Scott Fountain

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I hope this post isn't removed.

Were any of you even a little surprised that Scott wasn't moved from the field and given an office job but continue helping in recruiting? I was some what surprised by coach Malzahn not making a move like that.

[CameronCrazy 1,058]

I still wouldn't be surprised if it happened. I was really thinking that Gus may pull an NFL guy like he tried to do with Bissacia soon after he was hired.

[auburnphan 6,050]

no

[imaolgatiger 523]

Y

[Mikey 16,550]

The guy didn't suddenly turn from GREAT! in 2013 to IDIOT! in 2014. I don't think we fans know enough about the situation to have an opinion..

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

Nope

[PowerOfDixieland 3,225]

The guy didn't suddenly turn from GREAT! in 2013 to IDIOT! in 2014. I don't think we fans know enough about the situation to have an opinion..

Your point is well taken, but think about what did change from '13 to '14.

Prosch, Parkey and Clark. I have argued that I could have coached that bunch and looked really good doing it.

[McLoofus 35,182]

The guy didn't suddenly turn from GREAT! in 2013 to IDIOT! in 2014. I don't think we fans know enough about the situation to have an opinion..

...he says about almost every hot sports topic ever. (Not a dig at all, Mikey, lest it be read as one. I completely agree with you.)

[auburn4ever 1,266]

If we don't hear much from our TE play next season I think coach Malzahn will have to make a change.

[Tiger 8,817]

If we don't have much TE production next year I don't think its on Fountain. Its because there are no great players at the position.

Players make coaches look good.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Good coaching does make the players look good, but it also makes the coach look good as well in the eyes of the public.

[McLoofus 35,182]

If we don't have much TE production next year I don't think its on Fountain. Its because there are no great players at the position.

Players make coaches look good.

Also, when it comes to the passing game, Scott Fountain's tight ends have only been as good as Nick Marshall- not exactly the best short-to-intermediate range passer in school history.

[Tiger 8,817]

If we don't have much TE production next year I don't think its on Fountain. Its because there are no great players at the position.

Players make coaches look good.

Also, when it comes to the passing game, Scott Fountain's tight ends have only been as good as Nick Marshall- not exactly the best short-to-intermediate range passer in school history.

I agree with this. I think next year our running game is going to be extremely important because I think we are fairly confident our passing game will be better and more open than the past 2 years. If teams have to respect the run and the pass the offense can be scary good. The offense was really good last year, but at times it just seemed like it was stuck in the mud.

[Tigermadness 0]

TE need to be in the passing game more and not just near the goal line

[autan 737]

I don't hang this on Coach Fountain at all. Some of you seem to feel the need to blame someone, kind of like our buddy Finebaum. He's not happy if he's not trying to fire somebody. Special Teams gotta have talented legs for sure. I think Gus wanted to pull Hutchinson's offer but may have backed off with when some backlash emerged. We saw how that turned out. Whether it was CSF's coaching or the recruiting of former staff I don't know. I know we did lose several Special Teams warriors last year. It seems to take a special breed and mental attitude to succeed on special teams. These kids didn't sign with Auburn for Special Team duty. It has to be a difficult group to coach. As for TE, it's just hard for AU to recruit an elite TE right now. It's the only position without a single 4 or 5 star player in the rotation. In some ways Scot's job is the most difficult and maybe least appreciated staff position. I do think Fountain is a good coach and I expect to see marked improvement in the Fall.

[doc4aday 1,887]

I trust Gus and know whatever decision he makes will be the right one. With the staff we have, we are sitting high in tall cotton or whatever the saying is.

[AUFAN78 3,889]

If we don't have much TE production next year I don't think its on Fountain. Its because there are no great players at the position.

Players make coaches look good.

Also, when it comes to the passing game, Scott Fountain's tight ends have only been as good as Nick Marshall- not exactly the best short-to-intermediate range passer in school history.

Excellent point. Look for that to change. Soon.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,225]

I'm a believer in the idea of a picture painting a thousand words.

Once again, check out Blackson and check out Fulse. That's technique, and that's coaching.

[AUIH1 1,515]

Fountain is a weak link. Fountain benefited from competent coaching and talent left over by Bouleware (sp?) FWIW, I thought Bouleware (sp?) was a weak link in Chizik's staff but he proved me wrong. There is a weak link at another assistant position as well in my opinion (I hope I am proved wrong in this case too).

wde

[Supernova88 0]

He was on the field at Iowa State and when he came to AU with Chizik, Chizik moved him to off the field. There had to be a reason for that.

He fell into Jay Prosch Cody Parkey and Steven Clark. They were all-American caliber Players. He wasn't suppose to be the coach if you remember someone from the NFL was hired over him even when he was already at AU and had the previous relationship with Gus and Gus let him stay as an off-field assistant . They made him look excellent. If he was a good coach he would have been in high demand when he was off-field staff.

Something about this was always off to me. We just got blessed with having great players in his first season and we didn't pay it no bother.

[alexava 6,973]

I'm a believer in the idea of a picture painting a thousand words.

Once again, check out Blackson and check out Fulse. That's technique, and that's coaching.

thats holding on blackson.

[metafour 4,958]

If he was a good coach he would have been in high demand when he was off-field staff.

This part is explainable. He was making something like $250K per year in his off-field position. If you really look at it, a position coach only makes that much at an upper-tier football school. His salary therefore priced him out of a lot of potential on-field coaching positions, as he obviously wasn't going to leave to make less money elsewhere.

[TitanTiger 20,471]

The guy didn't suddenly turn from GREAT! in 2013 to IDIOT! in 2014. I don't think we fans know enough about the situation to have an opinion..

Your point is well taken, but think about what did change from '13 to '14.

Prosch, Parkey and Clark. I have argued that I could have coached that bunch and looked really good doing it.

But the converse is also true...could you have coached what we had this year any better? Would anyone have fared better or was it an issue (in some spots such as punter) of the player, not the coach?

[PowerOfDixieland 3,225]

thats holding on blackson.

That's only the beginning. Why in the hell was Blackson put in that spot to begin with?

And what should we say about Fulse? "Turrible".

[PowerOfDixieland 3,225]

The guy didn't suddenly turn from GREAT! in 2013 to IDIOT! in 2014. I don't think we fans know enough about the situation to have an opinion..

Your point is well taken, but think about what did change from '13 to '14.

Prosch, Parkey and Clark. I have argued that I could have coached that bunch and looked really good doing it.

But the converse is also true...could you have coached what we had this year any better? Would anyone have fared better or was it an issue (in some spots such as punter) of the player, not the coach?

The answer to your specific question is "No". I may be stupid, but I'm not crazy.

However, my issue with specific players is not with Hutchinson (not being able to take the load off of Carlson at P) or Carlson (I think he did a better than adequate job at K and PK). My issue with player development (or lack thereof) is with Fulse. He was a virtual non-factor in '14.

But my biggest concern is with coverages and returns...and that big picture that I posted above.