Ten Things You Must Do...

[Auhud08 596]

The issue with #4 isnt what it says. Its that he doesnt prepare his team for every blitz or front. Also, the coach said add a play, so get perfect on these things as FRESHMEN then the starters ought to know how to run 10+ plays to perfection. 

[AURealist 2,185]

7 hours ago, gr82be said:

H back?

I thought we went over this the other day in class...   That guy you're thinking of in the backfield is the blocker back.  The running back, the guy who actually runs the ball every play, is the 'H Back'.  That's "H" as in 'Highlander', for in the end, there can be only one.     

[gr82be 14,401]

18 minutes ago, AURealist said:

I thought we went over this the other day in class...   That guy you're thinking of in the backfield is the blocker back.  The running back, the guy who actually runs the ball every play, is the 'H Back'.  That's "H" as in 'Highlander', for in the end, there can be only one.     

Lol, hey in my defense Gus said 2 back run play action team, not 2 running back play action team.  but yes I agree with your point. I don't consider the H-back a true back... Unless of course he spins around first and then runs. 

[GwillMac6 20,607]

4 hours ago, Tiger said:

I actually came away more frustrated than feeling the warm and fuzzies after reading this. It's got a mix of it's positives and negatives to me and at this point I'm exhausted and I really came away from this with limited confidence that Gus evolves and becomes a heavyweight of the coaching ranks which he very much has the potential to do.

 

I loved #1 and #2 (coaches being great examples, and great men - minus the cussing part).

#5 and #3 spit in the faces of each other though, as I see it. He says you have to define what kind of team you want (2 back, power run), and then goes to say "You have to adapt to your personnel". I wonder which holds more value to him (serious question)

#4 (be great at a few plays)...you've got college players now, coach, you can have more than 5 plays. In fact, the defense wants you to run just 5 plays.

#6 is great -- coach em hard, love em equally as hard

#7 set goals high? That Clemson gameplan in 2016 was devised by a guy who certainly didn't look like he had high goals.

8,9, and 10 are solid in theory, although I'm not sure what to think about how he said his assistants get on him about using just 5 plays and then talks about the importance of everyone being on the same page.

As usual I agree with everything you said. Me and you are in lockstep with about 90% of things!!! You truly are my fam on here! lol

[auburnphan 6,050]

I would like to thank Gus for this "I told you so"  moment.

 

As he brags about things it points out all his flaws and weaknesses.   he hasn't a clue, 

[Mikey 16,545]

13 hours ago, Mikey said:

He is already a successful college head coach and has been for some years now.

 

12 hours ago, ToraGirl said:

Mikey...this is too simple. Baiting, so I'll bite.

My response was to the idiotic statement, "Gus will never be a successful college head coach". Gus has his team in the top half of the strongest conference in college football every year.  That's by definition a successful head coach.

 

[ToraGirl 5,498]

12 minutes ago, Mikey said:

 

My response was to the idiotic statement, "Gus will never be a successful college head coach". Gus has his team in the top half of the strongest conference in college football every year.  That's by definition a successful head coach.

 

Gotcha. I myself would NEVER use "NEVER"...ever! ?

[I_M4_AU 7,762]

10 hours ago, Mikey said:

 

My response was to the idiotic statement, "Gus will never be a successful college head coach". Gus has his team in the top half of the strongest conference in college football every year.  That's by definition a successful head coach.

 

Thanks for pointing out my unfortunate use of the word never, but as @ToraGirl pointed out, my comments were more directed at Gus going from good to great.

When coaches (or any other professionals) are not willing to adapt to a changing industry they are doomed to fail (or be unsuccessful).  As an example or two, Bret Beliema was a successful coach at Wisconsin prior to coaching at Arky.  When he arrived in the SEC he failed to adapt to his surroundings and was fired 5 years later.  Les Miles also was a successful coach that did not adapt to the changing industry and now is without a job.

The article points out Gus’ arrogance in that he still has the philosophy a HS coach told him 20 or so years ago.  Only using 4 or 5 plays to perfection and telling the world is pure arrogance.  IIRC, the GSU coach said he game planned for Gus’ offense not CCL’s and GSU did pretty well until we out talented them.  The coaching world is on to Gus and now the fan base knows what is behind his thoughts.

I’ve always thought Gus was evolving, but now that this article has been published, I’m not sure he ever will (not saying never).  As @auburnfan points out, Gus doesn’t have a clue.

[Mikey 16,545]

1 hour ago, I_M4_AU said:

Thanks for pointing out my unfortunate use of the word never, but as @ToraGirl pointed out, my comments were more directed at Gus going from good to great.

When coaches (or any other professionals) are not willing to adapt to a changing industry they are doomed to fail (or be unsuccessful).  As an example or two, Bret Beliema was a successful coach at Wisconsin prior to coaching at Arky.  When he arrived in the SEC he failed to adapt to his surroundings and was fired 5 years later.  Les Miles also was a successful coach that did not adapt to the changing industry and now is without a job.

The article points out Gus’ arrogance in that he still has the philosophy a HS coach told him 20 or so years ago.  Only using 4 or 5 plays to perfection and telling the world is pure arrogance.  IIRC, the GSU coach said he game planned for Gus’ offense not CCL’s and GSU did pretty well until we out talented them.  The coaching world is on to Gus and now the fan base knows what is behind his thoughts.

I’ve always thought Gus was evolving, but now that this article has been published, I’m not sure he ever will (not saying never).  As @auburnfan points out, Gus doesn’t have a clue.

 This is a direct quote from a post of yours, above: " "Gus will never be a successful college head coach".

Gus already is a successful college head coach.  If, after looking at Gus's season finishes and other accomplishments and considering the quality of opposition he faces and the success/failure rates of his peers, you can still claim that he is not a successful head coach, then please tell me what it takes for you to consider someone successful in their chosen field of endeavor.

Gus is successful by any reasonable assessment. Someone cannot "never" be successful when they are already successful.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

1 hour ago, I_M4_AU said:

Thanks for pointing out my unfortunate use of the word never, but as @ToraGirl pointed out, my comments were more directed at Gus going from good to great.

When coaches (or any other professionals) are not willing to adapt to a changing industry they are doomed to fail (or be unsuccessful).  As an example or two, Bret Beliema was a successful coach at Wisconsin prior to coaching at Arky.  When he arrived in the SEC he failed to adapt to his surroundings and was fired 5 years later.  Les Miles also was a successful coach that did not adapt to the changing industry and now is without a job.

The article points out Gus’ arrogance in that he still has the philosophy a HS coach told him 20 or so years ago.  Only using 4 or 5 plays to perfection and telling the world is pure arrogance.  IIRC, the GSU coach said he game planned for Gus’ offense not CCL’s and GSU did pretty well until we out talented them.  The coaching world is on to Gus and now the fan base knows what is behind his thoughts.

I’ve always thought Gus was evolving, but now that this article has been published, I’m not sure he ever will (not saying never).  As @auburnfan points out, Gus doesn’t have a clue.

We are wearing the same glasses here.  I might not say "never" (might think it), but believe one could rightly assume "never", in the sense of "never IF patterns keep repeating but never correcting".  It does reek of arrogance.  I don't know how one resolves some conflicting points such as "fitting scheme to personnel" but "not wishing to alter scheme".  It does bring forth the "We didn't execute" all too quickly...in other words, "We ad-nauseumed that play in our most excellent practice repeatedly and you still couldn't execute?"  Never mind that the other side is on the field, constantly adjusting.  Enough players said throughout the season, "We just run the plays they tell us to."  So our eyes are forever hoping that mid-game adjustments will become the new understood reality.  A gameplan is only as good as it works, and I guess I am idealistic enough to believe it should work fairly well, most of the time, around the contingencies common to all teams  With this article,  fans unfortunately do have an inside look through the words that were stated from his own mouth without even having to speculate.  Maybe this is why the contract is still being finalized, which makes me feel better.  I will support Coach Malzahn, but I will ceaselessly pray for open eyes, open minds, open hearts, and courage to continue to adapt...for the fire that wrote the book that needs new chapters now.  I may from time to time join the discussion here as to how the progress is going on the adaptation front...or not.  So here is my silver lining hope...there are two new sheriffs in town who have a fresh, vested interest in keeping perspective married with "hardware" in the long run (from the presser).  I look forward to seeing them ride the range and tackle the tumbleweeds.

[Mikey 16,545]

3 minutes ago, ToraGirl said:

........  So here is my silver lining hope...there are two new sheriffs in town who have a fresh, vested interest in keeping perspective married with "hardware" in the long run (from the presser).  I look forward to seeing them ride the range and tackle the tumbleweeds.

The new sheriffs should have two choices: Either fire the coach or let him do his job in the manner he sees fit. A head coach has the responsibility and therefore he should have the authority to run his own program. PTB's "meddling" in the day to day management of the football program is not in anyone's best interest.

[Tiger 8,817]

19 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

As usual I agree with everything you said. Me and you are in lockstep with about 90% of things!!! You truly are my fam on here! lol

[I_M4_AU 7,762]

20 hours ago, Mikey said:

 This is a direct quote from a post of yours, above: " "Gus will never be a successful college head coach".

Gus already is a successful college head coach.  If, after looking at Gus's season finishes and other accomplishments and considering the quality of opposition he faces and the success/failure rates of his peers, you can still claim that he is not a successful head coach, then please tell me what it takes for you to consider someone successful in their chosen field of endeavor.

Gus is successful by any reasonable assessment. Someone cannot "never" be successful when they are already successful.

I’m glad you think Gus is a successful coach.  I believe the jury is still out.

For Auburn’s sake, I hope Gus is the most successful coach we have ever had.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

On 1/20/2018 at 11:22 AM, Mikey said:

The new sheriffs should have two choices: Either fire the coach or let him do his job in the manner he sees fit. A head coach has the responsibility and therefore he should have the authority to run his own program. PTB's "meddling" in the day to day management of the football program is not in anyone's best interest.

Accountability is my word. And I'll let the new sheriffs decide the best way to do that.

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

I think the key word with Gus is “some success”. Been mostly avarage. 8-5 seasons are not a success IMO. 

[bg5 536]

I don't know how Gus and his staff will ever be able to make it at Auburn. I think just from what I can see that we have the most negative fan base in the country. If this fan board is any indication and if the players ever look at them I don't know why anyone would ever want to come to Auburn. Looks like to me Gus must be doing a heck of a job to get top ten classes every year and win any games. I am always interested to hear when people on this board have actual things to tell but I think I am going to have to take a brake for a while otherwise I am going to have to lock myself in a room and crawl up in a corner. I thought we did pretty good during the first signing period but if I didn't know better I would think it was terrible. I hope spring comes soon because a lot of you need some sunshine.

[ToraGirl 5,498]

1 hour ago, bg5 said:

I don't know how Gus and his staff will ever be able to make it at Auburn. I think just from what I can see that we have the most negative fan base in the country. If this fan board is any indication and if the players ever look at them I don't know why anyone would ever want to come to Auburn. Looks like to me Gus must be doing a heck of a job to get top ten classes every year and win any games. I am always interested to hear when people on this board have actual things to tell but I think I am going to have to take a brake for a while otherwise I am going to have to lock myself in a room and crawl up in a corner. I thought we did pretty good during the first signing period but if I didn't know better I would think it was terrible. I hope spring comes soon because a lot of you need some sunshine.

Bg5, it is a gorgeous sunny Sunday here in central Alabama, and I am usually pretty sunny myself. I read your post and reread every other one on in this thread. There ARE plenty of negative comments throughout the board, but lots and lots of kudos to CGM and staff, too. What makes this particular thread different...and shocking in some senses... is that it involves an in-depth interview into the mindset of Coach M. A lot of what AUFamily banters about is speculation. These are straight-up quotes we're trying to decipher, and it is honestly unsettling to me at least on a few points. We all have to take a break for various reasons from time to time, so it's completely understandable. Just don't be gone too long!  All of the perspectives put together identify the proverbial elephant. 

[Mikey 16,545]

9 hours ago, ToraGirl said:

Accountability is my word. And I'll let the new sheriffs decide the best way to do that.

If the new sheriffs are bad mouthing our program after a season in which we beat our two biggest rivals when they are both ranked #1, those new sheriffs will fit right in on this message board. I've encountered many sore losers in my life but there are more sore winners here than I ever imagined existed.

[triangletiger 1,599]

12 hours ago, Mikey said:

If the new sheriffs are bad mouthing our program after a season in which we beat our two biggest rivals when they are both ranked #1, those new sheriffs will fit right in on this message board. I've encountered many sore losers in my life but there are more sore winners here than I ever imagined existed.

I don't think people are disappointed or ignoring the fact that we beat UGA and Alabama during the regular season; but you have to acknowledge that, along with those successes, we have mind-numbingly poor showings in which we either look unprepared (Clemson), unmotivated (UCF), or unable to make adjustments (LSU, SECCG).  I think we can acknowledge Gus' accomplishments without having to ignore his shortcomings/areas for improvement.    

It's frustrating to be so close to being elite, but not quite being able to reach it.  Especially when our biggest rivals seem to be there.  So, to what do we attribute the inability to attain our lofty goals?  Is it that coaches are developing the players and coming up with the perfect game plans, but the players aren't executing at a high enough level?  Or are the coaches falling short?  Or are our expectations as fans simply too high?

I think I speak for many on here when I say that I like Gus and what he stands for.  I want to him be Auburn's football coach for a long time and be highly successful in that role.  But if he is unwilling or unable to acknowledge that he doesn't have it all figured out  and adapt and grow, I don't think that's possible.  He needs to be willing to take the next step as a head coach. 

 

[keesler 5,923]

Gus is good enough for Auburn and he keeps AU in their comfort zone of +/- 9 wins a year - very solid and steady at that rate and more times than not will average 3 loses a year.  I believe Gus will keep Auburn on the currect steady pace they've historically enjoyed.

The word "elite" can only describe programs that consistenty, every dang year field teams in championship contension.  Those teams rarely have more than 2 losses a season over a 5-7 yr stretch.  There are very few teams out of 128 total FBS programs that fit that description.

[AUsince72 11,084]

23 minutes ago, triangletiger said:

I don't think people are disappointed or ignoring the fact that we beat UGA and Alabama during the regular season; but you have to acknowledge that, along with those successes, we have mind-numbingly poor showings in which we either look unprepared (Clemson), unmotivated (UCF), or unable to make adjustments (LSU, SECCG).  I think we can acknowledge Gus' accomplishments without having to ignore his shortcomings/areas for improvement.    

It's frustrating to be so close to being elite, but not quite being able to reach it.  Especially when our biggest rivals seem to be there.  So, to what do we attribute the inability to attain our lofty goals?  Is it that coaches are developing the players and coming up with the perfect game plans, but the players aren't executing at a high enough level?  Or are the coaches falling short?  Or are our expectations as fans simply too high?

I think I speak for many on here when I say that I like Gus and what he stands for.  I want to him be Auburn's football coach for a long time and be highly successful in that role.  But if he is unwilling or unable to acknowledge that he doesn't have it all figured out  and adapt and grow, I don't think that's possible.  He needs to be willing to take the next step as a head coach. 

 

Can't tell if you wrote this or I wrote this...

Exactly.  We all WANT Gus to be "the Man".  But Gus needs to make that happen.

If it's the players failing on the field then it's still on Gus (and the coaches).  Either they're not preparing them well or recruiting poorly.

[I_M4_AU 7,762]

2 minutes ago, AUsince72 said:

Can't tell if you wrote this or I wrote this...

Exactly.  We all WANT Gus to be "the Man".  But Gus needs to make that happen.

If it's the players failing on the field then it's still on Gus (and the coaches).  Either they're not preparing them well or recruiting poorly.

Well, I know I didn’t write it, I totally agree with it.  However, I come off a little blunt sometimes.

[Swamp Eagle 5,128]

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

 

Ten Things You Must Do To Play or Coach for Gus Malzahn:

1. Coaches being great examples for our players. “I want our staff to show our players what a great dad looks like, what a great husband looks like,” he said. “I don’t want a bunch of profanity and all that.” 

“It’s bigger than the Xs and Os, man,” he continued. “You’re making a difference in a young people’s lives.”

Copy that.

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

2. Sportsmanship. Malzahn says Auburn practices how to celebrate together after big plays, and said he administers “accountabilities” for not handing the ball to the referee after a play and for taunting. “These coaches that let their team do all that bullcrap taunting,” Malzahn said, “I don’t think there’s any place in football for that.”

Copy that.

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

3. Define who we are. “I think it’s very important you put it on paper, offense, defense and special teams,” Malzahn said. “Our offense, we’re a two-back, run, play-action team. We’re not a spread team. ‘Oh, they run the spread.’ No, we’re a two-back, run, play-action team. We put constant pressure on the defense but running our offense at a 2-minute pace, wearing down our opponent mentally and physically. That’s what our whole offense is built upon.”

“If we have a bad game or two,” he said, “we’re not changing. I think that’s real important.”

2-back? Have I been watching with one eye open for the past 5 years?

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

 

4. Be very good at a few things. Malzahn said the best advice he ever received as a head coach came in his first year on the job. “I went and talked to a guy named Barry Lunney, Sr., in Fort Smith, Arkansas. He said, ‘How many plays do you have an offense?’ I said, ‘Coach, we got 100, maybe 200. We can run anything.’ He said, ‘How many can you run perfect?’ We can’t. He said, ‘Pick out four or five plays, and get it where your plays can block any front and run them perfect. When you get those four or five perfected, then you go out and add one,'” he said.

Malzahn said his assistants tell him he will take that 20-plus year-old advice to extremes at times. “We run the inside zone, we run the power to the right, we run the counter to the left, and we run the buck sweep. That’s 80 percent of our runs,” Malzahn said. “But I’ll tell you this: We’re going to know who to block. I don’t care what front, I don’t care what blitz.”

Except now those 5 plays get defensed perfect.

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

5. Build around the strengths of your best players. “Being a high school coach, that’s what you naturally do. You take what you got, and you build it,” he said. Malzahn said his background as a high school background gives him an advantage in this area, and informs his coaching even to this day. Need an example? Malzahn said he runs his power to the right and his counter to the left because, when designing this offense in the Arkansas high school ranks, he decided to put his two best lineman on the right side and run behind them as often as possible.

“I’ve seen a lot of schemes where they’re asking their quarterback to do something he can’t do,” Malzahn said. “But that coach, that’s all he knows.”

He could be describing himself in that last sentence.

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

6. Straining your players to be perfect on the field, and love them off the field. To illustrate this, Malzahn told a story about Cam Newton. “The Thursday before we played our first game (in 2010), he called my wife. ‘I can’t do anything right. Coach is all over me.’ Let me just tell you, after that season he was the No. 1 pick in the draft, won the Heisman, won the national championship,” Malzahn said. “Know what he says today every time I see him? ‘Coach, thank you for coaching me hard.'”

No issue here.

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

7. Set goals high. “When I was a high school coach, every year I told our team our goal was to win the state championship,” Malzahn said. “When I started saying that at Hughes, they hadn’t been to the playoffs. They looked at me like I was crazy. But we got to the state finals. We would have never got there if we hadn’t had that dream.”

Malzahn said setting high goals can lead to success through having a better offseason that the competition. “I believe you can beat people just by being motivated,” he said. “I want (our staff), when it’s April, to think about playing in the national title game. We were that close.”

No issue here, either.

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

8. One standard. “That’s the head coach’s standard,” Malzahn said. Being a Gus Malzahn team, he said, means hustling on and off the field, displaying good body language and playing with great effort.

No issue here...

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

9. Getting your staff on the same page. “The longer that I’m in this coaching proffession, the more I understand that this doesn’t happen everywhere. The egos, ‘I thought this, I’ve been doing this.’ I always tell my coaches that when they’re talking through the game plan, it’s okay to have some dialogue and to disagree. But once they come out of that room, everybody’s on the same page,” he said.

As long as it's Gus' page or so it appears on game day.

 

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

10. Outwork opponents. Malzahn is an admitted workaholic, one who had his high school quarterbacks take footballs on family vacations and check in at night with how many passes they threw that day.

These days, Malzahn wakes up around 5:30 and stays at the office until midnight. To gain an extra edge, though, on Friday mornings from 7 to 11 a.m. he’ll take a coordinator or a GA and triple-check the game plan one last time.

This advice came with a disclaimer, though: Malzahn’s two daughters are grown and out of the house. He regrets the “selfish crap” he did as a high school coach by working the most hours of any high school coach and keeping his golf habit. “Don’t neglect your family,” he said.

No issue her. 

I can't believe he can't see the instances where he's contradicting himself.  Makes me less optimistic that we'll see less than 4-loss season's for awhile...

On ‎1‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 8:31 PM, aujeff11 said:

 

 

 

[triangletiger 1,599]

2 hours ago, keesler said:

Gus is good enough for Auburn and he keeps AU in their comfort zone of +/- 9 wins a year - very solid and steady at that rate and more times than not will average 3 loses a year.  I believe Gus will keep Auburn on the currect steady pace they've historically enjoyed.

The word "elite" can only describe programs that consistenty, every dang year field teams in championship contension.  Those teams rarely have more than 2 losses a season over a 5-7 yr stretch.  There are very few teams out of 128 total FBS programs that fit that description.

We got a taste of being at the pinnacle (2010 and 2013) and want more of it.  I think Alabama being as successful as they have been of late plays into it too.

[triangletiger 1,599]

1 hour ago, Swamp Eagle said:

Copy that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I can't believe he can't see the instances where he's contradicting himself.  Makes me less optimistic that we'll see less than 4-loss season's for awhile...

 

While I do see the tension between the two points, I don't think it's totally a contradiction in that college coaches do a have base philosophy or identity and they recruit players that fit certain roles within that philosophy.  However, I think he's talking more about appropriately applying a player's skillset within that philosophy. 

Gus has shown a willingness to adjust the offense based on the players he has (e.g., Nick Marshall and Tre Mason running zone read option vs. the offense we have now with Jarrett Stidham).  This seems to me to be more of a strategic adjustment from season to season,  Where Gus seems to struggle more is in making the tactical adjustments during the middle of the game.  Sometimes, he just doesn't seem to have his finger on the pulse of the game.