You know, Willis has betrayed Auburn completely. What a knife in the back!! This stings. Willis, Chizik really wanted to keep you. And you just up and leave during rough waters? I am surprised, shocked, and hurt on this one. Wow Willis. You are Benedict Arnold in my book. You have showed the greatest disloyalty you can show in the coaching field.

What’s next, Robert Gates becoming Iraq’s Secretary of Defense?

The analogy holds better than you think…

Auburn loyalty aside, working for a proven Saban system with a higher salary or a 5-19 Chizik system? I think everyone would do what Willis did in his situation. Everyone with half a brain, that is.

and not his ass I’m not going to hold anything back on him. He’s a jerk pure and simple.

I thank someone when they go to the NFL. Or, I thank when they go to USC. But, he bails after one bad year. You know what? Auburn’s probably better off without him. We’ll go out and get somebody else. Someone who isn’t a coward.

it looks like Chiziks first action as Head Coach……immediately firing all assistants with no evaluation has bit him and us in the ass. Only after several days was Willis rehired…..during that time I’m sure there was a lot of stress. I don’t blame Willis for leaving…..I blame Chizik for that…..but I do blame Willis for going to Bama and forcing me to listen to shit stains like Brandonh gloat over it on our blog site.

James Willis chose this*

that old saying? Can take ‘em out of the ghetto, but can’t take the ghetto out of ’em……….

That’s all that keeps popping into my mind. I cannot fathom this betrayal. Especially after the outcry to retain the guy. He obviously will fit in well at a place where dignity,loyalty, and honor are totally absent. Go to Hell James Willis!

To do this two weeks prior to signing day is an unforgivable sin. Something tells me this had nothing to do with money or title.

This was done on purpose by both Willis and Saban.

I have no idea what the inner workings of this staff have been thus far. Maybe Willis thought it wasn’t working out. Maybe he knows more about the administration than I do. I am an Auburn fan and I hate the idea that he is going to our biggest rival, but I don’t believe that what he said is all there is. There has to be more to the story than just “opportunity.”

It’s alarming that the majority of our fan base immediately assumes the worst about the guy. I know the timing couldn’t be much worse, but I don’t see proof his intent was malicious. Let him go. We have a clean break and so far Chizik has hired some pretty outstanding coaches, we’ll get another. Save up this as fuel for next year when we can show him he made the wrong decision.

…care what was going on behind closed doors. You don’t just go and take a job with your fiercest rival. Look what happened when Johnny Damon left the Red Sox for the Yankees. It taints everything.

Couldn’t have been a money issue. It takes real deviance to do what Willis did. Plain and simple.

… strikes again. Word has it Jacobs had Willis repay his severance bonus when he was rehired. After the agony the coaches went through (while still recruiting for Auburn!), that would leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth. I’ll say it again … Jacobs has got to go.

It’s also important to realize Willis was the junior of 3 LB coaches on the staff. You have to wonder if he saw the writing on the wall.

Finally, the tone of his announcement indicates there was definite bad blood. I can’t begin to imagine an Auburn grad saying anything flattering about “tradition” (I can hardly type that without gagging). And, I certainly can’t use it in the same sentence with uat football!

…..and probably one of those closed door episodes we Auburn fans are so familiar with. Goodbye, James Willis. Don’t let the door hit your backside on the way out. Oh, and take your linebacker philosophy with you. We’ll find somebody who can fit the middle linebacker into the B-gap!

…..Since there seems to be some confusion, and the word IS part of my screen name:

Rain: Water that falls from the sky.
Rein: A rope used to steer horses
Reign: to rule over.

…..I figure that what will “rain” at Bryant-Denny is cups. We’ve seen that before.

Sure it hurts. But Chiz has brought in some studs in the assistant coaching area. We’ll be ok. We’ll jack someone’s LB coach and they can be mad at us. It’ll be fun!

is a big boy sport. UT takes Bama’s coach, Bama take AU’s coach, maybe AU should take one from UT. However (and I am a Bama Fan) Auburn should not be that upset with Wilis. First Chizik fired the whole staff which is fine but he (and you all) should expect no loyalty since none was showed. Willis just saw the truth—there is no loyalty in College Football. It is eat or get eaten.

Think about this. If Bama beats Auburn next year, people will be on Chizik, and what will he do? Fire some of the staff as in Willis!! So Willis just decides to go where he is more likely to be able to jump to a better deal in a few years rather then be unemployed or have to take a job at E.Mich.

end up on the short end, I would expect to see more Tiger fans laughing at us, with more comments like “you guys got a loser coach” or “yall can have him.” It seems like too many AU fans are pissed at Willis, instead of at Chizik. I hope the guy can coach, but if he justs gets us more four and five stars, he’ll be worth the money. We’re not even having to double his paycheck like UT has been doing.

the timing does suck. I was thinking the same thing when Thompson left. But really, don’t most of these kids already know where they’re going? Isn’t the last two or three weeks about the free food and ass kissing?

Willis can leave. Who needs him? Chizik has already proven he can hire GREAT assistants. We’ll get someone who’s far better for the job, and we’ll be better for it. We WILL be back, make no mistake. WDE!

It just so happens that Willis is a great recruiter. Sure, he has his x’s and o’s problems, but he is he a great recruiter I cannot take that from him. However, we’ve gotten really good recruiters on the plains these days and we can get another great assistant along with a great defensive backs coach. In the end, and damn do I hate to use this term, it may indeed be a blessing in disguise. Though, this year our recruiting must be shot. I cannot see how it isn’t. And no, these kids haven’t always made up their minds. In fact, they often change their mind right at the last second. Well, this won’t help Auburn get anybody really quick. Wow Saban, you will never cease to amaze me in your classless nature. Willis, I expected better from you. You were wanted here and the fans loved you. We screamed on your behalf to be kept and you do this? We were loyal to you. Regardless of whatever else, the Auburn family WAS loyal to you. However, you betrayed us. Though, maybe one day, we can soften this blow.

you oviously saw how good of a job he did last year! Good Riddens

on your staff- those who know how to coach football and those who recruit. If someone knows both it is rare. Bama lost a recruiter who was not that great a football coach. It left us short a recruiter—enter Willis the best recruiter available and he covered Mobile which is where we had lost a recruiter and a very important area for Bama.

And why was Willis available? See the mess at Auburn and the way Cheeze-it fired the whole staff up front. Plus we probably offered him some more money. For Willis it was a no brainer.

Why can’t Auburn folks figure this is out?

And the timing? Well that all started with UT. What was Bama supposed to do just wait around? Now if Auburn’s HC is smart he will grab a recruiter quick.

But Saban being a cheater or this being a conspiracy is crazy.

who really cares if Willis leaves? All I’ve gotten out of Willis is some crappy linebacker play and some three star recruits and a de-committing QB. Have I missed something? Its not like there is a slew of great recruits coming to town because of Willis. I’m very disappointed that he jumped ship to the Rollin Turd, but there is no accounting for taste.

If Ray Cotton hadn’t said that letting Willis go made him re-think his commitment, would the outcry for his retention have been so loud? I don’t think so. And if Ray doesn’t want to learn from Gus Malzahn….if that means nothing to him….hey, good luck Ray, I don’t think you have your priorities straight.

Bottom Line….Willis didn’t produce results on the field or on the trail. He may have BEEN one of our better recruiters but he definitley wasn’t once the new regime was assembled.
Good Luck James, enjoy Tuscaloosa and coach Satan.

How does it feel to live your life in complete denial?

Is that better? You Turds are hysterical, you want me to break down over losing an average recruiter and a lousy coach? Look at who he recruited…other than Cotton, no four or five stars…and Cotton was not a lock. I’ve seen Cotton play and other than his size I was not impressed. Mosely is a much better QB in terms of skills. Cotton has salmonella he is so raw. And you saw our LB play…..pathetic.

But hey revel in your BIG victory…I just hope your Willis coached LB’s play like ours did next year when Ontarrio McCalebb busts through the line and puts a cleat in their face.

This thread has degenerated long enough…