Happy With Chizik Hirings

by WarDamnZach on Jan 7, 2009 3:00 AM CST in Football

I am feeling pretty good about what Gene Chizik has done as far as bringing in offensive coaches, but what about the defense? Does anyone else think that it is strange that all our hires have been offensive, except for retaining Willis? Maybe Chizik is playing off everyone’s panic about Auburn not being able to score points last season. Maybe he knows that with his defensive schemes, he can get a lesser known.

Personally, I was thinking that shortly after the huge Ole Miss win over Texas Tech, we were going to hear about the hiring of Tracy Rocker. He has been a defensive line coach in the SEC now for seven years and has produced a couple of high draft picks in the NFL. Most of us also know what kind of player and leader he was while on The Plains. He would be a good choice for the same position here.

It looks like Rodney Garner is not in the running anymore with his statements of staying at UGA. I am not sure that if I was Rodney I would want to come to Auburn to be an Assistant Coach, after being talked to as a potential Head Coach. If the rumors are true.

We did get a lesser known, at least to us as SEC folks. Ted Roof was named our DC in the afternoon yesterday. He is currently at Minnesota, and is more known for not doing to well at Duke as a Head Coach. If memory serves he was 6-44 from 2003 until 2007. An interesting note is he was a grad assistant at Bama, under, I think, Bill Curry. I am sure that more is to come on him.

On another note, has anyone noticed that at a supposedly “racist school,” Auburn has hired six Assistant Coaches to date, and four of them are men of color. Where are ESPN, FOXSports, and all the other sports media now? It is obvious that they have no more interest in Auburn after the Head Coach was hired. No badmouthing to do at the moment.

War Damn Eagle

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I thought the same thing about the media going silent after the other coaches started coming in…..

by JayStew on Jan 7, 2009 4:42 AM CST reply actions

Agree and if...

they were fair and balanced…. they would also give us credit for putting one of those men in a leadership role ie. Trooper Taylor hired as Assistant Head Coach.

aubtigerman

by aubtigerman on Jan 7, 2009 8:25 AM CST up reply actions

Tennessee...

…made a run at Rodney Garner to come work under Monte Kiffin’s defensive team but turned them down.

I’m sure Barkley would be singing our praises on our coaching hires, but he’s a bit predisposed at the moment…

by War Eagle Atlanta on Jan 7, 2009 9:52 AM CST reply actions

I'm ashamed to admit...

…..I’m one of those “who the heck is Ted Roof?” people. My guess would be that his Ga. Tech work catapulted him into a tough head coaching job at Duke. In 2000 at Tech, Roof’s defense gave up 379 per game, and 19 points per game. Tech finished 9-2 and beat Georgia, 27-15, in the regular season.

…..In 2001, Tech lowered the yards per game to 333, but gave up 22 a game as Tech fell to 7-5. That was the year George O’Leary got hired away, then had the little fake resume incident.

…..So, as far as I can tell, Roof’s defenses were pretty average at Tech, and he posted an abysmal won-loss record as the head coach at Duke. What’s interesting to note is what happened to Tech’s points against, AFTER Roof left, and Tenuta/Gailey took over (regular season only!):

2002: 19.7
2003: 21.3
2004: 19.3
2005: 18.4
2006: 17.5
2007: 19.2

……Maybe we should have looked at Jon Tenuta…

by Acid Reign on Jan 7, 2009 10:46 AM CST reply actions

I wanted...

…Tubs to look at Tenuta, too, but I don’t think Roof is that bad. I’ve heard and read quite a few times that he’s a pretty good defensive coach. I don’t think we should hold his record at Duke against him too much.

by War Eagle Atlanta on Jan 7, 2009 11:13 AM CST up reply actions

Truly...

The offense might just be better next year than the defense. If they’re both equal next year, we’re going to have a winning record. I’m willing to wear a dress if we don’t.

by Sparkey on Jan 7, 2009 11:54 AM CST reply actions

as far as

the defense goes, Chiz is a defense guru (Aub-2004, Tex-2006). I am sure we will be fine in that department even if he calls the defensive plays himself.

Does anyone know where we could find a consolidated list of the positions filled? Maybe Jay can hook that up…

Also…Coach Malzahn (sp?) looked pretty good last night in Mobile, but do you think his gameplan will work with our QB? Any news on new QB’s coming into school (I dont feel like paying for auburnsports.com)

by justinsch3 on Jan 7, 2009 1:57 PM CST reply actions

I can't wait...

Until next year when after an excellent defensive stand, the crowd breaks out into the Roof is on Fire cheer…

by War Eagle Atlanta on Jan 7, 2009 4:20 PM CST reply actions

That will be pretty sweet. assuming we can get it done

"Jay Jacobs can't go to the bathroom without Bobby Lowder's permission" - Paul Finebaum

by GumptownTiger on Jan 7, 2009 4:59 PM CST up reply actions

Remember the last time...

Remember the last time the fans were supposed to get involved in something… with everyone shouting TOUCHDOWN AUBURN, in honor of Jim Fyffe. We did not score a TD for three games…

Lets keep a hush on the Roof is On Fire!!!!

If you are a War Damn Eagle, you can War Damn anything.

by WarDamnZach on Jan 8, 2009 10:35 AM CST reply actions

Looks like Luper is going to try and hit a home run right away...

Luper said he was going after big time players,…it appears he meant it.

Auburn going after big fish in recruiting derby
Posted by Evan Woodbery, Press-Register January 08, 2009 9:44 AM
Link: http://blog.al.com/auburnbeat/2009/01/auburn_going_after_big_fish_in.html

Excerpts from article:

“Our friends at the recruiting sites, including AuburnSports.com, are reporting that receiver Rueben Randle has agreed to take an official visit to the Plains this weekend.”

“Why is this significant? Randle is considered the best receiver prospect in the nation and one of the top prep prospects overall.”

“He had planned to visit Oklahoma State this weekend. Instead, new Auburn running backs coach Curtis Luper (who was employed by OSU only a week ago) has convinced him to visit Auburn instead.”

War Eagle!

by WarEagle99 on Jan 8, 2009 10:44 AM CST reply actions

Also just read a short blurb where...

the #2 QB in the nation is planning to visit Auburn, though it didn’t say who it was,…have to be a member of a paid subscription site to find out. Anybody know who it might be? Rivals lists Tyrik Rollison (4 stars) as the #2 dual-thread QB and he hasn’t verbally commited anywhere yet though Oklahoma State is listed by Rivals as the highest ranked school in terms of his interest. If it is Rollison,…then Luper may be leaning on more contacts he has already made while at OSU. Luper said he would recruit Texas for Auburn and Rollison is out of Sulphur Springs, Texas.

According to Rivals,…Luper was recruiting Rollison, too.

Link: http://rivals100.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?Sport=1&pr_key=74208

Interesting…

War Eagle!

by WarEagle99 on Jan 8, 2009 11:31 AM CST up reply actions

Lookin Good Chiz!

I know i was pretty mad about the Chizik hiring, but this guy has put his heart and soul into Auburn over the past month and has doone a great job. He has hired some amazing assistants, and a head coach is only as good as the people he surrounds himself with. Way to go Gene-o im totally sold on you being our coach. WDE

by Jaybird5129 on Jan 9, 2009 7:36 PM CST reply actions