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How important is Personal Integrity for the next hire?


AUgrad97

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I know this may sound like a crazy question on the surface, but I am curious to hear others thoughts on the direction of the program and how long term success is achieved.  There have been several names tossed around and recommended as a solution to the current program and leadership of the team.  Some of these names come with elite talent but they also come with some significant baggage.  If you stopped the emotional response of "we have to win today" and went with a more logical long term solution, I am curious if that would change minds about the kind of leader we should be going after.

  • Do we want someone who is a flashy name and immediate program impact?
  • Do we want someone who we fell like will have no loyalty at the end of the day and jump at the next best thing to come along?
  • Do we want someone during a time of needing stability, strength and respect who brings a lot of baggage that does not reflect those key needs?
  • Are you willing to lower your flash and immediate impact wants for someone you can TRUST to build a program for the long haul?
  • List your top Flashy Impact Hire and your top Long Term High Integrity Choice.

 

I will start with mine...

Flash Hire- Lane Kiffin (Will recruit well, will build a dynamic offense, will develop QBs, will be an immediate impact to the program)

Integrity Hire-Pat Fitzgerald or Gary Patterson  (Both have proven that loyalty and dedication are at their core.  They bring a little different perspective but they both have been successful with limited resources.  They have established recruiting history and command a lot of respect among other coaches around the country.

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15 minutes ago, AUgrad97 said:

I know this may sound like a crazy question on the surface, but I am curious to hear others thoughts on the direction of the program and how long term success is achieved.  There have been several names tossed around and recommended as a solution to the current program and leadership of the team.  Some of these names come with elite talent but they also come with some significant baggage.  If you stopped the emotional response of "we have to win today" and went with a more logical long term solution, I am curious if that would change minds about the kind of leader we should be going after.

  • Do we want someone who is a flashy name and immediate program impact?
  • Do we want someone who we fell like will have no loyalty at the end of the day and jump at the next best thing to come along?
  • Do we want someone during a time of needing stability, strength and respect who brings a lot of baggage that does not reflect those key needs?
  • Are you willing to lower your flash and immediate impact wants for someone you can TRUST to build a program for the long haul?
  • List your top Flashy Impact Hire and your top Long Term High Integrity Choice.

 

I will start with mine...

Flash Hire- Lane Kiffin (Will recruit well, will build a dynamic offense, will develop QBs, will be an immediate impact to the program)

Integrity Hire-Pat Fitzgerald or Gary Patterson  (Both have proven that loyalty and dedication are at their core.  They bring a little different perspective but they both have been successful with limited resources.  They have established recruiting history and command a lot of respect among other coaches around the country.

If we hired someone and he turned it around pretty quickly I wouldn't really care if they dipped 5 years down the road. If they can rebuild the OL, develop QB's, and recruit I'd be fine with moving on. They would be leaving the program in pretty good shape.

I personally think Auburn could turn it around pretty quickly. Especially now with the transfer portal.

 

I respect Pat Fitzgerald, but that dude has been at Northwestern since 2001. He would get eaten alive in the SEC West.

Edited by woodford
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And I like Gary Patterson, but we need an offensive guy. Fixing the defense should be relatively easy for Auburn regardless of who the head coach is.

Like you mentioned, Auburn needs someone who has experience with scoring points and will hopefully bring an OC that can give Nick and Kirby fits. Scoring points is everything these days as much as I don't like it.

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It's pretty simple, really.   We need a coach with  a) the recruiting/NIL/PR talent of Deion, b) the Xs and Os of Venables/Aranda/Meyer,  the work ethic/corporate management skills of Saban, and c) the morality/integrity of Gus.

Shouldn't be that hard.

 

:big:

 

 

 

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At this point I'd be ecstatic if we got a coach that was so successful that other big time programs were trying to hire them away from us.

Even if they did leave they'd hopefully leave a great foundation in place for the next guy. 

 

 

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57 minutes ago, drɘxɘl said:

Gary Patterson has only had a fair number of mistreatment claims and comparisons to Bob Knight and such.  He may not be so high on everyone's integrity meter.

I think we might could dig hard and it would be very difficult to find a coach with any significant length of coaching not have some complaints along the way.  We are definitely transitioning from the old school mindset to this more soft new age fluff.  It's not my thing.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not a tear the paint off the wall swear supporter by any means but being held accountable with firm leadership seems to be slipping away in all areas of life.  

Not sure why, but I always really liked Gary.  I think Pat would be a quicker fix because of his offense mindset but I think Auburn needs someone willing to give 5-10 years of themselves and who wont jump ship just because their stock rises.  That goes back to them having to likely have some Auburn blood.  There needs to be some intangibles outside of money to keep them loyal.  That points to character, 2nd chance on life or alumni as the focus areas.  

Is there any ex players that could come in and command respect and be able to recruit who could surround themselves with loads of talented position coaches and coordinators.  They could just focus on managing the program and not be a proven commodity as a coach.  Interesting to think back on past players and who might could move the needle.

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Personal integrity went away a long time ago when we started compromising the term student athlete and the fans went along with it. You cannot have it both ways.

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10 minutes ago, ToomersRevenge said:

It's gotten this bad huh?

I would say, YES.   That's why the cycle keeps going with no long term improvement in the last 20+ years.  Think about it.  Do you think it's not this bad?

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8 minutes ago, DAG said:

Personal integrity went away a long time ago when we started compromising the term student athlete and the fans went along with it. You cannot have it both ways.

I definitely can see where you are coming from with this take.  But I still there there are coaches who would give their soul to coach Auburn and lead a group of young men to develop character on their way to winning lots of games.  Maybe I am living in a fantasy world.  

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15 minutes ago, AUgrad97 said:

I definitely can see where you are coming from with this take.  But I still there there are coaches who would give their soul to coach Auburn and lead a group of young men to develop character on their way to winning lots of games.  Maybe I am living in a fantasy world.  

Most of anybody will give their soul to do something they love for multimillion dollars. 

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Flashy is Kiffin or Deon.  Long term stability would be Aranda but I doubt he would take the job.  Who we will get is probably Freeze.  He did some stupid crap but he paid his pittance plus he is the best available that we can get.   Also, in my opinion Patterson or Fitzgerald would have the same problems as Harsin.  They ain’t from here.

Edited by weagl1
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Well first off, you have to make a list of guys that would be willing to come to auburn to coach.   As much as some on here don’t want to admit it, this isn’t the most attractive job due to the history of how things have gone down.   
Guys like Pat Fitzgerald is not leaving NW to come to Auburn.  Patterson would because he is out of a job.   If you wanting someone with Auburn ties and has been around the SEC and coached under some good coaches, Dell McGee, would be a name to consider.   It would be interesting if someone came up with a list of current coaches that played at Auburn that are coaching at other schools and NFL.  

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4 minutes ago, DAG said:

Most of anybody will give their soul to do something they love for multimillion dollars. 

The problem is, finding that Venn diagram overlap of "will give their soul for Auburn" and "actually good at coaching." 

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Just now, WarTim said:

JMHO …it’s gonna be Freeze 

He's definitely going to get another phone call.   Official, school-business, non-burner-phone type, of course.

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Integrity and maturity matter to me, but at some point most people deserve a 2nd chance to show improved integrity (Freeze), and improved maturity (Kiffin).

When does Freeze deserve a 2nd chance at a big school?  Ever?  Were his transgressions so bad that you would never want him?

And what about Kiffin?

I love Sanders.  Our recruiting would be thru the roof at the announcement of his hiring.  But can he be a disciplinarian, or is he too much of a player's coach?  And what about his prowess going up against cutthroat coaches in the SEC?  Could he adapt?  He's never coached in a game like the Iron Bowl, or the South's Oldest Rivalry.  So I have some concerns about him, but would welcome him to the Plains.

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2 hours ago, AUgrad97 said:

I would say, YES.   That's why the cycle keeps going with no long term improvement in the last 20+ years.  Think about it.  Do you think it's not this bad?

I think that when we’re asking ourselves if we should sacrifice integrity…I don’t know what we’re doing.

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Freeze is the only guy that I've seen fans say "I'll burn my AU gear" or "I'll give up my tickets" if we hire him. People would puke with guys like Muschamp, but we'd talk ourselves into it.

Hugh's problem is that he doesn't own the bad boy role. Lane does and embraces it and uses it to his advantage. Hugh tries to cover it by acting high and mighty and Reverend Hugh. Then looks like a hypocrite and fake, the two things most people can't stand

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