The Gift That Keeps on Giving
by Jay Coulter on Oct 31, 2011 1:02 PM CDT
in Football
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PrintI remember it like it was yesterday. Sitting in a hotel in Atlanta on a cold December day, the news hit me like a case of malaria. Auburn had settled on Iowa State's Gene Chizik as its new coach. It was official: Auburn was circling the drain of college football.
On December 13, 2008, I wrote, "To say this move (hiring Chizik) is shocking is an understatement. For many Auburn fans, this is a worst case scenario. There appears to be little logic in the choice."
I've never been more wrong about anything in my life.
As time expired Saturday night at Jordan-Hare Stadium, I realized something else - Gene Chizik is one of the top five coaches in the country. He may even be the best. Call me a homer. I don't care.
Facts don't lie.
His ability to guide a group of freshmen and sophomores to six wins in nine tries this year against the toughest schedule in college football has been nothing short of amazing.
Maybe at year's end the SEC coaches will acknowledge something they shamefully failed to do last season and name him coach of the year. Of course, he doesn't need a plaque to understand what he's accomplished in three short years.
While nothing will ever take the place of the 2010 National Championship season, this year has undoubtedly been Chizik's best effort.
Few defending champions have ever been given up for dead in August. The nation's media took it a step further and went ahead and held memorial services. Noted prognosticator Phil Steele, who to his credit nearly got it right a year ago, picked Auburn dead last in the SEC West.
He didn't even have Auburn among his top 50 teams in the preseason. He wasn't alone. And let's face it, who among us would have dreamed Auburn would go 3-2 in the month of October?
Who among us sitting in Jordan-Hare Stadium for the season opener against Utah State would have dreamed Auburn would even go 2-3 in October? Rather than blaming the media, we should all be applauding Chizik and his coaches. No staff in recent memory has done more with less.
Let's do a little comparison. Media darling Nick Saban returned his quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner among others following his 2009 national championship. He started last year the preseason number one team and struggled, losing all of his big games on the way to a three loss season. Contrast that with the hand Chizik was dealt this year and you see the difference.
Tell me who's done the better coaching job?
Whipping an awful Ole Miss team is hardly reason to celebrate, but going 3-2 against South Carolina, Arkansas, Florida, LSU and Ole Miss with a bunch of freshmen is something that should bring a smile to your face.
Former Auburn coach Pat Dye always liked to say his first team in 1981 was his favorite. They were way short on size and talent, but were overloaded with desire. Finishing 5-6 that season, they laid the foundation for Auburn's future.
If you are old enough to remember, you can't help but see the similarities in that team and this year's bunch. Auburn will almost certainly not win out over the next month. There will be no BCS bowl game or SEC West title.
However, if you love Auburn, then you can't help but smile when talking about this team. Like Dye's first season, these groups of players are laying the foundation for the future of Auburn football.
Gene Chizik continues to be the gift that keeps on giving.
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Inspirational
Gene’s the man. “Facts don’t lie.”
AubTigerman
"The reason you come to Auburn is because of Auburn people.This is a special place, from the coaches all the way to the fans" - Andrew McCain OT
Oh, but there were those that doubted... and some still do.
I couldn’t believe AU waited so long to ditch Tommy Tuberville. But like every time you make a major change in a program the question that inevitably comes up is: who are you going to get?
Honestly – I heard so much negativity (mostly from bama fans) who wanted Tubs to stay after the 36-0 beat down… I too doubted AU’s ability to draw a big name coach. They made a compelling case.
However, when I heard the folks being considered… the one that immediately filled me with promise was Steve Spurrier. However, he was stuck on his son being a offensive coordinator. To my recollection… that was a deal breaker. AU had just gotten rid of deadwood with Tuberville’s staff… why allow nepotism to bring it back in spades?
Then I heard that Gene Chizik was interviewed. The goodness here is that out of all the Tuberville protoge`s I like Chizik the most. I remember when Tubs got him. I thought to myself… now there is a DC. Then 2003 happened. And I remembered it was Tubs that made the promises… not Gene. And then 2004 came about… and it was through hard work…. not hype that AU went 13-0.
But then Gene left like a train in the night. Without much banter… he was gone to Texas. I thought then that I found that extremely odd. I always looked at Tubs as the reason he departed. Tub’s was inherently lazy… he would make his staff do all the work.
There were others mentioned too… people like Turner “Put a fork in me” Gill… and Wil “Boom M## $#” Muschamp… or better put Will “I can’t believe I was stupid enough to take the UF job” Muschamp… LOL. AU made the right choice and as you stated… it’s the gift that keeps on giving.And besides the obvious faux pas by Muschamp… until he took the HC job at UF… he an Chizik were an awful lot alike. Tons of promise…
When Gene took the ISU job… right after UT’s NC… I thought then…. I wouldn’t have picked that job. Ames is a mid-West grave yard. The number of winning seasons there can be counted on one hand. Regardless, when I heard he was considered… I privately thought… we could do much much worse as a coach. I knew his work ethic. I knew his reputation. The real question would be how would he do with his staff?
And then he filled his staff. He decided he wanted to keep the spread… I thought that was a bold move. Then he got Malzahn… another bold move. But the most impressive thing was the recruiting staff. It was world class.
His first season… I was very impressed. Sure, there was some smoke and mirrors… but there was also a fire that hadn’t been at AU for a long, long time. The onsides kick against bama… wow. And when I went to the outback bowl… I too was impressed with Gene Chizik. His post game press conference was classic!
It’s funny at how many folks under-estimate Gene Chizik. And I think he will be at AU for a long, long time.
War Eagle!!
"And I think he will be at AU for a long, long time."
I sure hope so…my son is a 10-year-old sack machine! Of course he will go to Auburn, but it would be even more of a dream come true for him to play for Coach Chizik.
Count me among the amazed...
He is the perfect coach to work with young men. He is cool and measured in his intensity in the locker room and exuberant and passionate on the sideline. Chiizk knows how to deal with them one on one – tough, holds them accountable but is equally supportive and quick to praise. He going to look them in the eye and give them the unvarnished truth and the expectations they need to meet, without crushing them in the process. He makes sure that each player respects each other and that they know they all have a criticical role to play in our success. Most importantly he makes them understand that playing for Auburn is a priveledge and something to be proud of and they represent Auburn on AND off the field…..and that is a sacred trust.
Beyond all that, what he has done with a team woefully short of scholarships and upper classmen (forget about seniors) is arguably a better job than he did last year. That he has done so with the rash of injuries, failure of the starting QB, and having to play 26 freshman is downright astounding. He won’t win Coach of the Year, but he should definitely win the respect of the rest of the SEC. And if they are unwillling to give it this year, he’ll TAKE IT next year!
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
"Tell me who's done the better coaching job?"
Nick Saban
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 8:30 AM CDT reply actions 2 recs
Really??
Oh I guess if you have a machine like bama… and fans who believe the hype…Nick looks impressive. But for that kind of money… I would expect more.
He is beatable. What is his record against Gene Chizik?
Oh… he is .500. Yeah….
WDE
well yea
but that’s a sample size of two games – I think 2-2 versus Auburn would be more helpful for your argument but really that doesn’t factor into why Nick Saban is the best at what he does
and what more would you want for the money being paid? 4 straight seasons with a team being in the BCSNC race? 3 straight seasons with ten wins or more with a probably 4th? I mean have you seen our win/loss record the past four seasons?
I mean, come on, this weekend will be the FOURTH time our seniors have been in a 1 vs 2 matchup
if you just go by numbers how can you even argue against Saban? and why is he even coming up in an article about Gene Chizik?
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 8:59 AM CDT up reply actions
That is what kills me about bama fans... a selective memory.
2007 he was what? Oh yeah… that would be 7-6 if I remember right.
Then you take 2008 season… did well during the regular season but lost to UF in the championship game… and then got embarrassed by Utah in your bowl.
2009 – is the only time you guys were the rightful NC winners… but you damn near got beat by a UT and AU squad when you were the odds on favorite to win by double digits?
Come on… you guys won. And handily beat an over rated UT team in the Rose bowl.
And after three losses (2010) and you still think you can contend for a title? I knew you were out of it when you lost to USC by 14. We won’t talk about the loss to LSU or AU. But maybe the loss when you lead by as many as 24 at home still stings? Regardless, I will give you props for beating a good Michigan State team.
What I will say about Nick… he can recruit. But I am not sure that is him or the bama mystique or both that does that… I wouldn’t want to say. I just think you guys listen too much to the media…
WDE
Yea 2007 was a bad year
but our loses in the following three years only had two bad loses in them S Car and LSU the other three were to two national title winners and an undefeated team that finished second in the country
I mean he’s 51-11 that’s an .823 winning percentage I mean that’s REALLY good in the SEC
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 10:04 AM CDT up reply actions
2007 he was what? Oh yeah… that would be 7-6 if I remember right.
But he also defeated a McFadden/Jones led Arkansas team and blew out Tennessee (who was the eastern division champions that year). Sure, he lost to ULM, but by god, if Auburn was that much better, why in the hell did that game come down to the wire? In addition, every game he lost was by a touchdown or less.
Then you take 2008 season… did well during the regular season but lost to UF in the championship game… and then got embarrassed by Utah in your bowl.
Yet, he was able to rebound in his third season and win it all (with a new QB as well). Saban did get outcoached in the Utah game, but seriously, I can name several games where Bryant, Paterno, Dye, Stallings, Spurrier (at UF) and Osbourne were outcoached as well. It even happens to the best of them.
2009 – is the only time you guys were the rightful NC winners… but you damn near got beat by a UT and AU squad when you were the odds on favorite to win by double digits?
Come on… you guys won. And handily beat an over rated UT team in the Rose bowl.
And Cam Newton had to COME FROM BEHIND against South Carolina, Clemson, Arkansas and Alabama (ultimately winning by a point), and also squeaked by MSU and Kentucky. Also, remember those two key McElroy/Ingram fumbles in AU territory last year. I’m not making excuses because I’ll concede "the better team" obviously won, I’m just applying your logic here.
And after three losses (2010) and you still think you can contend for a title? I knew you were out of it when you lost to USC by 14. We won’t talk about the loss to LSU or AU. But maybe the loss when you lead by as many as 24 at home still stings? Regardless, I will give you props for beating a good Michigan State team.
In terms of last season, it’s not like Saban had to rely on winning an onsides kick to ultimately beat Utah State, or lost to a team by 35 or 24 points, or relied on a goal line stand to beat a below average Mississippi State, or had the luxury of playing a Florida team led by a true freshman-QB, etc. etc. etc.
Based on what I’ve seen from Chizik thus far, I think he’s a good coach, but not a great coach. At Iowa State, he was a loser (and the coach he succeeded had success at Iowa State and his predecessor is having better success at Iowa State). At Auburn, without Cam Newton, it’s PROVEN he’s average at best. In addition, Chizik is supposedly a defensive mastermind, yet his defenses have historically ranked as some of the worst in Auburn history. What’s up with that?
What if MSU made the payment to Cecil, forcing Cam to sign with MSU instead? Would Chizik have won the national championship last year without him?
In all honesty, I do like Chizik as a person, and I think he’s a classy guy and overall nice human being in general. But geez, some of you are the only people in America who thinks he’s a better coach than Saban (and also sincerely believe Saban isn’t a great coach). I don’t know if the writer was simply attempting to troll Alabama fans or what, but I just have a hard time believing some of you are serious.
by Jamie Keller on Oct 31, 2011 9:54 PM CDT up reply actions
Saban is a great coach.
But, I’m glad that Chizik is ours. IMO, he’s just getting started….
by Tiger on the mountain on Nov 1, 2011 8:51 AM CDT up reply actions
And by the way...
“and why is he even coming up in an article about Gene Chizik?”
That would be because you brough him up.
WDE
well I mean Jay made the comparison in the article itself
so I didn’t bring it up it was there… in the article… right here
Let’s do a little comparison. Media darling Nick Saban returned his quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner among others following his 2009 national championship. He started last year the preseason number one team and struggled, losing all of his big games on the way to a three loss season. Contrast that with the hand Chizik was dealt this year and you see the difference.
Tell me who’s done the better coaching job?
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 9:58 AM CDT up reply actions
Saban is a great coach but....
we saw what he did in his first year. He lost to ULM and went 5-6. Chizik’s team is even more delpleted than Bama was that year…..even with the scholly reductions. No SEC coach that loses to ULM on their home field ….ON HOMECOMING….can claim they are better than another coach with a National Title. So as good as Saban is, he’s gonna need another Natty to claim superiority….IMO.
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
My bad -- Saban was 7-6 that year
It must have been that losing to ULM was soooo bad that it seemed like it took a couple of wins away….as it should have.
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
dude you are two weeks removed from a 45-10 loss
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 10:05 AM CDT up reply actions
TO LSU!!!!
Nice comeback though. I’ll tell ULM they are holding good company nowadays since losing to LSU is now somewhat comparable.
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
you're talking about a bad loss from four years ago
and I’m talking about two weeks ago in a game that you were never competitive and we followed up our embarrassing season by going on the best run in the league of the past three seasons
who’s had the best league record in the years following that season? you’re talking about one game like it’s somehow more important than all the game that came after it
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 10:13 AM CDT up reply actions
Yep thats right.
Give Chizik the same amount of time and we’ll compare notes then.
To his credit Shula left him in great shape, talent wise. Tuberville left Chizik with a sack full of IOU’s.
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
It doesn't seem like it's just the third year of Chizik
but we’re only just over half way through the third year of Chizik
Saban has half a decade of evidence in his favor so yea it’s probably best to wait to make any comparisons – like the head to head record I talked about earlier
it’s 1-1 but that is just a sample size of two games – not really much to go on with that
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 10:19 AM CDT up reply actions
Like I said Saban is a great coach....
but I think Chiz is a LOT better than people give him credit for. Not only is he having to play a ton of freshmen – 26 is the current tally – but he’s fought the injury bug. Honestly I don’t know how he is doing it, spit and duct tape, I think.
I respect the heck out of Saban….I think Chiz deserves a little as well.
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
IMO
the public won’t give Chiz the respect he deserves until they see what he can do without Gus. This season is very telling as the Defense was almost the worst in div. 1 football thru the first 4 games and the offense was probably in the lowest third the second 4 games…and yet here we sit with a 6-3 record with our only losses coming to teams with a combined record of 23-2 (maybe not exact, but close and I’m lazy) to the probable ACC and SEC champs. Beat samford and snag one from bama or the dawgs and we are playing on new years day with freshmen and sophomores. That extra practice time is gonna be NICE! Heck, beating samford alone probably gets us to the chickfila bowl in ATL on new years eve pending how the rest of the conference plays out.
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass...and I'm all out of bubblegum."
by tigertracker on Oct 31, 2011 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Believe in ABUURN and love it
Audemus jura nostra defendere
Every day we make it, we'll make it the best we can.
by animalcracker on Nov 2, 2011 11:44 AM CDT up reply actions
Naming your playing surface
after a coach who didn’t win a national championship and left amid serious allegations that permanently tainted his legacy…
NOT PHOTOSHOPPED.
Audemus jura nostra defendere
Every day we make it, we'll make it the best we can.
by animalcracker on Nov 2, 2011 12:06 PM CDT up reply actions
Dude, who took a dump in your wheaties? You never used to troll. Now you are just acting like a jack ass.
by Jumpn_JackFlash on Nov 2, 2011 12:08 PM CDT up reply actions
I am kinda cranky today.
I am definitely stressed about the football game this weekend, but I didn’t intend to be so contentious when I visited TET today.
My apologies
Audemus jura nostra defendere
Every day we make it, we'll make it the best we can.
by animalcracker on Nov 2, 2011 12:25 PM CDT up reply actions
Punishment handed down. Apology accepted.
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by Jumpn_JackFlash on Nov 2, 2011 12:40 PM CDT up reply actions 3 recs
Oh and GOOD LUCK!
You beat that crew….LSU I mean, since apparnetly you are confusing ULM with them…..and I’ll be impressed. I know you are at home but trust me, you haven’t faced anybody that remotely compares to them. LSU has already played stiff competition on the road and dominated.
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
well no one knows which way that one is going to go...
Alabama has destroyed every team we’ve face so far but our road record isn’t as good as LSU’s, that’s true enough
I like to think we win but it’s not like there’s a mountain of evidence in either direction, there’s a reason we’re 1 and 2
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 10:15 AM CDT up reply actions
Ok serious question.
While not likely – Chizik COULD finish 9-3.
Before you shoot milk out of your nose, UGA is definitely beatable, the Iron Bowl is at JHS and, most importantly you could suffer injuries to LSU to key players….so it not out of the realm of the possible.
Bama went 9-3 last year off a national title, returning Ingram, McElroy, Richardson, and that G*d D@nged Defense.
IF we beat you this year and finish 9-3…. without Cam, without Fairley, Adams, Zachary, Bynes, et al…….how would you rate Chizik then?
I love the smell of Auburn in the autumn.....it smells like....victory.
he'd be in the top tier with Saban and Mils
look Saban and Miles are just building insane resumes with crazy numbers right now both teams are essentially guaranteed 10 wins at least and both are favorites for at least a BCS bowl
and if you want to talk about losing talent we lost Ingram, Julio, Dareus, and Carpenter in our own right (not nearly the attrition of Auburn but still)
but Chiz would be right in the mix if he can turn around and get big wins over Georgia and Alabama – he’d have an argument for the top coach, sure
He’s going to beat Samford and Georgia isn’t worth a damn so why not think about 9-3 with an ungodly upset of Bama?
I mean, the better team almost always wins the Iron Bowl but stranger things have happened
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 11:58 AM CDT up reply actions
You forgot about waiving the second half of a suspension for their best player
Just so he could get back into the game.
by SEC Supremacist on Oct 31, 2011 10:08 AM CDT up reply actions
oh and Nick Saban DOES have two Natty titles
sorry this argument is getting ridiculous
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 10:26 AM CDT up reply actions
Give chizik time
We knew this was a rebuilding year. We lost 24 seniors, and we have one of the youngest teams in D1 football. Given what CGC is working with, he’s doing the best that could be done.
by SEC Supremacist on Oct 31, 2011 10:28 AM CDT up reply actions
And how long has he been coaching?
I’d argue that he had one at both bama and LSU. They are several years apart.
You guys got him at the end of his career.
Q: how long do you realistically expect to keep him there??
WDE
+5 years is optimistic
I think somewhere around the 5 year range is realistic considered that would put him at age 65 (just turned 60 today) and he’s already made comments about not wanting to go the Paterno route
who knows he could call it quits after winning a title this year
People who live in glass houses should not hang out with Charles Barkley.
by Wallacewade04 on Oct 31, 2011 12:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Funny when you think about millionaires...
But I bet your right. I’d think about that time frame. Football is too restrictive these days. If he is going to enjoy himself and keep his wife happy… he will have to retire. And soon. It will be a big day. But we all must make that decision one day. I just wish we could all be as rich as him….
WDE
Hold on now...
4 straight seasons with a team being in the BCSNC race?
Say what now? Alabama was as much in the national title race last year as UGA was in 2008, which is to say that they were only in it on the strength of their performance the year before. I guess you can say that they were in it in early October, but by that metric Ty Willingham and Charlie Weis could have been described as coaching geniuses as well.
Saban’s resume is plenty strong. No need to stretch the truth to make your point, especially when comparing him to Chizik. The numbers already speak for themselves.
by FisheriesDawg on Nov 1, 2011 2:00 PM CDT up reply actions
Someone on another board posted Lutzie's catch
by SEC Supremacist on Oct 31, 2011 9:24 AM CDT reply actions
What is as amazing as the catch itself is the ho-hum way he did it. No prob, do it all the time.
I just hope they erect the Saban statue/altar/shrine before he leaves
It looks like he's pretty much like that all the time
“Steady” I believe is the term. If you’ve noticed, there are several others like him all over the roster – Dyer, Eguae, McCalebb, to name a few. I think these are the prototypical type of athletes that Chizik likes to recruit.
by sullivan013 on Oct 31, 2011 11:23 AM CDT up reply actions
Really enjoyed this article.
We’re so glad that Coach Jacobs did not listen to the media and message board naysayers and did what was best for Auburn.
Lol
Glad somebody mentioned Lutz. I am a Bama fan, but damn, that kid is stupid good.
Yes, we have thirteen....
Not caught up in the media
That’s the greatest thing about Chizik. He’s not worried if people minimize his accomplishments. The man just keeps winning with what he’s got.
I’ve heard many excuses for why Auburn wins games: “They won ’cause of Cam.”; “It was just luck.”; “Guz Malzahn is the real genius.”; etc. I can’t wait to hear the next one when Chizik wins a second title at Auburn.
Do you still believe he's possibly the best coach in America?
He’s got one quality win against South Carolina and a bunch of absolute butt-kickings by better teams this season. The reason Auburn has been better than predicted has a lot more to do with the Mississippi schools being worse than predicted than anything.
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