Update on Arkansas HC search

[aubiefifty 16,737]

footballscoop.com

 

Update on Gus Malzahn and the Arkansas search(es)

Zach Barnett

3 minutes

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After five years of the Bret Bielema Experiment, Arkansas is looking to take its program in a decidedly different direction. Instead of looking to beat people with retro philosophies, the Hogs are looking to catch up with the times.

Arkansas has made no secret of its desire for native son Gus Malzahn to come home. Malzahn is set to coach Auburn in the SEC Championship on Saturday, and the belief in Fayetteville is that, should Auburn lose to Georgia, Arkansas still has a great shot at landing Malzahn.

In response to Arkansas’s interest and Auburn’s ongoing 10-2 season — highlighted by dominant wins over No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama in a 3-week span — sources told FootballScoop that Malzahn’s camp has presented a package to Auburn president Steven Leath to keep him in blue and orange, and it’s our understanding the ask is substantial. It’s hard to imagine Auburn letting Malzahn walk at this point.

Arkansas is running concurrent searches for its next AD and head football coach. Earlier this week we heard rumblings that Arkansas felt Kirby Hocutt was the man for the job; but we have been told Hocutt has turned down the overtures. A person close to Hocutt indicated Hocutt and Long are friends, and Arkansas’s handling of Long turned off Hocutt. Long and Hocutt are both members of the College Football Playoff selection committee, which Hocutt chairs. There is also word within the industry that Hocutt is eyeing a bigger job than another AD position for his next move.

It is unclear who Arkansas will turn to next but sources tell FootballScoop the hire is expected to track closer to Alabama, Florida and Tennessee’s hirings of quote-unquote professional ADs rather than a former coach.

Both searches are being handled by different firms — but sources told FootballScoop that Arkansas, while holding out hope, is preparing for the eventuality Malzahn does not come. In that scenario, we hear the focus of the coaching search is targeting offensive-minded coaches who can effectively recruit Texas. However, it remains to be seen how the timing of an athletic director hire could impact the coaching search.

Clear as mud, right?

As always, stay tuned to The Scoop for the latest.

[arktiger05 9]

Ark has just hired Derrick Gragg (current AD at Tulsa and former assoc AD at Ark when Gus was there as OC). Folks here are convinced that he is going to come to Ark from Auburn. 

[msza 228]

This is hurry-up, no huddle capitalism.

[shabby 1,956]

use the interested to garner a new contract. can't blame Gus a bit. he ain't going anywhere except to a higher paycheck. 

[LKEEL75 2,566]

If they give CGM a larger paycheck then will that diminish the pool of what they can pay the other coaches?  If I am not mistaking several of our coaches contracts are up for renewal over the next 2 months.  Again, if I am not mistaking it is most of the defensive coaches and then also Kodi.  All of these guys deserve to see the green.  I don't want to short change ourself by giving CGM so much money we can't afford to keep the others.  I know that the pool is extreme, especially compared to what the most of us common folks would ever see in our lifetime.  But I have to believe there is a limited pool and it is not just a bottomless well.  Please correct me if I am wrong. 

[Woodstock Tiger 131]

It is kinda funny that here we are talking about an extension for Gus after the start that AU had to this football season.  What a coup for Gus.  I wonder if Jacobs would have survived if AU had beaten LSU instead of flopping?  Had Jacobs been able to survive just a few more weeks from when he got fired, the pressure to fire him would have been dramatically less with every AU football victory and likely totally off the table after last weekend's victory. Sure the issues with softball are bad, and the basketball issue stinks (although that largely looks to be Person), but when football appeared to be headed for another mediocre season, that was the straw that broke the camel's back.  With the big wins, however, football greatness looks possible, and AU is back to just the softball and basketball issues.  Timing is everything, and unfortunately for Jacobs, Gus' timing for lunkheadedness against LSU sealed Jacobs' doom, and Gus will get mo money mo money mo money and an extension.     

A few weeks ago, after watching 3 years of mediocrity, I had a torch in my hand ready to light and chase Gus outta town, and now here I am saying, "Wow, I hope he doesn't go to Arkansas."  Funny how just a few games can change things dramatically.  Personally I give Chip more credit for the turnaround than Gus, (along with the improved QB play and the astoundingly good defense) but Gus was smart enough (or desperate enough) to finally get out of the way and let Chip do his thing.  And lo and behold, Chip looks like a very worthy "in game" play caller.  

[lionheartkc 6,150]

8 minutes ago, lkeel75 said:

If they give CGM a larger paycheck then will that diminish the pool of what they can pay the other coaches?  If I am not mistaking several of our coaches contracts are up for renewal over the next 2 months.  Again, if I am not mistaking it is most of the defensive coaches and then also Kodi.  All of these guys deserve to see the green.  I don't want to short change ourself by giving CGM so much money we can't afford to keep the others.  I know that the pool is extreme, especially compared to what the most of us common folks would ever see in our lifetime.  But I have to believe there is a limited pool and it is not just a bottomless well.  Please correct me if I am wrong. 

In 2015-16 we had 16 million in surplus revenue from the Athletic Department.  I don't think salary is an issue.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

1 minute ago, Woodstock Tiger said:

I wonder if Jacobs would have survived if AU had beaten LSU instead of flopping? 

I still argue that his firing had nothing to do with football and everything to do with a new president who kept seeing scandal after scandal (no matter how overblown the offense or uninvolved the university really was) and had to roll a head to prove that Auburn wasn't just going to ignore those things. Jacobs was caught in a perfect storm that no one could have escaped. Sad for him was that, by my count, very little of it was his fault, but he's the boss and the fish stinks from the head down.

[AuCivilEng1 10,995]

It would be incredibly embarrassing for Auburn to lose a coach to Arkansas after the season that we had. Also, who tf would we even go after. All the good coaches are either gone or getting ready to be grabbed up. Auburn is in a situation where they either pay up or get screwed, from what I'm seeing.

[mcgufcm 4,096]

The market rate is set. Dan Mullen is worth $6M for 6 years so you know Gus is both asking for more and worth more than that.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Just now, AuCivilEng1 said:

It would be incredibly embarrassing for Auburn to lose a coach to Arkansas after the season that we had. Also, who tf would we even go after. All the good coaches are either gone or getting ready to be grabbed up. Auburn is in a situation where they either pay up or get screwed, from what I'm seeing.

I don't think he's going anywhere, and if we continue winning this year, he was going to get paid whether Arkansas came calling or not. That being said, we win or even play in the National Championship and coaches will be begging to take his place. You can bet none of the newly named coaches have put signature to paper yet.  That usually takes a few months to get ironed out.

[Woodstock Tiger 131]

2 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

I still argue that his firing had nothing to do with football and everything to do with a new president who kept seeing scandal after scandal (no matter how overblown the offense or uninvolved the university really was) and had to roll a head to prove that Auburn wasn't just going to ignore those things. Jacobs was caught in a perfect storm that no one could have escaped. Sad for him was that, by my count, very little of it was his fault, but he's the boss and the fish stinks from the head down.

Yeah, could definitely see that.  CEO's take the fall plenty in the business world due to junk they had nothing to do with, so it comes with the territory I suppose.  Somebody has to fall on the sword.  Hopefully he lands on his feet.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

1 minute ago, mcgufcm said:

The market rate is set. Dan Mullen is worth $6M for 6 years so you know Gus is both asking for more and worth more than that.

And who represents Dan Mullen?  I'll give you one guess.......

[mcgufcm 4,096]

The same guy that represents Gus. You have to respect his hustle.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

6 minutes ago, lionheartkc said:

In 2015-16 we had 16 million in surplus revenue from the Athletic Department.  I don't think salary is an issue.

Yeah, like I said, I am not as worried about his salary as much as I am retaining the staff we have along with him.  You can't just pay all the position coaches $1M a year and the coordinaters $2M.  There has to be some line there.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

Just now, mcgufcm said:

The same guy that represents Gus. You have to respect his hustle.

Dude creates his own market. He represents the majority of the highest paid coaches in the country and just keeps jacking that amount up every year. He may be single-handedly responsible for the outrageousness of what college coaches are paid.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

Just now, lionheartkc said:

Dude creates his own market. He represents the majority of the highest paid coaches in the country and just keeps jacking that amount up every year. He may be single-handedly responsible for the outrageousness of what college coaches are paid.

Dude has made a name for himself and is getting himself & his clients paid.  More power to him.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

I can't wait to see what the package is.  Does it include his other coaches or is it just a package for CGM.  Is it going to be something stupid like $12M to make him the highest paid so that Sexton has leverage for Jimbo at aTm?  Or is it going to be realistic like $8.5-9M?  

Can Leaf make this decision on his own or does this have to have approval from a board?

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

Gus would be straight up bat s*** crazy to take off for Fayetteville at this point.  I've read several posts from folks a lot more knowledgeable about the subject that speculate he may have a touch of Asperger's, so the Hogs have got that to hope for.  I guess.

[aujeff11 6,243]

14 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

It would be incredibly embarrassing for Auburn to lose a coach to Arkansas after the season that we had. Also, who tf would we even go after. All the good coaches are either gone or getting ready to be grabbed up. Auburn is in a situation where they either pay up or get screwed, from what I'm seeing.

All these points are correct. Scary situation 

[BJCrawford 1,568]

So how will our fan base react if malzahn loses Saturday?? Will everyone turn on him again? I certainly hope not bc based on the landscape everywhere else I still think a 10-3 season would have me wanting him to stay. Just playing devils advocate.

[tigeraddikt 1,597]

16 minutes ago, mcgufcm said:

The market rate is set. Dan Mullen is worth $6M for 6 years so you know Gus is both asking for more and worth more than that.

Not sure if it's Dan Mullen worth $6M or the perceived value of the Florida job. Maybe a little both.

[aubiefifty 16,737]

AL.com All-Access: It's good to be Gus Malzahn today

Updated 10:17 AM; Posted 9:59 AM

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn reacts as his players celebrate their win against Alabama during the second half of the Iron Bowl NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 25, 2017, in Auburn, Ala. Auburn won 26-14. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)(Brynn Anderson)

1k shares

By Kevin Scarbinsky

kscarbinsky@al.com

There's never been a better time to be Gus Malzahn.

His Auburn football team is No. 2 in the next-to-last College Football Playoff rankings. The Tigers are five days removed from a thorough Iron Bowl victory to put Alabama's playoff hopes in jeopardy, and they're two days away from an SEC Championship/Playoff Game against a Georgia team they dominated by 23 points three weeks ago.

His Auburn contract has only three years remaining, which means it's time for the school to step up, raise and extend the man who's accomplished more in the last five years than any SEC coach not named Nick Saban.

There's only one other current college football coach in the country who can match Malzahn's two wins over Saban. That's Urban Meyer.

If Dan Mullen is worth that reported $6 million a year for six years at Florida - and he's never won so much as a division title, even with Dak Prescott - what can Malzahn command?

Head to Head: SEC Championship

Lauren Sisler and Kevin Scarbinsky discuss the SEC Championship game.

If all that didn't give the Auburn coach maximum leverage at the perfect time, he also has another school that, from every indication, is going to make him say no to an offer that could be hard to refuse. That school happens to be the flagship university in his home state of Arkansas.

How much do the Razorbacks want Malzahn? Wally Hall, longtime columnist for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, practically begged him to come home and save the little Piggies from their quarter century of SEC mediocrity.

So Malzahn has become the object of the affection of not one but two fan bases in the SEC West. Most coaches in this cutthroat conference are lucky every day a mob isn't forming outside their doors with pitchforks and torches.

That's the comical part of the love Arkansas is throwing at Malzahn. Those fans wouldn't be satisfied if he went 8-5, 7-6 and 8-5 for three straight seasons as he did from 2014 through 2016. They would expect him to win the way he's won at Auburn despite a talent base and a history that can't compare.

Auburn fans rightly wanted to see what Malzahn was made of after the Oct. 14 loss at LSU, and he's proven himself in a way he hadn't before, even during the magical 2013 run. He hasn't just righted the ship. He has it sailing toward an SEC title and a playoff spot, and he went through No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama to get here.

Without needing a single once-in-a-lifetime play.

Gus Malzahn to Arkansas? Seriously? How about a new deal at Auburn?

The Georgia win put the Auburn coach on stronger footing than he's been in some time. With only three years left on his contract, an extension seems in order.

This being Auburn, though, completing the journey won't be easy. Georgia is the first SEC East champion with a pulse since Auburn outscored No. 5 Missouri in 2013. These Bulldogs are the best SEC East rep in Atlanta since their 2012 predecessors chased Alabama to the final play.

Georgia is playing for the same stakes as Auburn, and as far as we know, no other school is trying to pry Kirby Smart's eyes from the prize.

Few coaches have been under the kind of scrutiny and pressure that Malzahn faced heading into Amen Corner, and no coach could've handled those challenges any better.

Now all he has to do is ignore Arkansas and drive Auburn past an angry bunch of Dawgs, quite likely with a less-than-100 percent Kerryon Johnson, who should be the SEC MVP.

Malzahn has a unique ability to focus on the task at hand. He'll need every bit of that concentration in the rather important days to come.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

2 minutes ago, tigeraddikt said:

Not sure if it's Dan Mullen worth $6M or the perceived value of the Florida job. Maybe a little both.

It's a seller's market. See Tennessee.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Basically Gus has AU by the balls. Unreal that this is of course happening the week of the most important game so far this season. If I was the pres It would have to wait until Sunday. Then we talk.   Win or lose he deserves a raise no matter what but goodness let’s wait 3 days.

I like Gus - hope he stays. He is a very good coach. But he needs to keep his eye on the prize this week.