Who Do You Want?

[doverstutts 1,643]

7 minutes ago, MadtownTiger said:

I'm wary of overly charismatic coaches like Fleck

Yeah, and his wife/girlfriend  has a tattoo on her boobs.  Just wouldn't fit

[imaolgatiger 523]

Clay Helton

[gr82be 14,423]

6 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

You could do a lot worse than Venables.  We need someone like that on our staff.

To those saying "We need to hire a proven head coach", I ask two questions:

1) Who the hell would come that's won at a high level?  (Answer:  No one)

2) Why?  Very rarely can ANYONE hire a "proven" head coach.  The Meyer's, Saban's, and Harbaugh's of the world don't happen every day.

The answer to number two is that you don't need a "proven" head coach.  You need the best coach that you can get, and in my opinion, we could greatly benefit from finding a younger coach with high upside.  Lincoln Riley just coached his second game last night at the age of 34 and he took his team into Columbus and whipped OSU.  Kirby Smart had never been a HC before UGA.  He just took a freshman QB making his first start into South Bend and won.  Luke Fickel took an undermanned Cincinnati team to Ann Arbor and played toe-to-toe with Michigan until late in the 4th quarter.  Those are the kinds of guys we need to be looking for as our next HC.

Lincoln Riley is in a comfortable situation where he was groomed for taking over. Beating OSU is huge but Riley does have the advantage of not being in a typical first year head coach situation. Kirby Smart is going to do a good job and beating ND is admirable but not what it used to be sort of like beating Auburn right now is not what it once was. What Luke Fickel did was impressive but Gus had Auburn toe to toe with Clemson on the road too until the end. 

[thaitopher 807]

Brent Venables. He's a hell a of a lot smarter than Gus is.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

17 hours ago, Barnacle said:

Dabo Swinney 

Dabo may have Bama history, but he has the moral...no, I'll point blank say it, SPIRITUAL temperament Auburn seeks.  I can't help but like him.  

[ToraGirl 5,498]

4 hours ago, DAG said:

A new HC (Veteran) will want his own staff

That IS the pattern....but it is also sometimes true that some come in and keep those worth keeping?  Especially at first?  

[ToraGirl 5,498]

29 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

You could do a lot worse than Venables.  We need someone like that on our staff.

To those saying "We need to hire a proven head coach", I ask two questions:

1) Who the hell would come that's won at a high level?  (Answer:  No one)

2) Why?  Very rarely can ANYONE hire a "proven" head coach.  The Meyer's, Saban's, and Harbaugh's of the world don't happen every day.

The answer to number two is that you don't need a "proven" head coach.  You need the best coach that you can get, and in my opinion, we could greatly benefit from finding a younger coach with high upside.  Lincoln Riley just coached his second game last night at the age of 34 and he took his team into Columbus and whipped OSU.  Kirby Smart had never been a HC before UGA.  He just took a freshman QB making his first start into South Bend and won.  Luke Fickel took an undermanned Cincinnati team to Ann Arbor and played toe-to-toe with Michigan until late in the 4th quarter.  Those are the kinds of guys we need to be looking for as our next HC.

This is a great post, Brad...just one question.  Before we knew what we now know...did not CGM fit this very description based upon his success in the Sunbelt?  "Up and coming, great offensive mind", plus wrote the book, to boot!  

[DAG 33,981]

6 minutes ago, ToraGirl said:

That IS the pattern....but it is also sometimes true that some come in and keep those worth keeping?  Especially at first?  

I guess it would depend on the coach . I just can't see a proven winner being told to keep a portion of the staff . We definitely ask this person to consider it though 

[ToraGirl 5,498]

Just now, DAG said:

I guess it would depend on the coach . I just can't see a proven winner being told to keep a portion of the staff . We definitely ask this person to consider it though 

I like that.  Buy-in always works better than dictatorship.

[DAG 33,981]

Just now, ToraGirl said:

I like that.  Buy-in always works better than dictatorship.

Now if you get a chad Morris or someone who isn't holding the chips , you definitely could make this a necessity. I would think most coaches would want to keep the defense intact.

[aubaseball 2,602]

If you are going to get a new coach, you let them decide who they want on staff.   If we are going to change, let's make a change 

[bigbird 60,515]

I want one that keeps his coaching secrets and doesn't put them in a book for others to figure out.

[AUFAN78 3,894]

Gus has proven to be a decent recruiter and even turned the defense over to CKS. Just turn the O over to CCL and lets see what we have. I just dont know that I trust him to do it. In fact, I'm quite certain he won't. Sucks.

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

2 hours ago, gr82be said:

Lincoln Riley is in a comfortable situation where he was groomed for taking over. Beating OSU is huge but Riley does have the advantage of not being in a typical first year head coach situation. Kirby Smart is going to do a good job and beating ND is admirable but not what it used to be sort of like beating Auburn right now is not what it once was. What Luke Fickel did was impressive but Gus had Auburn toe to toe with Clemson on the road too until the end. 

Lincoln may have been groomed, but he's still 34 with no HC experience.  Kirby won with a true freshman making his first start.  And comparing what Fickel did to Malzahn last night is laughable.  Malzahn has the advantage of better recruiting and 4+ years here.  Fickel coached his second game with terrible Tubby leftovers.

 

2 hours ago, ToraGirl said:

This is a great post, Brad...just one question.  Before we knew what we now know...did not CGM fit this very description based upon his success in the Sunbelt?  "Up and coming, great offensive mind", plus wrote the book, to boot!  

What success in the Sun Belt?  He'd been at Ark State one year where he walked into a perfect situation.  That team was loaded with players who could dominate the Sun Belt and they did.  Don't forget, Ark State was the defending Sun Belt champions when Gus arrived and Hugh Freeze was the HC there before him.  His SEC record as an OC was all thanks to Cam.  When he didn't have Cam, his offenses were pretty average while with Chizik.

[gctiger 931]

4 hours ago, AUIH1 said:

LOL, chinese fire drill.

wde

Chinese Cluster #%^* is more like it...

[ToraGirl 5,498]

21 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

Lincoln may have been groomed, but he's still 34 with no HC experience.  Kirby won with a true freshman making his first start.  And comparing what Fickel did to Malzahn last night is laughable.  Malzahn has the advantage of better recruiting and 4+ years here.  Fickel coached his second game with terrible Tubby leftovers.

 

What success in the Sun Belt?  He'd been at Ark State one year where he walked into a perfect situation.  That team was loaded with players who could dominate the Sun Belt and they did.  Don't forget, Ark State was the defending Sun Belt champions when Gus arrived.  His SEC record as an OC was all thanks to Cam.  When he didn't have Cam, his offenses were pretty average while with Chizik.

Yes, we know that now.  I CLARIFY..the same press kudos referred to Gus, regardless of what we now know contributed to that success.  At the time, it was still being determined (and I guess for some, it still is), the actual cause of the success.

[gr82be 14,423]

29 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

Lincoln may have been groomed, but he's still 34 with no HC experience.  Kirby won with a true freshman making his first start.  And comparing what Fickel did to Malzahn last night is laughable.  Malzahn has the advantage of better recruiting and 4+ years here.  Fickel coached his second game with terrible Tubby leftovers.

 

What success in the Sun Belt?  He'd been at Ark State one year where he walked into a perfect situation.  That team was loaded with players who could dominate the Sun Belt and they did.  Don't forget, Ark State was the defending Sun Belt champions when Gus arrived.  His SEC record as an OC was all thanks to Cam.  When he didn't have Cam, his offenses were pretty average while with Chizik.

I think Riley is more prepared at this point working under Stoops than Gus was when he became HC at Auburn even with his one year at Ark St. Marshall wasn't loaded with experience either but Gus won with him because he was a playmaker. You're correct, Gus has had 4 years to recruit. My point was only that being in a game until the end is still a loss whether you are a first year coach or a 6th year coach. It's a roll of the dice when you hire an unknown. All if the names you mentioned could be successful or fizzle after a season or two. Gus looked like a great hire too early on as the wins started to come. After year 2 the wheels started coming off. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

23 minutes ago, ToraGirl said:

Yes, we know that now.  I CLARIFY..the same press kudos referred to Gus, regardless of what we now know contributed to that success.  At the time, it was still being determined (and I guess for some, it still is), the actual cause of the success.

Yeah, I'm not basing my knowledge off of the press.  I'm doing it off of my eyes.  Never wanted Gus in the first place.  We had a chance to land Kirby and blew it thanks to typical AU bull crap.

[gr82be 14,423]

2 minutes ago, Brad_ATX said:

Yeah, I'm not basing my knowledge off of the press.  I'm doing it off of my eyes.  Never wanted Gus in the first place.  We had a chance to land Kirby and blew it thanks to typical AU bull crap.

We're in agreement on Kirby. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

2 minutes ago, gr82be said:

I think Riley is more prepared at this point working under Stoops than Gus was when he became HC at Auburn even with his one year at Ark St. Marshall wasn't loaded with experience either but Gus won with him because he was a playmaker. You're correct, Gus has had 4 years to recruit. My point was only that being in a game until the end is still a loss whether you are a first year coach or a 6th year coach. It's a roll of the dice when you hire an unknown. All if the names you mentioned could be successful or fizzle after a season or two. Gus looked like a great hire too early on as the wins started to come. After year 2 the wheels started coming off. 

A loss isn't the same when recruiting is taken into consideration.  Sorry, it's just not.  There isn't a single "known" commodity that will come to AU.  Those who are asking for Franklin, Patterson, etc are living in fantasy worlds.  Sure, you could probably get Les Miles, but why?  That's simply trading one 7-8 win coach for another.

[countoff 331]

Rather that running out and getting a new coach.  Perhaps it is better to take a more calculated top to bottom approach.  

I say the best strategy is to get rid of Jacobs immediately and put Tommy Tuberville in as Athletic Director.  Let Tommy  evaluate Gus over the course of the rest of the season.  At the first of the year, Tommy could then either force Gus to make changes or replace him with some up and coming coach that he knows from the coaching circles.

I acknowledge (like most of you) that we are now heading into a 3 straight year of pathetic offensive performances.  And Stidham already proved his capability in an Art Briles offense.  So clearly the problem lies with the Auburn program and not the talent.  But I just don't see the logic in blindly replacing Gus with whomever is the trendy coordinator or small college HC prodigy.  How many of you remember when there was a big push for us to hire Turner Gill?

Get Tommy in here and let him evaluate and hire/fire as necessary.

 

[bigbird 60,515]

3 minutes ago, countoff said:

Rather that running out and getting a new coach.  Perhaps it is better to take a more calculated top to bottom approach.  

I say the best strategy is to get rid of Jacobs immediately and put Tommy Tuberville in as Athletic Director.  Let Tommy  evaluate Gus over the course of the rest of the season.  At the first of the year, Tommy could then either force Gus to make changes or replace him with some up and coming coach that he knows from the coaching circles.

I acknowledge (like most of you) that we are now heading into a 3 straight year of pathetic offensive performances.  And Stidham already proved his capability in an Art Briles offense.  So clearly the problem lies with the Auburn program and not the talent.  But I just don't see the logic in blindly replacing Gus with whomever is the trendy coordinator or small college HC prodigy.  How many of you remember when there was a big push for us to hire Turner Gill?

Get Tommy in here and let him evaluate and hire/fire as necessary.

 

Tommy has no experience running an AD and Gus won't ever change.  AU deserves a proven winner as an AD. Someone preferably with absolutely zero ties to AU or any of the money at AU.

[countoff 331]

1 minute ago, bigbird said:

Tommy has no experience running an AD and Gus won't ever change.  AU deserves a proven winner as an AD. Someone preferably with absolutely zero ties to AU or any of the money at AU.

Well OK Bird.  I suppose we could talk about the merits (or lack thereof) of Tommy specifically as AD.  But I guess my main point was that we should be looking first for a new AD and then let that person make the moves necessary to improve the team..  

 

[AU64 10,122]

3 hours ago, MadtownTiger said:

I think potential hires would understand we fired CGM because we're losing to our rivals.  If they're afraid of a challenge then they wouldn't be a good fit in the SEC anyway.

I would take Petersen because I think he's a solid coach, but in his three decades career he's only spent one year east of Idaho, and that was 25 years ago. I prefer someone with a far greater familiarity with the culture and traditional recruiting area.  My biggest hang up with CCP is what was arguably the best team he's ever had got waxed by uat in the playoffs. 

Franklin is an absolute no-go for me.  I remember him from his time at Maryland.  He's a good enough coach, I guess, but not good enough to mitigate the fact he's a raging a-hole.  I don't expect our coach to be Mr Rogers, but he can't be a egomaniacal sociopath.  He's from PA, and I don't think he'll ever leave PSU voluntarily.

Venables is plausible, but he's an absolute unknown when it comes to offensive philosophy.  Without knowing his preferred style and who he would hire as OC I can't say I would want him as our HC.  A career DC isn't who I would ask to fix the offense.

I'm wary of overly charismatic coaches like Fleck.  I think they're often more bark than bite, and he doesn't exactly have a stellar resume.  I'm also concerned about his nearly absolute lack of experience with higher echelons of football.  Apart from one year in the NFL his biggest program is Rutgers.  Also consider this is a guy that waits until the dead period to pull scholarship offers of committed players to minimize the chances they'll sign with a rival.  I imagine that's a great way to burn bridges on the big boy level.

WDE!

Good coaches at Power 5 schools aren't afraid of a challenge but they aren't stupid either.   If a coach is winning at a decent Power 5 school there is no reason to come to Auburn ...or Georgia or South Carolina.....and don't think that more money is a good reason for a coach to pull up his family and roll the dice that he can satisfy a bunch of notoriously tough fan base.   

When Gus is gone ...as he will be sooner or later since no coach ever voluntarily retires from AU....we will be hoping to get a hot young prospect from the Group of 5 schools....or another Coordinator like Gus....who will have to learn the job on the job. JMO

[countoff 331]

Yeah....now that I re-read my post, it does look like I'm focusing strictly on Tommy.  

I do like the idea of bringing Tommy in as AD.  But first let's just decide to make the change at AD in general.  Then we can discuss who should be the AD.