AU_Canoe

Even though the end score was not what we all wanted, I was extremely proud of Caddy and the team. I joked with one of my coworkers, who was in attendance, that AU might need to go into the stands for players or coaches, so be prepared. I am impressed they did as much with so much less than MSU. Does he need some CEO polish, yeah and he is still learning. Leadership takes awhile to learn with most of that curve coming from mistakes, exposure, and time-in the role. Sometimes we all have to reflect on what it was like when we first started to manage and lead teams in our professional roles. Most coaches end up at Saban's mentorship program... Caddy probably has been thrown more into the fire than having the opportunity to experience mentorship by leading AU role models.

I think A&M is more of an anomaly and perplexing than AU. A&M: Ridiculous money and facilities to match Passionate fanbase Recruiting hotbed Last national championship: 1939 SEC Championships: 0 SEC West Championships: 0

Heck yeah I would wear this outfit to an AU game. Might get locker room passes with this look.

I wonder if it's similar to the deal Wisconsin's ex-coach Chryst accepted. Here is a lump sum now, for less, and make sure you say nice things.

Thank you for the updates on Fall Ball. I cringe that I missed both UA and LA Tech but I am excited for the upcoming season.

Strings attached is definitely a thing. T. Boone Pickens and Gundy had their disagreements over meddling and it often spilled into the public. Is there nationwide interest in OSU drama? Maybe not to the pleasure of their PR department. You can easily google their back and forth. One of my Okie State friends used to joke that the only time Gundy would compliment Boone was when he wrote the check and at his funeral. Obviously, these are successful business people who made their (b)millions because of their acumen, smarts, desires, and passion, which often is attached to their ego and a sense that $$$ equates to control. I appreciate that donors provide support to AU but I am also realistic that strings are probably attached to some gifts. AU booster meddling has historical precedence but it's not unusual in today's environment, as the pandemic showed that athletic programs are not financially sustainable without large infusions of $$$.

Immediate feedback is not just an Auburn nuance but also SEC and maybe generational. Does anyone think that post-Saban UA will give a new coach 5 years to work things out? SEC is big money and big expectations. The fanbase is ridiculous, I type that with both endearment and that I couldn't work in the environment. Expectations for patience during onboarding is understandable but in IRL CEOs, in high producing organizations, are not provided much time to right the ship. I applaud UM and Harbaugh, the media and maybe the fans wanted him gone prior to this year. Maybe Harbaugh is doing something right during his tenure that is tangible; however, UM was not as holistic and forgiving towards Rodriquez. We can feel for those organizations/ADs that appear today to be humanistic until security escorts you out the door, when terminated. Osbourne used to say that NU was all about the family and supporting the neighbor...sounds happy and warm until you look at how Nebraska "hired wild and fired wild". Patience was probably not helping NU.

I agree with AU's due diligence as a public university but also as an entity with a core mission of being the steward of student's safety, regardless of attaching the "athlete" to the term. I am not experienced in the field to know if the investigation was messy or not. The same media that stated Harsin should be fired ASAP over and over again are also the same ones that state that Auburn is ridiculous, within hours of firing. Sometimes you can't win in the eyes of the media and AU has not done themselves any favors, over the years, in regards to perception. If you are a writer and want "clicks", keep AU on your radar. Sport forums can be passioned debates and at times behavioral; however, it's not unique to Auburn, go to any passioned fanbase forums, i.e., UA, UGA, UT, etc. and the dynamics are similar. Sometimes it's the curse of social media...take that how you want it. If you desire sterile and dry, go to CU (Colorado) or another team where fans are rather "meh" about their programs.

For some reason I haven't considered this until now, but after watching several games yesterday, the amount and length of gameplay review almost sabotages the game and flow. Maybe I was channel surfing during high times of review but it was noticeable to even the commentators who made reference to the time it was taking to conduct the review and for a play that makes absolutely no difference in the game. I agreed.

I am curious on how accurate the college mobs are in regards to actual candidate placement vs. assumptions/desires. I agree, there are some good candidates out there who often fly under the radar of the myopic media and fanbases. I remember chatting with some of my UT friends when Heupel was hired and the fanbase was about to burn the place down because he wasn't flashy, but he seems to be working out there.

Has anyone heard about the AD interviews and timeline to hire? Harsin's status has been garnering all the attention and I haven't heard/read much about AU AD status. Seems like GT fired and hired AD within a pretty quick timeframe.

UGA's NC has overshadowed many of Kirby's ups and downs at UGA. I live close to UGA and before his NC, there were a lot of loud GA Kirby dissenters who were adamant that he be given the pink slip because he couldn't win the important games. I mean watch some of the SEC shorts last season and they make reference to UGA's sour mood on winning big games. I think the level of talent he was bringing in was actually exacerbating the issue, i.e., the debate involved the typical "he could recruit but couldn't develop players". Kirby's tenure with UGA was not all Saban-isque and rose colored. I might be going out on the limb on this comment but his NC win was a must for his tenure at UGA. I think we can all theorize on his potential impact at AU, would he have been given the tincture of time at AU like he received at UGA??....dunno. In reality, doesn't matter and dwells in the realm of "what ifs".

I always appreciate your perspective. Thank you for sharing.

"where my wife?"

This week I read that Kiffin was miffed about Ole Miss gameday support. I initially thought he might be tempted towards a better environment or he is justifying a possible exit strategy, if another team was having backroom chats with him. Then, I remembered that coaches often deploy this excuse to reverse support trends. Lane Kiffin's ego/personality/attention seeking is bigger than Ole Miss and I am pretty sure Oxford is not his forever home. We definitely need a fresh start and culture change. I am curious on how accurate mob predictions are vs. who ends up getting the job. I agree, expansion is just amping up the level of conference play and it will be easy to get lost in the shuffle unless we increase our impact.

Nice to see that they are investing more into the Softball facilities. I remember being at AU when the softball program was first instituted, and it seemed like the softball complex, which was more like a high school facility at that time, was just superficially placed on top of a pasture. Over the years there was some work done but there appeared to be sections that still had that vibe of just superficially placed on top of legacy landscaping. I guess it's not too surprising to read about the chronic drainage issues. I am glad to read that the program is making changes. There are definitely nice softball facilities in the SEC, including OU's planned new softball complex. I am guessing they are opening up more viewing opportunities to enhance the environment, like they did/are doing at Plainsman Park.

Thank you for posting! I have heard the resurface has been needed for awhile. Are they going for the same surface layout or like baseball did a few years ago, a mix of natural/artificial with some new landscape lines?

I would also imagine that if AU is trying to distance themselves from the public perception of chronic interference and dysfunction by the powers, then for PR sake, they would hire an AD who will then fire/hire a HC. Technically, all could be done in a busy day. If I was a high dollar agent of a HC, I would stir the conversation ASAP because that equates to potential increase in $$$. Plus, many use the same agent. Jimmy Sexton knows more than just the ADs, I feel confident he knows the boosters that provide the $$$s to his clients via the ADs.

I truly understand the power brokers but would AU make a head coaching change before getting an AD in place? This is Auburn, but still.

Kiffin at AU would be intriguing, especially his antics towards Saban. He is a smart marketer and the dynamics he would bring to the Iron Bowl might be interesting, to say the least.

All teams and conferences are governed by TV/Online data. Viewership and sponsorships determine rivalries vs. reminisce. Scheduling is based on future dynamics and I am sure decision makers will pair games that future viewers will be interested in watching and not necessarily what past viewers remember enjoying, i.e., impact of Boomers vs. Gen X vs. Millennials vs. so on and what that dynamic looks like in future $$$$ per group. Sounds cold but college sports is a business and based on numbers, part of what was lost when everyone sold their souls to big money. The Iron Bowl is one of the SEC's biggest viewer draw, therefore, there is support from TV, sponsors, conference, and universities. Everyone is happy. Hopefully, the impact of the rivalry game maintains/grows. Otherwise, macro-level pressure to change develops.

I am wondering with the transfer portal, NIL, etc. if players are willing to stay around long enough to be developed...even the lower stars. Of course, the advantage would be getting those 4 to 5 star players who are willing to give you an amazing season before moving on. "1 and done". Maybe coaches can warp-speed-develop less talented players to perform during the season but expecting to have 3 to 4 seasons to develop most players is unrealistic. My guess is a less talented but developed team can pull the occasional miracle win but expecting to win against professional grade teams, each week, is daunting and questionable. Especially, with the notion of moving towards more conference games and higher quality opponents to entice viewership. On the surface, there appears to be less tincture of time with players vs. past. Plus, having the pressure to win and win now, in a mega talented conference, makes it challenging to support a roster full of players that need to be developed. Time is not a friend in college sports.

I definitely prefer Nike Hats vs. UA hats. Auburn's UA hats leave much to be desired.

I always appreciate the opportunity to play talented teams at the beginning of the season. It's a great measuring stick and often these games will glaringly expose areas of improvement that can be addressed in the near future.

Question, does the AD provide the HC with a certain budget to hire staff to include buyouts? Or is it on a case by case basis? The reason I am asking, I am sure $$ was provided to cover some of the turnover (terminations) and with the current environment, i.e., lack of trust, the AD might not allocate enough funds to really attract a talented assistant who wants $$ assurances with the instability. If I was an AD with uncertainty at HC, I would not agree to sign contracts with large assistant and staff buyouts. As a result, I am worsening the situation as an AD but in a business world, it makes sense.