May God Have Mercy on the Auburn Tigers

by CrossCyed on Dec 13, 2008 9:03 PM CST in Football Comment 19 comments

Who's honestly more confused in this clusterf*** of a coaching circus?

Auburn let go of a coach that went 85-40 during his tenure. He had just three seasons out of ten with fewer than eight wins. Who do they get to replace him? A head coaching neophyte that actually seemed to regress from year one to year two.

Iowa State lost a coach with five wins over two years. Not due to firing. Not due to resignation due to disappointment. No, the guy was friggin' hired by an SEC school.

So, now the Auburn Tigers are saddled with a coach that is already being railed on by national and local media. God forbid he finds out that "winning is tough anywhere" at Auburn.

What in God's name did Jay Jacobs see in Gene Chizik? Yes, he was a defensive coordinator at both Auburn and Texas during their National Championship runs, but he was at neither place longer than five years, so a track record is also extremely difficult to establish.

I was a big Gene Chizik backer from the beginning. He was the coaching candidate du jour when Iowa State nabbed him. And he may very have turned things around at Iowa State. But, he didn't want to.

Iowans don't ask for much, but they sure as hell don't appreciate being lied to. At the Cyclone football awards banquet last Sunday, Chizik said that he didn't want to be anywhere else with any other group of players. That was a lie. He told recruits that he'd be there for them. That was a lie. He told families of recruits that he'd be there for them. That was a lie. He said he was excited to be part of the Cyclone family. That, very obviously, was a lie.

Gene Chizik was a guy that, if you spent any time with him at all, could make you a believer in him and what he was doing. He's got a hell of a job in front of him at Auburn. He's got to sell that what he was doing was the best anyone could do. And with the wins we left on the field, that's not so much the case.

Much like many other online Cyclone supporters, I was willing to wait and see. There were markers of progress, but the W-L numbers were very disappointing. Still, we believed what this guy told us. I bought in up until yesterday. Turns out, he stopped buying in a long time ago.

Now he says he's an Auburn guy "through and through." For now at least. If things get tough, or, say, he ever got considered for an even better job, that might change, ya know.

I hope our next coach is sincere about wanting to be here, or he'll fare no better than Chizik. As for Auburn fans, I feel sorry for you. Wins or losses, success or failure, you can't take your new head coach at his word. And that's what offends Cyclone fans most of all.

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you say...

he lied to recruits and families? Can you elaborate on that? I’m interested to know.

by brandonh on Dec 13, 2008 9:16 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Well

in the Darks’ Facebook videos, he said that he went into the homes of recruits to say he’d be there, and that he planned on sticking around to make big things happen….that’s what I meant by that.

by CrossCyed on Dec 13, 2008 9:17 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Every Iowa State alum and fan...

…should (a) feel violated today and (b) just adopted Alabama as your second favorite team.

by Husker Mike on Dec 13, 2008 9:31 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don't particularly love Alabama

….and I don’t hate Auburn. Maybe I should hope for their Chizik era to be over as quickly as ours.

by CrossCyed on Dec 13, 2008 9:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Personally, I don't hate the guy.

He got his dream job after 2 years as a head coach. Hard to hate on that. I just thought he’d handle leaving with a little more integrity.

by TrueAndValiant on Dec 13, 2008 9:44 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Here's what I got from CycloneSportsReport....

an interview with Darks, when Darks was responding to why he was so damn pissed

He said the reason that he and many of his ISU teammates are so angry is because when Chizik met with the team after Thanksgiving he guaranteed them that he wasn’t going anywhere. He said that today they all found out through the media and that they didn’t get any kind of call from Chizik or the coaches which really frustrated them.

by CrossCyed on Dec 13, 2008 9:48 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

I never understood that

I’d even be willing to somewhat overlook saying you’re going to be there and then leaving shortly after but to not even look your team in their faces to tell them is just chickenshit. I think that really says a lot when coaches do that.

by Pauli on Dec 13, 2008 10:20 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs

Not that I’d want to sew more discord in this situation, but do you ‘Clones know if any of your current roster have ties to Auburn players? Former HS teammates, family, friends, etc.? I think if I was on the team and my (now former) coach did me like this, I’d be on the phone to those guys down south letting them know you can’t believe a word he says.

How do we know this (Auburn) is his dream job? If this Darks kid is right, he just got done saying that he’d be there for the team, that he wanted to be at ISU. Who knows what this guy is really after.

by Wolvie on Dec 14, 2008 2:56 AM CST up reply actions 0 recs

CrossCyed, I think your assessment is spot on.

At first I was afraid that Pollard would offer money to keep Chizik. But likely Pollard is happy that Auburn offered. This gives J.P. a 2nd shot at selecting the right guy without loosing money and without taking the blame for the first hire.

From the fans point of view this next hire counts and it needs to happen quickly to keep the existing team and players committed.
Rudy

by Rudy Katoot on Dec 14, 2008 5:55 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Petrino?

This guy reminds me of Bobby Petrino. Jumping ship without notice and dropping whereever he’s at to get to a better situation.

by cyke on Dec 14, 2008 8:29 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Tech had a guy named McWilliams that did about the same thing a few years back, except he actually won a few games. After promising he wasn’t going anywhere, he jumped ship overnight and was flashing Hook ‘em Horns signs at his press conference. I think he lasted two years at UT before he was replaced with Whining Mack. I haven’t heard of him since. Ain’t Karma a bitch?

by TT_ on Dec 14, 2008 9:33 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Auburn fans are shocked

Please don’t blame us for this mess. Alabama fans are crowing so loudly I’m surprised you cannot hear them out there. Chizik was the least favorite of a long list of candidates, hands down, though he was an excellent defensive coordinator. Not one Auburn fan I know wanted Chizik.

He demeaned our program verbally when he left us before, and now he’s telling us all this garbage about being a “true Auburn person” when he could just be honest and say he came back to to a job he was hired for. He’s just a hired hand, and we hope he succeeds for the sake of our players, but none of us wanted him. He’d leave in a heartbeat if he got a better offer, but unfortunately for us that won’t be soon.

by Blue skies on Dec 14, 2008 10:19 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

McWilliams

surfaced at Arizona, I think, and bombed so bad there he was let go. At any rate, he continued to be a loser. We might expect the same from Chizik (Cheez-yuk). If he never really commited himself to improving things at Iowa State, how can he be expected to do anything good at Auburn? Regardless, I am sure that whomever ISU hire this time will produce a competitive team Iowans will be proud of. hang in there. It could take a few years, but if the new coach is committed to the program, you will be much happier to go see the product playing on the field. I am sure the players will feel much more gratified with a new, more sincere coach. We have had our share of poor coaches at Tech and we have survived. You will, too.

TTpilk

by TTpilk645 on Dec 14, 2008 10:21 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Auburn fans overwhelmingly wanted Turner Gill

He may have turned us down, because he probably wanted to bring his own staff, and I doubt he was giving full control to do so. We fell in love with the man, played his videos from YouTube, voted for his team’s Pontiac Game-Changing performance play, and were convinced he could turn our program around.

It would make us all happy if you hired Turner Gill and he won a championship for you, too.

by Blue skies on Dec 14, 2008 10:25 AM CST reply actions 0 recs

Not feeling sorry at all

Chizik is a snake.

With the way Auburn treated Tubberville, Auburn and Chizik deserve each other…

by mplscyclone on Dec 14, 2008 1:52 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Cyclone Fans hang in there!

To all you Cyclone Fans, hang in there with your situation. Chizik may not be successful at Auburn and what did he really do for ISU. Your AD will land a good coach and make ISU competitve in the Big 12 North. Yes I am a NU fan, and we are neighbors, and would love to see Turner Gill get the HC job at ISU and make you all competitive and make the Big 12 North stonger. I wish you all great luck in your coaching search, hang in there!

by miller3l on Dec 14, 2008 2:15 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Why did he hate ISU?

Given that Chizik has skipped town, I think its time to ask what made him want to leave?
What makes winning or even a significant improvement hard at ISU? I think honest answers are needed before a new coach is on board and a new system develops.

by cyke on Dec 14, 2008 3:38 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

Didn't Hate ISU

I don’t think he ever hated ISU. I just don’t think he ever really liked ISU either.

I think he took the ISU job, because it was his first chance at millions.

I think he didn’t realize how bad of shape the program was in until after his 1st year. I am guessing he sent out feelers for coaching vacancies all year to be honest.

Then, his “Dream Job” opened up, along with over 100% salary increase and he took it.

The question shouldn’t be did he hate ISU, but rather did he ever like it?

I think he’s been playing us, and his first chance out of town he bailed. Chizik has never been in it for the program, but rather himself. He’s arrogant and selfish, and he’ll get what he deserves in Auburn..

by mplscyclone on Dec 14, 2008 5:34 PM CST up reply actions 0 recs