Interesting words from David Housel

[Lynx34 0]

I know a lot of people have some strong opinions regarding the man, but he is as much a part of Auburn as anyone.  Anyway, with that said, I'm a student here and I'm in an honors book club led by Mr. Housel.  At the end of today's meeting, we were all just talking a little about Auburn and whatnot and he made an interesting comment that I thought I would share with y'all.  He said "Auburn's biggest problem is it's biggest asset; Auburn's biggest problem is that its people love it too much."  His point was that Auburn is special to any single individual because of their experience there as a student or as a fan or whatever, but what makes it special to anyone is usually made long ago.  An alumni graduating in 1955 believes Auburn is special because of what it was in 1955.  He said, generally speaking, people love it so much that they don't want it to change and that hinders its growth in the long term.

I'm just a junior here, so I don't know how true that is for some of the older alumni and fans, but I'm curious what everyone else thinks about that.

[telling tiger 156]

I think there is a lot of truth in that statement. I also think the same thing could be said about other places. Places that tend to be more traditional, benefit/suffer from it more than others, imo.

[Rednilla 5,406]

Yeah, I do think there's a lot of truth in it, but there's no way to definitively say one way or the other about it.

As for Housel, I've had the same opinion of him for a long time; he's smug, borderline arrogant even, but he's definitely a good old boy. He is probably the greatest Auburn historian alive, and he is every bit as much an Auburn man as anyone. And those of you who know me know that I don't say such things lightly.

I remember a phrase written in the wake of Jetgate about how Housel, like the good Auburn soldier that he is, fell on his sword to rectify a situation that was never his fault (I think Jay Tate wrote it, one of the few pieces of his I liked), and I think that sums him up perfectly. Sure, he has his faults, just like any of us, but his love of Auburn University runs to his very core; that counts for a lot.

[aubie951345162983 0]

I'm from a small town in the blackbelt of AL. Antebellum homes, large family farms four generations or more. Change is hard to find. I grew up thinking these old people don't want this place to ever change. Now I'm older my neighbors are now new to our community. They don't wave when passing by. Auburn was the only other place I ever lived other than here. Yes, it has changed. Do I wish it would never change? I wish I was still there doing the same things in the same places with the same people. But we all get older and the only constant is change.

[icanthearyou 4,468]

I believe that the only people who have ever wanted Auburn to "stay the same" are those people who wanted to somehow control it.  Are their intentions bad?  I don't know, probably just misguided.

BTW Red, I think you summed up David pretty well from my experience.  At times he can be very short and curt, but I will say this, he has always been accessable.  It would be very interesting to have an off the record conversation with him and know his true feelings on some of the things that have happened at Auburn during his time.

[augolf1716 21,646]

I'll just say no comment

[icanthearyou 4,468]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

[AUBourne 425]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Maybe he is still mad at David for not getting CBP to AU in 2003.    We let the media dictate our decisions and a lot of people sided with Finebaum & crew instead of our own AU leaders who had great insight into our program.  Was a real shame, and it left the door wide open for Alabama to finally hire a good coach and they were able to turn their program around quick by dominating the state in recruiting.  I still love David though, just wish AU had of stuck to their guns in 2003.

[Rednilla 5,406]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Maybe he is still mad at David for not getting CBP to AU in 2003.    We let the media dictate our decisions and a lot of people sided with Finebaum & crew instead of our own AU leaders who had great insight into our program.  Was a real shame, and it left the door wide open for Alabama to finally hire a good coach and they were able to turn their program around quick by dominating the state in recruiting.  I still love David though, just wish AU had of stuck to their guns in 2003.

Hypothetical situation: had Housel and company "stuck to their guns" in 03, would we have gone undefeated twice in the past seven years?

[AUBourne 425]

I think we would def have more than two SEC titles since 2003.  And since SEC titles mean great chances at BCS titles i think there is a great chance we would have more crystal in the hardware case than we currently do.

[augolf1716 21,646]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Maybe he is still mad at David for not getting CBP to AU in 2003.    We let the media dictate our decisions and a lot of people sided with Finebaum & crew instead of our own AU leaders who had great insight into our program.  Was a real shame, and it left the door wide open for Alabama to finally hire a good coach and they were able to turn their program around quick by dominating the state in recruiting.  I still love David though, just wish AU had of stuck to their guns in 2003.

You've got to be kidding me right.

[augolf1716 21,646]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Lets just say I'm not a big fan of DH. OK mouth zip and lets go on.

[AUBourne 425]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Maybe he is still mad at David for not getting CBP to AU in 2003.    We let the media dictate our decisions and a lot of people sided with Finebaum & crew instead of our own AU leaders who had great insight into our program.  Was a real shame, and it left the door wide open for Alabama to finally hire a good coach and they were able to turn their program around quick by dominating the state in recruiting.  I still love David though, just wish AU had of stuck to their guns in 2003.

You've got to be kidding me right.

Yes I was.  Sorry I was watching Californication when I posted and that puts me in a weird frame of mind.  The rest was serious though.  I choose AU every time.

[AuburnSpider 2]

Im glad my Auburn Tigers were NEVER coached by Pig Head Petrino.

[Rabern57 0]

Bama hasn't changed much over the years. The only thing that has changed is that they now pay recruits with hundred dollar bills instead quarters like in the good old days.

[bwillaub 0]

It's called "TRADITION" and I love it!

[autiger221345162924 0]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Maybe he is still mad at David for not getting CBP to AU in 2003.    We let the media dictate our decisions and a lot of people sided with Finebaum & crew instead of our own AU leaders who had great insight into our program.  Was a real shame, and it left the door wide open for Alabama to finally hire a good coach and they were able to turn their program around quick by dominating the state in recruiting.  I still love David though, just wish AU had of stuck to their guns in 2003.

Hypothetical situation: had Housel and company "stuck to their guns" in 03, would we have gone undefeated twice in the past seven years?

If Patrino had come to Auburn in 2003, I feel he would have left in 2007 to go to Atlanta just as he did from Louisville.  He did not go to the NFL thinking he would fail, would he be at Arkansas now, who knows, but I feel he would have left for the NFL unless he had flopped at AU and thus the NFL wouldn't have been interested.  Either way, I feel he would have only been at Auburn till 2007. And AU would have had 3 coaches from 2003 to 2008, and this would have affected our present team greatly.  So to say we would have gone undefeated 2 times since 2004 might be a stretch....not impossible but probabably not likely.

WAR EAGLE! 2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

[AUBourne 425]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Maybe he is still mad at David for not getting CBP to AU in 2003.    We let the media dictate our decisions and a lot of people sided with Finebaum & crew instead of our own AU leaders who had great insight into our program.  Was a real shame, and it left the door wide open for Alabama to finally hire a good coach and they were able to turn their program around quick by dominating the state in recruiting.  I still love David though, just wish AU had of stuck to their guns in 2003.

Hypothetical situation: had Housel and company "stuck to their guns" in 03, would we have gone undefeated twice in the past seven years?

If Patrino had come to Auburn in 2003, I feel he would have left in 2007 to go to Atlanta just as he did from Louisville.  He did not go to the NFL thinking he would fail, would he be at Arkansas now, who knows, but I feel he would have left for the NFL unless he had flopped at AU and thus the NFL wouldn't have been interested.  Either way, I feel he would have only been at Auburn till 2007. And AU would have had 3 coaches from 2003 to 2008, and this would have affected our present team greatly.  So to say we would have gone undefeated 2 times since 2004 might be a stretch....not impossible but probabably not likely.

WAR EAGLE! 2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

Auburn is a place head coaches tend to stay at.  Louisville is a stepping stone.  And for CBP to leave AU for a NFL job that would have required great success at AU.  I doubt one SEC title would have opened that door for him.  So if at the end of the 2007 season he had NFL offers then that means he would have had AU on top and sitting pretty.  The advantage to CBP is he coaches exciting football.  If he was at a program with a solid recruiting base he would be a nightmare.  We are lucky he is at Arkansas and not LSU or UGA. 

CBP gets a lot of hate for leaving lower tier program at Louisville to take a NFL job.  I don’t blame him for that or for being interested in coaching at Auburn.  I also don’t blame him for leaving a pro team that he was not happy at.  The NFL is not like college where he recruited players and had an obligation to them.  Any college program would be lucky to have CBP. 

Umm in case anyone gets the wrong idea, what is done is done though.  I happy as possible with Coach CGC and the amazing job he has done with the team, coaches, and program.  We are lucky to have him too and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone.

[SCWarEagle 4]

It would be very interesting to have an off the record conversation with him and know his true feelings on some of the things that have happened at Auburn during his time.

I've known David for 20 years, and he will only say cryptic things about whatever is best for Auburn. He truly lives to serve that ideal. On or off the record makes no difference to him.

My thoughts on Housel and Jetgate after the passage of some time. Yes, it was bad, and worse, it made us LOOK bad. But is it that much different than a coach having his agent test the waters every single offseason for every single open job? It's called having a contingency plan.  Did that make him a bad AD?

[Rednilla 5,406]

Auburn is a place head coaches tend to stay at.  Louisville is a stepping stone.  And for CBP to leave AU for a NFL job that would have required great success at AU.  I doubt one SEC title would have opened that door for him.  So if at the end of the 2007 season he had NFL offers then that means he would have had AU on top and sitting pretty.  The advantage to CBP is he coaches exciting football.  If he was at a program with a solid recruiting base he would be a nightmare.  We are lucky he is at Arkansas and not LSU or UGA. 

CBP gets a lot of hate for leaving lower tier program at Louisville to take a NFL job.  I don’t blame him for that or for being interested in coaching at Auburn.  I also don’t blame him for leaving a pro team that he was not happy at.  The NFL is not like college where he recruited players and had an obligation to them.  Any college program would be lucky to have CBP. 

Umm in case anyone gets the wrong idea, what is done is done though.  I happy as possible with Coach CGC and the amazing job he has done with the team, coaches, and program.  We are lucky to have him too and I wouldn’t trade him for anyone.

Again, if the coup is successful and Petrino became the head coach in 03, do we go undefeated in 04? In your previous post, you indicated that not hiring him somehow left the door open for Bama to get Saban, but I fail to see how the two are related.

I'm not a fan of Petrino, and it has absolutely nothing to do with Jetgate. He's just not an Auburn man, IMO; too cold, too calculating, too overbearing. Besides that, who is to say that he saw Auburn as a place to come and stay? He strikes me, to a large degree, at least, as a mercenary, and I wouldn't have been surprised to see him hired away from Auburn by a Notre Dame, Michigan, etc. Besides, given the reaction of the fan base, if the administration had hired him, would he have ever been accepted, or would he have been seen as the guy they screwed Tubs over in order to hire?

He is an exceptional offensive mind, but he has yet to prove that he knows the first thing about how to manage an entire team rather than just an offense.

I'm glad with the way things worked out, and not just because we are celebrating a national championship now. As much as Arkansas fans like Petrino, they know full well that he isn't going to stick around too much longer. The guys I worked with last fall are all Razorback fans, and they're already planning/hoping to get Malzahn once Petrino leaves (which I would say is fairly likely, depending on how the chips fall).

[auclong 1]

I think we would def have more than two SEC titles since 2003.  And since SEC titles mean great chances at BCS titles i think there is a great chance we would have more crystal in the hardware case than we currently do.

Hard to agree with that. He may have left in two years like he has everywhere else. If he was willing to talk to our folks behind everyone`s backs, I don`t want him. What in his background leads anyone to believe he would be better than Tubs or anyone else.

[auclong 1]

I'll just say no comment

I think Golf knows too much.

Lets just say I'm not a big fan of DH. OK mouth zip and lets go on.

You and a lot of others. I like David personally but even then, I understand others feelings on him.

[Guest shirley4au9]

It's called "TRADITION" and I love it!

^^^This^^^^^^^^

[Bunn1 0]

As for Housel, I've had the same opinion of him for a long time; he's smug, borderline arrogant even, but he's definitely a good old boy.

Have you ever met the man? I have never seen a more inaccurate description of a person in my life. David Housel was and is a great Auburn Man. Having spoken to him on several occasions I can tell you that one of his greatest regrets is the shame he brought upon his beloved institution by going along with the "jet-gate conspirators". He proudly served this institution for more than 30 years and stepped aside when he felt he had wronged the very ideals he tried to instill and uphold. David Housel is a very generous and soft spoken individual.

As for his comments, I agree and disagree. Since I graduated in 2002, the campus has undergone massive restructuring and renovations. Most of you that are current students would not have recognized it as the same campus if you had seen it when I began in 1998. The only thing that has happened since then that I did not agree with and that I voted against while I was a student was the removal of the campus green and Eagles Nest to put a more centrally located student union. The new facility turned out beautiful and they retained more of the green then they anticipated so not all was lost. In the end I think the result is acceptable but I fought that change due to the removal of the Eagles from campus. I truly enjoyed sitting on the green and watching them practice "flying" Tiger when I was a student. I thought that was a tradition worth keeping around. Change is inevitable and most of the changes around campus have been for the best and I for one am proud of that on going advancement that I see when I come to campus. There will always be those things that people become attached to and they attach sentimental value to, but as long as we as Auburn Men and Women remember who we are and where we came from then all will be well. 

[AubieIsMyHero 0]

As for Housel, I've had the same opinion of him for a long time; he's smug, borderline arrogant even, but he's definitely a good old boy.

Have you ever met the man? I have never seen a more inaccurate description of a person in my life. David Housel was and is a great Auburn Man. Having spoken to him on several occasions I can tell you that one of his greatest regrets is the shame he brought upon his beloved institution by going along with the "jet-gate conspirators". He proudly served this institution for more than 30 years and stepped aside when he felt he had wronged the very ideals he tried to instill and uphold. David Housel is a very generous and soft spoken individual.

As for his comments, I agree and disagree. Since I graduated in 2002, the campus has undergone massive restructuring and renovations. Most of you that are current students would not have recognized it as the same campus if you had seen it when I began in 1998. The only thing that has happened since then that I did not agree with and that I voted against while I was a student was the removal of the campus green and Eagles Nest to put a more centrally located student union. The new facility turned out beautiful and they retained more of the green then they anticipated so not all was lost. In the end I think the result is acceptable but I fought that change due to the removal of the Eagles from campus. I truly enjoyed sitting on the green and watching them practice "flying" Tiger when I was a student. I thought that was a tradition worth keeping around. Change is inevitable and most of the changes around campus have been for the best and I for one am proud of that on going advancement that I see when I come to campus. There will always be those things that people become attached to and they attach sentimental value to, but as long as we as Auburn Men and Women remember who we are and where we came from then all will be well.   

I've met and talked with Mr. Housel on several occasions (I used to travel with the football team) and I could definately see where red's opinion comes from.  Yes, the man bleeds orange & blue but he can come across as smug & arrogant.