston Nutt promised he would “let Gus go” and “turn him loose,” it never happened. The hurry-up no-huddle wasn’t a part of the equation after the second game. And as the season went along, Malzahn worked in increasingly tighter shackles.

Still, Arkansas won the SEC West. Mitch Mustain, the freshman quarterback from Springdale, went 8-0 as a starter. Malzahn was credited with innovations, including the “Wildcat” formation, which allowed tailback Darren McFadden to blossom into one of college football’s most dangerous weapons. He was named national offensive coordinator of the year by Rivals.com.

But even as the Hogs were winning, a soap opera — with far too many subplots to get into here — was unfolding. Still is, long after Malzahn’s departure for Tulsa and Mustain’s transfer to USC.

Anyway, Malzahn won’t get into it, except to say Mustain and Damian Williams, another Springdale product who transferred to USC, are “great kids.” He prefers to talk about how happy he is at Tulsa, how much he enjoys the working environment. If you want to infer something from that, go right ahead.

And then there’s this: “I’ll get to run my offense.”

Don’t underestimate that part.

“It’s what I do,” Malzahn says. “It’s what I want to do from here on out.”

Will recess work in college? We’re about to find out.

Tulsa’s new playbook does not include a huddle.

[boartitz]

Dave McMahon, Special to USA Football

February 19, 2008


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tulsa offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is committed to running a fast offense that can add plays to your game and keep the opposing defenses off-balance. Find out what you need in order to run the offense in your program.

WHERE WILL GUS MALZAHN'SSPREAD, no-huddle offense lead to next?


There’s no telling, but some fellow coaches sure want to find out. In an auditorium jam-packed with coaches trying to find out what makes Malzahn’s offense work, the University of Tulsa offensive coordinator went 100-miles-an-hour on the dial, just like his offense.


If Malzahn wasn’t exhausted after delivering his insights into the highly effective offense, his listeners sure were in January at the American Football Coaches Association Convention in Anaheim.


Malzahn implemented the no-huddle spread as head coach at Springdale (Ark.) High School, where quarterback Mitch Mustain directed the team to an unbeaten 2005 Arkansas state championship.


The two spent one season at the University of Arkansas before both parted, Mustain to USC and Malzahn to Tulsa. In his first season in 2007, Malzahn helped produce the nation’s top-ranked offense. The Golden Hurricane put an exclamation point on the season by thumping Bowling Green 63-7 in the GMAC Bowl. It was largest margin of victory in a bowl game, besting a 55-point margin in 1953. In 14 previous bowl games, Tulsa had never scored more than 31 points. To top it off, quarterback Paul Smith set an NCAA record by throwing for 300 yards or more for his 14th consecutive game. Ty Detmer had the previous mark of 13 games. Finally, Tulsa had a 56-229 advantage in total yards.


For good measure, Tulsa ended the season with a 5,000-yard passer, a 1,000-yard rusher and three 1,000-yard receivers. That’s the first time that’s happened in NCAA football history.


So what’s Malzahn on to?


“We run the 2:00 minute for the entire game,” Malzahn said, as many of the attendees they scribbled notes from the overhead projector. “It’s the best thing I’ve ever done as a coach.”


“Every game we have three goals. Number one is to speed up the game. We want the ball snapped within five seconds after the ball is placed. We make our players get up and hand the ball to the umpire so that he can place the ball quickly. You don’t hand the ball to the umpire, you’re running Monday.


“Number two is to lengthen the game. We’re essentially creating a fifth quarter by adding anywhere from 20 to 50 extra plays more than the opponent.


“Number three is to mentally and physically wear down the defense.”


It’s an attack that appears to be working. Tulsa led the nation in offensive snaps last season, checking in at about 80 offensive plays per game.


“The advantage of [this style] is that it gives the coaches the ability to change the play at the line of scrimmage, or the quarterback can change the play. The other thing is that it’s exciting for the players,” he said. “You’re not going to find a player who doesn’t like this offense.”


Malzahn offered some "insights before implementation” that he proposed to coaches wondering if the offense would fit at their own programs.


“You have to have an average, or better, offense.”


“You can’t worry about time of possession.”


“Players have to be in great shape.”


“The offensive staff has to be prepared to make quick decisions.”


“You have to be committed to it.”


At the end of the presentation, Malzahn provided two special plays in which he says Tulsa stole points simply by using specials and tricks. Malzahn said he has 20 plays in his playbook designed to score points, and they practice those plays for 5-10 minutes every day.


Next week, we’ll take a look at the “Woody” and the “Fight Song.” The latter, of course, is so named because when the play is called, it’s touchdown time - the time where the marching band plays the fight song.

[boartitz]

 now -- at Tulsa
By Dennis Dodd
CBS SportsLine.com Senior Writer
Tell Dennis your opinion!   
 
           

TULSA, Okla. -- Gus Malzahn was asked to give the best examples of his hurry-up, no-huddle offense last season at Arkansas.

Actually, there was only one example.

   
Gus Malzahn's offense is like a full-time two-minute drill. (AP)   
"The closest thing to it last year was a drive we had against USC when Mitch came in," Malzahn said. "That was pretty much it."

In second-half garbage time of a season-opening 36-point loss, former Arkansas quarterback Mitch Mustain guided a scoring drive.

Sooo ... that makes looking at film of the philosophy he is about to implement at Tulsa pretty much out of the question.

"Here, take this," Malzahn said. "This pretty much has everything in it."

It is a 33-minute coaching instructional tape from 2004 featuring Malzahn's high school teams.

Draw your own conclusions about Malzahn's influence on the offense during one tumultuous year as Arkansas' offensive coordinator. Depending on who you believe, the former high school head coach was hired in December 2005 a) by strong suggestion of AD Frank Broyles who was frustrated by the Hogs' offense; b) by coach Houston Nutt when he couldn't get more accomplished coordinators David Cutcliffe and David Lee; c) in order to secure four talented prospects from Malzahn's Springdale (Ark.) High program.

All of the above might be true. That's why Malzahn's departure for Tulsa in mid-January caused tongues -- and at least one player -- to go in motion.

Mustain, the best of the four big-time recruits, asked to be released from his scholarship shortly thereafter. He is still enrolled at Arkansas, supposedly scouting locations for his transfer. Earlier that month, receiver Damian Williams, also from Springdale, transferred to USC.

It all added up to unstated implications that Malzahn never got a chance to run his offense in the SEC. It was an offense that won multiple state high school titles in Arkansas, but still hasn't been unveiled on the college level.

"It goes back to philosophy; what's your philosophy?" Malzahn said. "A spread, no-huddle is a philosophy. It doesn't make any difference what offense you run. You could run the wishbone, you could run the Wing T."

The truth seems to lie in some gray area where Malzahn "called plays" but was only allowed to call from a list that featured the running strengths of Doak Walker Award winning tailback Darren McFadden and Felix Jones

"I didn't mind giving up the play-calling," Nutt said. "I accepted that ... (but) it came to a time ... where you've got to win ballgames."

"(I told him) 'I want the ball in the hands of Darren 25 times, somehow. Same thing with Felix, let's get him 15. Now mix up your screens, your passes after that.'"

Said Malzahn: "First of all, I wasn't the head coach. Every program I've been in, the head coach gets to decide what goes on. I got to call within a certain system and team oriented-type deal."

The marriage looked like an odd one from the beginning. Arkansas' strength was a power running game. Malzahn wants to run what amounts to a two-minute offense the entire game. His team once ran 96 plays in a 48-minute high school game. Huddles aren't even in the playbook. The ball is snapped within five seconds after being put in play.

The closest thing to it at the college level might be Rich Rodriguez' spread at West Virginia. No surprise, then, that when Todd Graham left Rice for Tulsa, one of his first calls was to Malzahn.

Graham had gotten Malzahn's name from close friend Rodriguez back in the '90s. He has seen the tape.

"I've watched Gus for a long time. He's one of the smartest, most innovative guys around," Graham said. "It's not just trick stuff."

One thing is certain for a program that is already on the rise: Tulsa football is about to change radically.

"Our goal is to play faster than anybody in the country," Malzahn said. "You put as much pressure on the defense as possible ... I'm full throttle. It's been an unbelievable advantage at the high-school level."

In college? All we've got to go on is a half-hour tape and one series last Labor Day Weekend.
 

[boartitz]

Gus Malzahn - Good Coaching has a Name - A Master Chess Playcaller against Children of the Checkerboard
Good coaching always has a name, and in this selected case, it is Gus Malzahn.

Gus Malzahn is one of the major reasons that a resurgent 9-1 Arkansas Razorbacks football team is ranked in the top 10 in the nation. He calls the plays for the Razorbacks and shows what good playcalling is all about.

As Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt is quoted as saying: "I’m going to let Gus go. I’m going to turn him loose."

He not only has designed many unusual plays, but, as one of his former assistant coaches is quoted as saying, bread and butter plays can also clearly be a part of strategy: "when something's working, he'll stick with that...." We wrote about this here as a sign of good coaching (and investing).

Malzahn also echoes the philosophy of Larry Kehres when Malzahn states:

"You've got to build your offense around your best players."

Malzahn is the author of The Hurry-Up, No-Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy, which is described at amazon.com as follows:

"An exciting, "fast and furious" offensive system that allows coaches at any level to speed up the game and lengthen the amount of actual playing time, while mentally and physically wearing down the opponent. Explains the philosophy of the Hurry-Up, No-Huddle, building a well-organized offensive system with the Hurry-Up, No-Huddle, communication, practice, and the Hurry-Up, No-Huddle running game and passing game. Also includes 14 special tips for running the system. Features dozens of photographs and illustrations. ."

Malzahn had a remarkably successful record as a high school coach. In 2005, before being hired by Arkansas:

"Malzahn ... completed his fifth season at Springdale High School with a perfect 14-0 season and a state championship in the state’s largest classification."

Based upon what we read about Malzahn, he is to be ranked in the same class of coaches as Larry Kehres of Mount Union - REAL coaches, who, either by instinct or learning, really know what they are doing, a rare breed.

The remarkable thing is that many people thought that a high school football coach could not be successful at the college level, much as some people think that a coach like Larry Kehres would not be successful at an NCAA Division I-A school. Others were less charitable:

"Some college football purists were appalled when Malzahn was hired directly from Springdale High School, a few miles outside of Fayetteville, to serve as offensive coordinator for the University of Arkansas football team."

Interesting also was the comparison of the University of Arkansas situation to that at the University of Nebraska at Sports Overload Sports Blog:

"Gus Malzahn has been criticized and analyzed every way from Sunday. The radio shows and newspapers have been all over the issue. Some would say he is the answer because he brings a spread offense to the table, not to mention a pipeline to northwest Arkansas recruits. I think it would be interesting for Arkansas to run a spread-oriented offense, but there are a few problems there. Arkansas runs the football religiously and making a drastic change could take a lot of time. Nebraska went from the option attack to the west coast offense. They are about to begin year three of the transition period and, other than a big win over Michigan to finish the season, still haven’t gotten back to where the program was before. Houston Nutt has to win this year or he is gone. "

Nebraska this year is still not back on track (8-3 with no wins over a top opponent). Arkansas in the space of a season is 9-1 and ranked in the top 5 nationally with several wins over top opponents (they were a mere 4-7 last year).

People who criticize Malzahn understand next to nothing about coaching, probably have never coached themselves, and certainly have never themselves been coaches of "winners" capable of what Wooden calls "competitive greatness". Malzahn's is not a "gadget offense", as some people claim, but rather an offense designed to exploit weaknesses in a given defense, which in fact is just what an offense should be. Tom Osborne used to have a bag of so-called trick plays at the University of Nebraska which he used in the right situations quite effectively. There was nothing "gadgety" about them. It was just smart football playcalling.

If Malzahn were calling the plays at the University of Nebraska this year, I would imagine that the Cornhuskers would be undefeated, but as it is, the Huskers have forged an 8-3 record with some of the worst playcalling (and worst defensive formations in the 2nd half) we have ever seen.

Football playcalling is a bit like games of strategy, poker and chess combined, and for that, you need someone having a particular kind of strategic mind. We do not mean to slight the intellect of those who major at college in the study physical education, but most football teams do not have anyone with that kind of a mind calling plays. Hence, we definitely have the opinion that the best football coaches are generally also the smartest football coaches.

We note that Malzahn, just like Larry Kehres, sees his coaching job as a form of "teaching". One example is his video Teaching Routes with Quarterback and Receiver Responsibilities, described as follows:

"What the coach should expect of his quarterbacks and receivers concerning how wide receivers should run their routes. In a straightforward manner, two-time state champion coach Gus Malzahn explains and demonstrates the responsibilities of the quarterbacks and his wide receivers on seven of the most commonly run routes: Stop, quick slant, comeback, speed out, out and up, post/flag, and go. Includes coaching pointers and more. 2002, 36 min. "

The smarter football coach in America, regardless of his level of coaching, will have and study that video. I imagine that the University of Nebraska football coaching staff has never even heard of Malzahn's video.

D. Laurant at Real Football 365 in Razorbacks' new coordinator happier than a Hog in slop has a wonderful posting about Malzahn's success at Arkansas, and we quote:

"If nothing else, Gus Malzahn is proving that football is football, wherever it's played.

Or as William Shakespeare once pointed out, the play's the thing -- whether it's hatched by 12-year-old kids in a vacant lot or guys wearing headsets in professional stadiums.

You take into consideration your personnel, the other team's defense, and the possible element of surprise. Shake well and serve."



The result is that Malzahn was for example named National Coordinator of the Week (after the convincing win over Auburn).

As concerns the most recent game, the convincing 31-14 Arkansas win over Tennessee, College Football News staff columnist Matt Zemek's posting at Scout.com writes:

"Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English will likely win the award named after legendary Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles, given to the best assistant coach in college football. English's transformation of the Wolverines' defense has enabled him to become the best defensive coordinator in America. But if anyone in the United States should come in second for the Broyles Award, it's Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who--like English--has produced strategic brilliance in his first season as a coordinator at the Division I-A level. Malzahn called plays with the boldness and confidence of a man who knows his team can handle a complex and daring playbook. With uncertain or inconsistent teams, the play sheet isn't likely to feature aggressive offerings on every single snap. Malzahn, however, knew that he had the punchers in this Fayetteville football fight, and McFadden provided the ultimate knockout blows to Phil Fulmer's crew. McFadden was used by Malzahn as a quarterback, a receiver, a rusher, a handoff man, an I-formation power source, a shotgun spread field general, and as a nuclear physicist. Well, not the last one, but you get the point: Gus Malzahn gave touches to Darren McFadden in many ways, and the diversity of looks--not to mention the plays that came from those formations--flummoxed Tennessee all night long. Malzahn played a mean game of chess with Darren McFadden against the Children of the Checkerboard, and that was more than half the battle." [emphasis added, we have taken "Children of the Checkerboard" in our blog title from Zemek's posting]

Actually, since offense is half the game and defense the other half, this would be the perfect year to split the Broyles Award 50-50 to Malzahn and English, no questions asked. Nearly EVERYONE would applaud such wisdom and it would bring more attention to the Broyles Award than it normally gets.

[Kaos]

Nobody gives a shit.  It's not like Greasy doesn't ask for it constantly by mentioning him in every post.  Kaos deserves his fair share, and certainly doesn't need your commentary back up.

Just let them go! It's funny b'damnit!  It's not like there's much else happening on here this time of year.

Jane, you ignorant fuck....  You really don't want to go back down that road again.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

Jane, you ignorant fuck....  You really don't want to go back down that road again.

Two words: "Poon Clown".

Go down any road you want.  It's a message board dipshit.  I'm sure your next sparky fuck filled blurbage will be a hoot.   

[Kaos]

Two words: "Poon Clown".

Go down any road you want.  It's a message board dipshit.  I'm sure your next sparky fuck filled blurbage will be a hoot.   

Not going to waste much effort because you're just not worth it you retarded grape ape.

Fuck you and your homosexual lifestyle.

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

 

Not going to waste much effort because you're just not worth it you retarded grape ape.

Fuck you and your homosexual lifestyle.

Beegle Beagle was amazing, but I'm not sure even he could have handled a 40ft tall grape ape if he was retarded, and then gay on top of that.

[Kaos]

Thanks for posting all these illuminating articles Mrs. Malzahn. 

Seriously.  Why are you so far up the guy's butt?  Are you one of the Springdale parents who so desperately want him to succeed that you'd take a bullet for the guy?  He's the Rush Propst of Arkansas. 

FWIW, I read the same kind of glowing treacle about Frankin, complete with "Frankenstein" quotes, about this same time last year.  We saw how well that worked out.

Gus Malzahn - Good Coaching has a Name - A Master Chess Playcaller against Children of the Checkerboard
Good coaching always has a name, and in this selected case, it is Gus Malzahn.

Gus Malzahn is one of the major reasons that a resurgent 9-1 Arkansas Razorbacks football team is ranked in the top 10 in the nation. He calls the plays for the Razorbacks and shows what good playcalling is all about.

As Arkansas head coach Houston Nutt is quoted as saying: "I’m going to let Gus go. I’m going to turn him loose."

He not only has designed many unusual plays, but, as one of his former assistant coaches is quoted as saying, bread and butter plays can also clearly be a part of strategy: "when something's working, he'll stick with that...." We wrote about this here as a sign of good coaching (and investing).

Malzahn also echoes the philosophy of Larry Kehres when Malzahn states:

"You've got to build your offense around your best players."

Malzahn is the author of The Hurry-Up, No-Huddle: An Offensive Philosophy, which is described at amazon.com as follows:

"An exciting, "fast and furious" offensive system that allows coaches at any level to speed up the game and lengthen the amount of actual playing time, while mentally and physically wearing down the opponent. Explains the philosophy of the Hurry-Up, No-Huddle, building a well-organized offensive system with the Hurry-Up, No-Huddle, communication, practice, and the Hurry-Up, No-Huddle running game and passing game. Also includes 14 special tips for running the system. Features dozens of photographs and illustrations. ."

Malzahn had a remarkably successful record as a high school coach. In 2005, before being hired by Arkansas:

"Malzahn ... completed his fifth season at Springdale High School with a perfect 14-0 season and a state championship in the state’s largest classification."

Based upon what we read about Malzahn, he is to be ranked in the same class of coaches as Larry Kehres of Mount Union - REAL coaches, who, either by instinct or learning, really know what they are doing, a rare breed.

The remarkable thing is that many people thought that a high school football coach could not be successful at the college level, much as some people think that a coach like Larry Kehres would not be successful at an NCAA Division I-A school. Others were less charitable:

"Some college football purists were appalled when Malzahn was hired directly from Springdale High School, a few miles outside of Fayetteville, to serve as offensive coordinator for the University of Arkansas football team."

Interesting also was the comparison of the University of Arkansas situation to that at the University of Nebraska at Sports Overload Sports Blog:

"Gus Malzahn has been criticized and analyzed every way from Sunday. The radio shows and newspapers have been all over the issue. Some would say he is the answer because he brings a spread offense to the table, not to mention a pipeline to northwest Arkansas recruits. I think it would be interesting for Arkansas to run a spread-oriented offense, but there are a few problems there. Arkansas runs the football religiously and making a drastic change could take a lot of time. Nebraska went from the option attack to the west coast offense. They are about to begin year three of the transition period and, other than a big win over Michigan to finish the season, still haven’t gotten back to where the program was before. Houston Nutt has to win this year or he is gone. "

Nebraska this year is still not back on track (8-3 with no wins over a top opponent). Arkansas in the space of a season is 9-1 and ranked in the top 5 nationally with several wins over top opponents (they were a mere 4-7 last year).

People who criticize Malzahn understand next to nothing about coaching, probably have never coached themselves, and certainly have never themselves been coaches of "winners" capable of what Wooden calls "competitive greatness". Malzahn's is not a "gadget offense", as some people claim, but rather an offense designed to exploit weaknesses in a given defense, which in fact is just what an offense should be. Tom Osborne used to have a bag of so-called trick plays at the University of Nebraska which he used in the right situations quite effectively. There was nothing "gadgety" about them. It was just smart football playcalling.

If Malzahn were calling the plays at the University of Nebraska this year, I would imagine that the Cornhuskers would be undefeated, but as it is, the Huskers have forged an 8-3 record with some of the worst playcalling (and worst defensive formations in the 2nd half) we have ever seen.

Football playcalling is a bit like games of strategy, poker and chess combined, and for that, you need someone having a particular kind of strategic mind. We do not mean to slight the intellect of those who major at college in the study physical education, but most football teams do not have anyone with that kind of a mind calling plays. Hence, we definitely have the opinion that the best football coaches are generally also the smartest football coaches.

We note that Malzahn, just like Larry Kehres, sees his coaching job as a form of "teaching". One example is his video Teaching Routes with Quarterback and Receiver Responsibilities, described as follows:

"What the coach should expect of his quarterbacks and receivers concerning how wide receivers should run their routes. In a straightforward manner, two-time state champion coach Gus Malzahn explains and demonstrates the responsibilities of the quarterbacks and his wide receivers on seven of the most commonly run routes: Stop, quick slant, comeback, speed out, out and up, post/flag, and go. Includes coaching pointers and more. 2002, 36 min. "

The smarter football coach in America, regardless of his level of coaching, will have and study that video. I imagine that the University of Nebraska football coaching staff has never even heard of Malzahn's video.

D. Laurant at Real Football 365 in Razorbacks' new coordinator happier than a Hog in slop has a wonderful posting about Malzahn's success at Arkansas, and we quote:

"If nothing else, Gus Malzahn is proving that football is football, wherever it's played.

Or as William Shakespeare once pointed out, the play's the thing -- whether it's hatched by 12-year-old kids in a vacant lot or guys wearing headsets in professional stadiums.

You take into consideration your personnel, the other team's defense, and the possible element of surprise. Shake well and serve."



The result is that Malzahn was for example named National Coordinator of the Week (after the convincing win over Auburn).

As concerns the most recent game, the convincing 31-14 Arkansas win over Tennessee, College Football News staff columnist Matt Zemek's posting at Scout.com writes:

"Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English will likely win the award named after legendary Arkansas head coach Frank Broyles, given to the best assistant coach in college football. English's transformation of the Wolverines' defense has enabled him to become the best defensive coordinator in America. But if anyone in the United States should come in second for the Broyles Award, it's Arkansas offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, who--like English--has produced strategic brilliance in his first season as a coordinator at the Division I-A level. Malzahn called plays with the boldness and confidence of a man who knows his team can handle a complex and daring playbook. With uncertain or inconsistent teams, the play sheet isn't likely to feature aggressive offerings on every single snap. Malzahn, however, knew that he had the punchers in this Fayetteville football fight, and McFadden provided the ultimate knockout blows to Phil Fulmer's crew. McFadden was used by Malzahn as a quarterback, a receiver, a rusher, a handoff man, an I-formation power source, a shotgun spread field general, and as a nuclear physicist. Well, not the last one, but you get the point: Gus Malzahn gave touches to Darren McFadden in many ways, and the diversity of looks--not to mention the plays that came from those formations--flummoxed Tennessee all night long. Malzahn played a mean game of chess with Darren McFadden against the Children of the Checkerboard, and that was more than half the battle." [emphasis added, we have taken "Children of the Checkerboard" in our blog title from Zemek's posting]

Actually, since offense is half the game and defense the other half, this would be the perfect year to split the Broyles Award 50-50 to Malzahn and English, no questions asked. Nearly EVERYONE would applaud such wisdom and it would bring more attention to the Broyles Award than it normally gets.

[Kaos]

Well, Well, Well....Kaos, looks like your little fuck buddy is well known 'round the internet for being fucking useless when giving his opinion, on Anything that really matters. 

Similar question asked, "what do you think about Malzahn?"....
Similar to what greasey fucker would say, "Cheese Dick hired him so, I think he's a piece of fuckin' shit and he sucks....then something about peeing on him, fucking a goat's skull, and saying that Malzahn did something at some point to him or someone in his family somewhere and that he's afraid that he's going to do it again someday."...... :thumbsup: Yeah, great addition there greasey, very insightful.  :eyeroll:

I'm going to illuminate you on the situation with GW, Prowler because you and a couple of other shitbags on this site made me out to be a liar. 

I ran across his posts on another board several months ago.  He hated the Chizik hire -- and hates Chizik.  What pissed me off there was that because he expressed an opinion counter to the "Chizik is great, we're better off now" unicorn riding horseshit, the so-called Auburn fans on that board derided him as being disloyal and branded him a Bammer. 

I found that offensive -- partly because I think hiring Chizik was the iceberg to Auburn's Titanic -- but also because there's no rule that says AU fans have to agree.  We're not like the stupid Bama sheep that bleat the company line.  We're smarter than that. 

So I told him about this board.  I told him about this board because I thought the people here were more open-minded than that.  I told him when I invited him to post here that the posters here were much cooler and that while it was almost certain that people would disagree with his opinion, at least nobody would say he was a bammer for having it. 

Well fuck me running. I was wrong. It didn't take one single day for some of you cro-magnon types to do exactly that.  I don't blame GW for digging to a degree.  He came here expecting open minds and he got the same rainbow and skittles garbage from a couple of you that he got elsewhere. 

Now, I don't know whether GW is a Bama fan or not.  He might be.  But he told me he wasn't and I've never seen him post anything that would single him out as one.  If he is, he just is and he's run good game. So far as I know the rest of you might be Bama fans, too.  Some of you definitely act like the retarded bastards that make up their fan base.

Your stupid "fuck buddy" comments are past the point of ridiculous and make you look like a flaming queer.

As far as him being well-known around the internet, that's asinine.  I don't know where all he posts except for here and one other board from which I've been trying to draw a few good posters.  I'm fairly sure the one who recoginzed the GW rants is also from that board.  So, you see, chump?  Not only did I bring GW here, but I brought one of his fiercest critics.  What say you now? 

At least I bring people who aren't little frightened mice and afraid to post because somebody might disagree.

[Snaggletiger]

Okay, I admit it.  I'm a bammer.  I thought I had all of you fooled but I can't keep up this charade any longer. I live in a double wide (But it's less than 15 years old and in the front block in the trailer park) My fiance of 17 years may be a grunt over 220 but damnit, she loves me hard and I don't regret the "Misty Anne" tatoo on my left butt cheek for one minute. She's been a real mother to our 4 children and she loves them two from my former life just like her own.

I may not have ever set foot in Tuscaloosa (I did register for one of them on-line correspondence courses through the Capstone and I got started real good..til' our cable and innernet service got cut off when I got laid off from Big Harnage's Tire & Sub Sandwich Emporium) but that don't mean shit when it comes to my love for the Bear and that University.  You can't say I'm any less a fan than someone that actually did get their six year degree. 

All of ya'll can fuck off.  I'm gonna' keep postin' on this here board, you bunch a Aubie lovin' retards.  Rol Tide   

[boartitz]

Thanks for posting all these illuminating articles Mrs. Malzahn. 

Seriously.  Why are you so far up the guy's butt?  Are you one of the Springdale parents who so desperately want him to succeed that you'd take a bullet for the guy?  He's the Rush Propst of Arkansas. 

FWIW, I read the same kind of glowing treacle about Frankin, complete with "Frankenstein" quotes, about this same time last year.  We saw how well that worked out.

I posted these articles because some of yall are obviously way behind the curve on your knowledge of Gus' history.
First year out of HIGH SCHOOL and he is Rival's offensive co-ordinator of the year. Then his success at Tulsa.
Yall have a gem in the rough who only wants a chance to prove himself on this level. Gus is a good guy and one of the smartest people in football on any level. He will serve you well.
I know you have the pressure on you to be the first darksider of this regime, but you are on the wrong tack here.

I hated Tubby in 2003, so I know more about football than yall that started hating in 2004. Is that you?
I hope Gus runs success right up your  fucking Kaotic asshole.
What are you gonna bitch about then?

[Kaos]

I posted these articles because some of yall are obviously way behind the curve on your knowledge of Gus' history.
First year out of HIGH SCHOOL and he is Rival's offensive co-ordinator of the year. Then his success at Tulsa.
Yall have a gem in the rough who only wants a chance to prove himself on this level. Gus is a good guy and one of the smartest people in football on any level. He will serve you well.
I know you have the pressure on you to be the first darksider of this regime, but you are on the wrong tack here.

I hated Tubby in 2003, so I know more about football than yall that started hating in 2004. Is that you?
I hope Gus runs success right up your  fucking Kaotic asshole.
What are you gonna bitch about then?

I hope he does succeed.  But I'm going to have to see it first.  And not at Tulsa. 

Nobody hated Tuberville in 2004, hell he was national coach of the year -- not even co!!!!

Fucking Terry Cocksmoker Bowden was national coach of the year, too. Don't mean dingus.

What will I bitch about if the Gus Bus doesn't break down at the station?  Well, I'll start with your avatar. 

[Kaos]

Okay, I admit it.  I'm a bammer.  I thought I had all of you fooled but I can't keep up this charade any longer. I live in a double wide (But it's less than 15 years old and in the front block in the trailer park) My fiance of 17 years may be a grunt over 220 but damnit, she loves me hard and I don't regret the "Misty Anne" tatoo on my left butt cheek for one minute. She's been a real mother to our 4 children and she loves them two from my former life just like her own.

I may not have ever set foot in Tuscaloosa (I did register for one of them on-line correspondence courses through the Capstone and I got started real good..til' our cable and innernet service got cut off when I got laid off from Big Harnage's Tire & Sub Sandwich Emporium) but that don't mean shit when it comes to my love for the Bear and that University.  You can't say I'm any less a fan than someone that actually did get their six year degree. 

All of ya'll can fuck off.  I'm gonna' keep postin' on this here board, you bunch a Aubie lovin' retards.  Rol Tide   

You are funny.  Like a clown.  Here to amuse me. 

[boartitz]

I hope he does succeed.  But I'm going to have to see it first.  And not at Tulsa. 

Nobody hated Tuberville in 2004, hell he was national coach of the year -- not even co!!!!

Fucking Terry Cocksmoker Bowden was national coach of the year, too. Don't mean dingus.

What will I bitch about if the Gus Bus doesn't break down at the station?  Well, I'll start with your avatar. 

You mean you loved the old Arky boy in 2004 when he was winning? What about the other years?
You sure seem to have a hard on about another Arky that hasn't even coached a game yet. He's fucking 10 times smarter than old wingnut Tommy. Tommy is also a good guy in my book and he did yall OK.
You ever seen them old cartoons with a caveman dragging a bitch around? That's the way you're going to arrive in the 21st century football scene. Feet first. With a vagina full of sand.