Gus Malzahn: One Year Wonder?
by Jay Coulter on Sep 25, 2009 5:52 AM CDT
in Football
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PrintDon't blame Auburn fans for getting nervous when its coordinators start doing well. The school has become something of a breeding ground for future Texas coaches (see Gene Chizik and Will Muschamp). With Auburn's early success, fans have already started wondering aloud what must be done to keep offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn on the Plains following this season.
Never mind that Auburn has yet to beat (or face) a top 25 opponent; when you average nearly 500 yards of offense a game, fans tend to get attached quick. Although no one has heard Malzahn try to freestyle Texas Fight, some fans already are concerned about his departure plans. This is undoubtedly putting the cart before the horse considering the next four weeks involves trips to Knoxville, Fayetteville and Baton Rouge.
What are the chances of Malzahn leaving following this season? Obviously, a lot of factors go into such a decision with success topping the list. He appears to have a solid working relationship with Chizik and the rest of the coaches. All indications are that he's left alone in running the offense. You really can't ask more than that from a boss.
Money doesn't appear to be a problem either. Malzahn has a three year contract that pays him $350,000 annually - that's $20,000 less than defensive coordinator Ted Roof's current salary. Both coordinators receive an additional $25,000 payment each year if they are still employed by Auburn for the final game of the regular season and they do not voluntarily resign prior to January 15th. Additionally, Malzahn receives a car allowance equal to five percent of his pay.
So there's plenty of room for growth financially. Tennessee sets the gold standard for assistant coaching salaries with Lane Kiffin's father, Monte heading the list at $1.2 million annually as defensive coordinator. Recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach Ed Orgeron pulls down $650,000 a year and offensive coordinator Jim Chancey collects $380,000 annually.
Auburn will have little trouble coming up with the extra dough needed to keep Malzahn around. The only likely reason for his departure would be a head coaching offer. That sounds a little far fetched at this point considering five seasons ago he was coaching in High School.
Personality may be another issue. While friendly, Malzahn tends to stand back, seemingly content to be in the background. It's just a hunch, but he strikes me as an offensive wonk, satisfied to dream up offensive schemes for the rest of his career. But the truth is, no one really knows.
If I were a betting man, I'd say he's here for at least the next several seasons. In this day and age that's about all you can hope for with a coach.
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This is ridiculous!
I understand everybody’s concern because I do think Malzahn is one of the best offensive minds in college football, but c’mon. One and done? If Malzahn goes one and done, then that means we go undefeated this year and our offense blows everybody out of the water. It would take something special for Malzahn to get plucked away after one year. Also, let’s temper the enthusiasm just a bit. We haven’t gotten into the teeth of our SEC schedule yet. Don’t get me wrong: the offensive production through the first three games of the season is far more than I or any other Auburn fan realistically expected, and I think our offense will continue to be productive. However, let’s see what we do against the likes of Tennessee, LSU, Ole Miss and Bama before we start building a statue of Malzahn in front of Jordan-Hare. There’s still a lot of football to be played, and the notion of a one-and-done year for Malzahn is crazy. But you know what? If Malzahn does go one-and-done here at Auburn, I’ll take it, because that means that we went undefeated or at worst lost one game. That, and averaging about 40 points a game for the entire season, would be the only way somebody offers him something better than what Auburn is paying him right now. Haha…I just laugh when I think about how much of an idiot Houston Nutt was for not letting Malzahn run his system at Arkansas.
Undefeated?
Yea, I have high hopes, but undefeated is probably the highest of them all. Sure, we’ve done really good these past three games, or at least a whole lot better than expected, but just like you said:
We haven’t gotten into the teeth of our SEC schedule yet.
There are still a lot of areas we need to work on. The one I consider the most is our defense, yea it was wet at the WV game, but there’s been one too many missed tackles at every game. That just doesn’t work with what our defense has always been like.
And one and done has happened before, so we can’t be putting all our eggs into his offensive basket.
Wonk
Interesting post, but I agree way too early for meaningful speculation. Had to Google “wonk” to get the definition, but now I have a new word. I will try to work it into a sentence this weekend. Thanks
Gus Malzahn: One Year Wonder?
This is probably a legitimit concearn. The real question is what kind of head coaching job would Malzahn settle for? If he wants a bigger name gig he’ll likely have to prove himself at Auburn for a few more years, culminating in an SEC championship. If he’ll settle for a mid-major job or a rebuilding job in a BCS conference he could be out after one or two years.
I think coaches are inherently ambitious people. I doubt Malzahn would be content calling plays for the rest of his career.
I agree
Although Malzahn just doesn’t seem like the college head coaching type. Of course, I didn’t think Paul Rhoads seemed that way last year, either.
"You just keep pounding balls into the gap. The one thing you don’t want to do is hit a home run. That’s a rally-killer." - Jeff Francouer
by jd is legend on Sep 25, 2009 11:33 AM CDT up reply actions
Humble
It does seem like Malzahn enjoys the more hands-on tasks associated with being an OC versus the all management / PR responsibilities that come with being a HC. Possibly a guy that would rather be in the support role than in the spotlight. Time will tell. WDE!
This is stupid
Jay, you couldn’t come up with something better than this.?
"Jay Jacobs can't go to the bathroom without Bobby Lowder's permission" - Paul Finebaum
Not too Stupid...
Me and a friend were having this same discussion last week. It seems to me that Jay is right on point with this post. I know a few people that got in the conversation about it as well. So it at least appeals to a handful of folks.
If you are a War Damn Eagle, you can War Damn anything.
Sorry
didn’t mean to come off like such a dick. I just thin it’s too early to be giving me anxiety about losing another good coach. I can already see Jacobs blowing this. Apologies all around.
"Jay Jacobs can't go to the bathroom without Bobby Lowder's permission" - Paul Finebaum
by GumptownTiger on Sep 28, 2009 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions
Many people
wonder about the possible quid pro quo with Houston Nutt at Arkansas that brought Malzahn to Fayetteville along with his pupil Mitch ’shouldn’t-have-left’ Mustain and that other guy. Whether or not he was called up from the high school ranks under unscrupulous circumstances is now irrelevant. The guy has proven he can coach: Arkansas, two years at Tulsa, and now three games at Auburn where he’s already got some people concerned he may jilt us sometime in the not so distant future.
Who’s this guy’s agent, Jimmy Sexton?
by War Eagle Atlanta on Sep 25, 2009 2:32 PM CDT reply actions
RIght on, WEA!
…..We sat there watching it, just knowing that we were going to get blown out, last weekend. The defense was really struggling, and WVA was playing cover-one robber, and not letting us run it. Stacking the box. After a couple of series, Todd and Malzhan started sticking daggers in a good defense.
…..After halftime adjustments, it was ugly. WVA got abused, on D. Marvelously called game! When was the last time you had a realistic hope that the OFFENSE would keep us in a game? Too, there has evidently been some great work done by assistants, too. Particularly Trooper Taylor!
…..Who knows? Me, I’m going to relax, and enjoy this season! This year really has a vibe around it…
There you go....
Acid, you have the right direction. Even if we do loose somebody at the end of the year, it’s going to be because we were successful – and this year is starting to feel “special” (I hate that word, it’s overused). I went to a high school game last night, and all of my Auburn friends are talking again about Auburn football. The assistants are making the difference, and don’t forget the head coach put the assistants together. And, while I know Malzahn is the evil genius behind the offense, Trooper Taylor just makes it fun to watch after the play.
Just found out the game will be televised in Panama City – it’s gonna be a good day after all.
A true wonk
chuckle Offensive wonk. Yup, that just about describes it. I like to refer to him as the mad scientist. I read this piece on Trooper Taylor from a Vols Website today, and it had me laughing.
Italic phraseWhen Taylor interviewed with Malzahn and Chizik in December, he didn’t hide his respect for his future boss.
"I was honest with him," Taylor recalled. "I said ‘I’ve been trying to steal your plays and figure out what the heck you’re doing — to be putting up so many points with guys with less talent.’"
With Malzahn, Taylor said the learning never stops.
"You’re not going to sit down and eat lunch or dinner without him taking the ketchup bottle or the mayonnaise or the salt and pepper and doing a formation with it," Taylor said. "If you’re going to eat dinner, you better get it to go. If you’re sitting at the table, he’s going to talk football.
"I like that about him because he’s very demanding and he’s very meticulous in what he does."
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