Welcome Back Coach Garner!

[triangletiger 1,599]

Who says you can't dominate one position as a player and be ultra successful coaching a different position? Garner was a terrific O-line player, hired as our proven D-line coach.

An unusually important hire with this staff (and a good choice IMO) simply because coordinating recruiting is not one of Gus' resume highlights (e.g. he stalked Kiehl Frazier for 5 years) and Rodney has a huge track record of phenomenal recruiting coordination.

Interesting footnotes to this hire: a POSITION coach is also the assistant HEAD coach? Gus loudly repeated how much authority his coordinators would have. Wonder how DC Johnson feels about Garner reporting to him on defense while Garner's also second in command? I understand "honorary" titles....but never seen this before.

We had the same sort of deal with Trooper Taylor as a position coach who was also the assistant HC.

[AUIH1 1,515]

Who says you can't dominate one position as a player and be ultra successful coaching a different position? Garner was a terrific O-line player, hired as our proven D-line coach.

An unusually important hire with this staff (and a good choice IMO) simply because coordinating recruiting is not one of Gus' resume highlights (e.g. he stalked Kiehl Frazier for 5 years) and Rodney has a huge track record of phenomenal recruiting coordination.

Interesting footnotes to this hire: a POSITION coach is also the assistant HEAD coach? Gus loudly repeated how much authority his coordinators would have. Wonder how DC Johnson feels about Garner reporting to him on defense while Garner's also second in command? I understand "honorary" titles....but never seen this before.

We had the same sort of deal with Trooper Taylor as a position coach who was also the assistant HC.

True. I hope this assistant HC situation works out better than the Trooper Taylor assistant HC situation.

wde

[AU64 10,122]

JMO but the assistant HC designation is probably just a way to justify a salary level above other coaches on the staff.

Trooper was a recruiting dynamo and the job title was probably helpful when he was making recruiting calls. ...like all the Assistant VPs in banks.

[DivisionN 102]

My impression of the kind of person Rodney Garner is was formed mainly by reading the posts on message boards like this one. Every time Garner's name was mentioned as a coaching candidate at Auburn the boards were besieged by posters claiming that he was a scoundrel, a cheat, a low-life who would besmirch the name of Auburn. I had the impression that he was a snake oil salesman. Then Gus hires this coach who has two dozen of his ex-teammates show up to celebrate his return. They all spoke highly of his character and abilities and what a great person he is. Then I find out he is a loyal husband and father, a man who loves Auburn and who cherishes his connections to Auburn. Then I find he is considered an excellent coach as well as a great recruiter. So, my question is, where is the low-life, no-good, cheating bum I have heard so much about? Oh, right, that's Trooper Taylor now! Hmmmm.

[3rdgeneration 6,479]

I see what you did there...

[AURaptor 1,137]

Where'd Trooper play football again? It wasn't Auburn, was it ?

As for RG, I have to believe that much of the negative comments towards him are due to the fact that he didn't come home and help Auburn before now. His talents, being used to benefit our rivals, and all, can't have been seen as a positive to the Auburn faithful. Seems he did right by UT first, and then uga. This is a huge blow to the puppies, and hopefully, AU will benefit greatly.

WDE.

[DunderMifflin 60]

Quote: "My impression of the kind of person Rodney Garner is was formed mainly by reading the posts on message boards like this one."

That's really all that needs to be said.

Recruiting is all about relationships and Garner is one of 10-15 coaches in the country who have an ability to connect with kids (and adults, for that matter) that is on another level from the rest of us. He will do nothing but bring class, honor and big-time prospects to Auburn.

You will also love his willingness to fight for what he believes in. He was the one who stood up for Auburn in a public way and brought about the beginning of the end for the Forrest Davis regime in the recruiting world. Davis was the Jamie Newberg of the day except he really did call these kids and recruit them to bama as he was getting an "update" on their status - kind of like Andrew Bone does today. Davis was a bammer through and through and Garner went public and called him on his recruiting for bama.

For those of us who watched as the Tuberville regime stood by and allowed bama to do what they did in saban's first couple years, only to see several of their wives go public with what they were actually up against (but only as they were on their way out the door!) you really respect and appreciate somebody who is willing to fight for AU regardless of the consequences.

Garner's leaving Auburn to go to Tennessee helped bring about the end of the Bowden regime at Auburn and helped push Tennessee over the top to their most recent national title, and his move to UGA helped lock UT out of north GA and bring out the fall of Fulmer at UT. Richt got tired of recruiting against him in Georgia when Garner was at Tennessee, so he did what it took to bring him to uga.

[AU64 10,122]

My impression of the kind of person Rodney Garner is was formed mainly by reading the posts on message boards like this one. Every time Garner's name was mentioned as a coaching candidate at Auburn the boards were besieged by posters claiming that he was a scoundrel, a cheat, a low-life who would besmirch the name of Auburn. I had the impression that he was a snake oil salesman. Then Gus hires this coach who has two dozen of his ex-teammates show up to celebrate his return. They all spoke highly of his character and abilities and what a great person he is. Then I find out he is a loyal husband and father, a man who loves Auburn and who cherishes his connections to Auburn. Then I find he is considered an excellent coach as well as a great recruiter. So, my question is, where is the low-life, no-good, cheating bum I have heard so much about? Oh, right, that's Trooper Taylor now! Hmmmm.

He was a scoundrel when he was at UGA...but now he's at AU and overnight he has made this huge character transformation and is suddenly a true Auburn Man. And our formerly beloved TT is now an unprincipled scoundrel since he has gone....surely you can understand how that happens.

[alexava 6,974]

terry bowden made him a scoundrel. his comments did. i think terry often talks out of his ass .

[augolf1716 21,646]

terry bowden made him a scoundrel. his comments did. i think terry often talks out of his ass .

don't you mean short ass