having trouble with the link so here it is...
Be Careful What You Wish For
By Ron Jumper
So I was going to pass on doing an Auburn article because everyone has been yapping about how bad a hire it was and so on, not much original to add from my vantage point. However, then Charles Barkley got involved and made it a racial debate. Then Iowa State’s AD Jamie Pollard spoke of his displeasure with Chizik leaving, doing so in a very odd third person format that I found quite entertaining. I also learned that Tommy Tubberville was given a staggering $5 million buyout and Chizik is making just an incentive-based $2 million/year. Then Chizik had to make sure that at least he believed he was the “right guy” for the job, saying so numerous times. All in all, I just couldn’t stay away. I tried, I really did. However, I must discuss this madness/circus that has taken place in Auburn.
So, in review, Auburn entered this season ranked in the top 10 and had everyone excited for a big year. I know I bought into the hype. However, the spread Tony Franklin installed didn’t work like everyone hoped and the offense sputtered. The thing is Auburn fans should have seen this coming. It was like when Nebraska switched from an option to the West Coast, the offense was terrible in year one but, eventually, the right players were brought in and the offense improved substantially. It takes time to change systems and recruit the proper talent to fit the system. At the very least, Tubby had done enough over his coaching tenure there to earn a year of patience for the wrinkles to be worked out. This, apparently, was not the case and the pressure mounted. Franklin was kicked to the curb and Tubby tried to go back to the way things were in mid-season, which didn’t work either, ultimately leading to a 35-0 drubbing from Alabama that sealed Tubby’s fate.
So the search begins for a new coach, names like Mike Leach and Gary Patterson came to mind for me as smart hires. Then Turner Gill’s name created a little buzz. Finally, sources starting coming out that some no-name from Iowa State was going to get the job. Gene Chizik was hired, everyone said seemingly in unison: Who? Then, everyone was informed of his stint at defensive coordinator at both Auburn in 2004 (when they went 13-0) and then Texas in 2005 (when they won it all). However, the 5-19 record at Iowa State seemed to be stuck in everyone’s minds, me included, especially when Auburn’s AD Jay Jacobs said, “He was on the path there at Iowa State to turn that program around in a positive way.” Really? How do you figure? Do tell…
This prompted me to investigate further. I started at the lifeline of any program: recruiting.
At the time he was fired, the 2009 class only had three 3-star recruits committed and the rest were just 2-stars or less. I went back to the 2007 and 2008 classes, only finding one player ranked above a 3-star: junior college RB Jamicah Bass (4-star). For those curious, Bass amassed 592 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns in his 2 seasons. So, Auburn fans, at least you have that to look forward to.
I’m not quite seeing this “tireless recruiter” thing I keep hearing. Is that media speak like when a player is not very good but, instead of saying that he sucks, the announcers say things like “he is a hard worker” or “you can always count on his effort” and so on? I’m starting to believe so, because how does one become considered a “tireless recruiter” by the media? Shouldn’t landing big recruits be part of the equation? I would think so, but what do I know.
So, as for how this translates to Auburn in terms of recruiting, Chizik couldn’t surpass Iowa and remained as the second-fiddle program in the state. How in the world is he going to keep Auburn from becoming the redheaded stepchild to Alabama? Saban has to be just giddy about this. I know I would be.
Getting away from recruiting and speaking from a fundamental football standpoint, why was Tubby fired again? Offense.
What is Chizik’s specialty? Oh wait, defense.
So, riddle me this Batman, how does hiring a defensive coach help the offense?
Changing gears, you have to love Charles Barkley rants. No matter what they are about and regardless of whether they make sense, two things are for sure: it will be entertaining and the word “terrible” will be slaughtered to the point you question if it is actually spelled with a u and nine r’s.
You can make the case Turner Gill was a worthy candidate for the job, however, to make it a racial issue is silly. Gill did a good job at Buffalo this season and, trust me, I know. My Premium Members know very well that I was on them since the beginning of the season and rode them all the way to MAC Championship Game against Ball State. That being said, we shouldn’t jump the gun just yet. Being able to go 8-5 in the MAC with a perennial doormat and winning national championships in the SEC competing in-state against Nick Saban for recruits is a whole different story. Gill wouldn’t have been the knight in shining armor they needed either, though personally I am a fan of his and hope he lands a big time gig someday. How funny would it be if Iowa State hired him and Gill went on a mission to turn that program around just to show Auburn they hired the wrong guy? Ah, my mind at work again, back to business…
Well sort of…
Speaking of Iowa State, they have a very strange Athletic Director in Jamie Pollard. Pollard spoke out today about how disappointed he was in Chizik for leaving and that Iowa State “deserved better.” However, Pollard apparently is one of those people that has to say things out loud to remember them, like say… his name. Here is what I mean:
“I know Jamie Pollard couldn’t have done that to this place.”
“I told him Friday night, ‘You can go do that. You don’t maybe ever have to talk to Jamie Pollard again or think about Iowa State again.”
Am I the only one that finds the random third person usage hilarious? Does he walk around the office uttering things like “Jamie Pollard needs his coffee, because Jamie Pollard is cranky without his coffee in the morning. You don’t want to see Jamie Pollard cranky.” If so, how does the office secretary respond to this? Generally speaking, do people just accept these things in Iowa? I’ve never been, so I have no idea. Someone help me, I need to know.
All in all, regardless of what happens, it will be entertaining to say the least. If I had to bet (and coincidentally I do), I would say Chizik is going to bring Auburn down to irrelevance and make Alabama a powerhouse once again. When this happens, I wonder how long Auburn will give him before he is fired because his firing would basically admit they hired the wrong guy. In a situation like this, athletic directors can stubborn to admit they were wrong. Good luck, Auburn. You will need it.
Hot Forum Topics
