Auburn and Chizik

[seofan_via_dublin]

What are your opinions on Auburn hiring Gene Chizik
for their next head coach.

Many people are splitting the fence on this one, and the most vocal side
seems to think that the decision was racially motivated (see Charles Barkley)

So what do you guys think?

[seofan_via_dublin]

I believe Sir Charles is off base on this one.

Auburn passed on several other coaches who are more qualified
as a head coach that Chizik, and Turner Gill. Those coaches were
white as well.

Auburn didn't hire a black coach, and I believe that if you hire a
black coach just to "look good" in todays lack of minority coaching,
then you are doing yourselves, your fans, and the coach a disservice.

Turner Gill is a good coach, and Gene Chizik has a winning history as an
assistant with Auburn. Like I said before, they passed on several coaches more
qualified than both Gill and Chizik. When it came down to it they picked the guy
they knew would have a good idea about Auburn football and the direction it should go,
based on his previous tenure at Auburn.

Personally, I think they should have passed on both Gill and Chizik. Neither has
the experience to go into the SEC and roll with the coaches already there. I think that
within 3-4 years Auburn will be shopping for another coach.

[85inside]

I dont know if it were racially motivated, but it just seems like a questionable hire for Auburn. I mean, if this was Troy or Arkansas State or someone like that, I could maybe see this. why wouldnt Auburn take their time and get a high profile coach? A guy that was 5-19 is going to win recruits over Saban and Alabama? Yowsa.

[85inside]

Dublin: Just for my information, could you list these several coaches Auburn passed on? I just want to make sure that it was Auburn who did the passing.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Just for my information, could you list these several coaches Auburn passed on? I just want to make sure that it was Auburn who did the passing.

Head Coaches
Mike Leach (texas Tech), Todd Graham (Tulsa), Brady Hoke (Ball St.),
Gary Patterson (TCU), Derek Dooley (Louisiana Tech).
Assistant Coaches
Rodney Garner (Georgia), Patrick Nix (Miami)

Came down allegedly to Chizik and Gill, Chizik won out.

Like I said, I think they would have been shopping for a new coach either
way within 4 years.

I think the better move for Turner Gill is to take a job at a
Mountain West, Big East, or lower level Big 10 school. Prove he can win there,
and then be able to write his own ticket to whatever school he wants.
This would be better than jumping head first from the shallow end of the MAC to the
deep end of the SEC and have to compete with Saban in your own small state.

I think Gill has the ability to be a great coach, but a jump right now to the SEC
would be an all-or-nothing, feet first jump, that could bite him right in the butt later.

[seofan_via_dublin]

BTW: Turner Gill signed a contract extension with Buffalo today, through 2013

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3773899

[seofan_via_dublin]

Chizik will have Auburn playing great defense, that was never their problem though.

It will depend on who he brings in to run the offense, that will determine how he is viewed
as a coach in the next 3 years at Auburn.

Remember he coached Auburn's defense in 2004 when they were the best defense in the country,
then moved on to coach Texas' defense the following year, where they won the national title.
Combined over 2 seasons with 2 teams, Chizik was 29-0 as a defensive coordinator.

How anyone expected him to be a success at an already crummy Iowa State, is beyond me.

[fightingtigers45]

Just for my information, could you list these several coaches Auburn passed on? I just want to make sure that it was Auburn who did the passing.

Head Coaches
Mike Leach (texas Tech), Todd Graham (Tulsa), Brady Hoke (Ball St.),
Gary Patterson (TCU), Derek Dooley (Louisiana Tech).
Assistant Coaches
Rodney Garner (Georgia), Patrick Nix (Miami)

Came down allegedly to Chizik and Gill, Chizik won out.

Like I said, I think they would have been shopping for a new coach either
way within 4 years.

I think the better move for Turner Gill is to take a job at a
Mountain West, Big East, or lower level Big 10 school. Prove he can win there,
and then be able to write his own ticket to whatever school he wants.
This would be better than jumping head first from the shallow end of the MAC to the
deep end of the SEC and have to compete with Saban in your own small state.

I think Gill has the ability to be a great coach, but a jump right now to the SEC
would be an all-or-nothing, feet first jump, that could bite him right in the butt later.

None of those guys are big names guys except Mike Leach, and it is uncertain if he was fully interested in the Auburn job.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Never said anything about them being big names,
just that they had better resumes than the two "finalists".

I also doubt that any of the listed names would be able to get the job done either,
I don't think Gill would have, and don't think Chizik will.

I think Auburn felt they had to make a decision quickly,
to get back out and bang on the doors of recruits.

[fightingtigers45]

Never said anything about them being big names,
just that they had better resumes than the two "finalists".

I also doubt that any of the listed names would be able to get the job done either,
I don't think Gill would have, and don't think Chizik will.

I think Auburn felt they had to make a decision quickly,
to get back out and bang on the doors of recruits.

I was insinuating that Auburn NEEDED a big name.

Chizik will fail. Gill probably would have to, but I would have hired him before Chizik. Chizik is a good assistant.

Also, are any of the coaches above BETTER than Tommy Tuberville? They made this move because Saban is at Bama. Period. If you want a coach better than Saban, then youre going to have to call Pete Carroll or else you wont find him!

[seofan_via_dublin]

Agree fully with you 100%.

I still think Gill is better off not going to Auburn right now, for his resume and future.

It would have been silly for him to go to Syracuse as well, imo.

[fightingtigers45]

Agree fully with you 100%.

I still think Gill is better off not going to Auburn right now, for his resume and future.

It would have been silly for him to go to Syracuse as well, imo.

Syracuse would have been a dead end for him, I agree.

I think when the Nebraska job becomes available again, that he should take the job there. I also agree that he needs another stepping stone job before ANY SEC job. To compete in the SEC, you need a great coach. Look at the coaches they have now: Saban, Meyer, Miles, Richt, Brooks, Nutt, Petrino, Spurrier. Tennessee was smart, they hired Lane Kiffin. Mississippi State got Dan Mullen. Granted, Tennessee was a far more attractive job than Auburn. But you cant tell me someone higher-up couldnt have been lured to Auburn. Someone far more qualified than Chizik.

[seofan_via_dublin]

Yea, I think they pulled the trigger way to early on the hire.
Presure to make sure the recruiting class stayed intact likely
played a role.

If Tennessee could get Kiffin, then Auburn could have gotten a
better option.

Chris Speilman broke it down well today, he put it in terms
that Buckeye fans can grasp and fully understand.

Hiring Chizik after him doing so bad at Iowa State, is paramount to
Jim Bollman leaving Ohio State to coach somewhere else, then being
hired to replace Jim Tressel after Bollman stunk for 2 years at the other shcool.

I liken it to OSU replacing Tressel with Mark Snyder, Snyder was a good coordinator at OSU,
but has yet to become a coach worthy of taking the reigns at OSU.

Chizik and Gill are not ready to be the #1 at a top 10 school.

[3morethan2]

i dont think either of em would be a good fit for auburn but i would rather have gill than chizik why would you pick a coach that has a horrible record that he has to lead a program like auburn ...now i think later down the road you will see gill at a bigger program like auburn.

[Tigercannon71]

He might make a good HC. I think this is just Barkley blowing smoke and him jsut being Barkley. Gill did a good job at Buffalo for the past couple years, but before he gets a big time job he needs to do it consistanly for a couple more years. As for Chisik if he gets the right people around him I think he might be successful. It all depends on who he picks as his staff. I think the recruiting will be there.

[OZZIEOHIO]

I would bet the Alabama fans like it.

[madpolecat]

Remember he coached Auburn's defense in 2004 when they were the best defense in the country,
then moved on to coach Texas' defense the following year, where they won the national title.
Combined over 2 seasons with 2 teams, Chizik was 29-0 as a defensive coordinator.

Not sure that this proves anything... Chizik was successful as a coach when he had some of the best talent in the country to play with (Texas and Auburn). With mid-grade talent...

Granted, he didn't have time to get his thing going at Iowa State, but 5-19 doesn't exactly rock the world.