Gus in final seven for Coach of the Year

[abw0004 10,102]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

That's the whole thing. The first half of this season was every bit as poorly coached as the first and last quarters of last season. That's why so many of us hit the eject button. He had not learned. He had not learned to trust his staff or his players. He had not learned that he has to make in-game adjustments. And we lost games we shouldn't have because of it. Again.

It's not particularly logical, in my mind, to continuously isolate every moment into whatever category that will allow you to maintain a positive outlook- it absolutely does matter when the crap we're seeing halfway into this season looks just like the crap we suffered through last season- but hey, dilly dilly, I truly do envy that ability. 

There are many other factors into why we have lost games than just throwing it on the coach.  And others agree with me if they have voted him as one of the top 7 coaches for this year.  I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree then.  Personally I do not think he will win, although I will be ecstatic for him if he does.  Just the honor alone for being a finalist is something to be proud of.

[I_M4_AU 7,751]

18 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

I think the way I view it, and what I have said all season, is that we needed to give Gus the full season before judgements were made.  We needed to see his whole body of work, because it is easy to get too excited or upset if view too closely over a one-game span.  It is like the stock market.  If you look at it just over a one day span, you would be flipping out every other day.  But if you look at it over a one year span, you would be very pleased with the performance.

If you look at Gus' tenure, he is steadily trending up, which is what you want to see.  No plateau.  He is learning from his mistakes and making the right moves.  I believe the voters see this as well and rewarded him with the finalist position. We are finally being set up for long-term success, not just a flash in the pan.

I am excited for 2018, that is for sure.  And it all starts with the Peach Bowl!

I have to agree that Gus has not had a plateau during his tenure as Auburn’s HC.  It’s been a rollercoaster ride, mostly trending down until after the LSU game.  It’s so frustrating to see Gus do the same mistakes year in and year out during the ‘15, ‘16 and the first part of the ‘17 season.  As McLoofus points out, no in-game adjustments, not trusting his coaches and players and I’ll add not developing his skilled position backup players.

You can’t isolate your opinion on just one game, just as you can not isolate your opinion on just one season.  The last 2 and 1/2 seasons was not a good look for Gus.  The trend is up, I hope it continues.  The bowl game will be a good indication.  If we see the Auburn/Wisky 2015 bowl performance, we are in trouble.  I hope Gus has turned the corner.  Time will tell.

[bigbird 60,359]

2 hours ago, abw0004 said:

It was safe to say there was a very small minority on this forum defending Malzahn over the course of the season.

Not so much over the season. He screwed up Clemson and he alone cost us the LSU game. Everything he received in regards to criticism up to then was extremely warranted.  Once he took a step back, the team evolved into a much better unit and he was praised by many that criticized him. That said, you can't deny the drastic improvement and lack of inexplicable play calls once the play sheet disappeared from Gus' hands.

[bigbird 60,359]

36 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

There are many other factors into why we have lost games than just throwing it on the coach.  And others agree with me if they have voted him as one of the top 7 coaches for this year.  I suppose we will just have to agree to disagree then.  Personally I do not think he will win, although I will be ecstatic for him if he does.  Just the honor alone for being a finalist is something to be proud of.

IMO, he was nominated for the award due to the turnaround that occurred after the LSU loss and his ability to maintain team focus.  His ability to rally his players is a tremendous asset and is all Gus. Being that, the turnaround had more to do with the absence of Gus with regards to the offense than his great coaching.

[abw0004 10,102]

Just now, bigbird said:

Being that, the turnaround had more to do with the absence of Gus with regards to the offense than his great coaching.

This will be one of the very few times I will disagree with you.  In order for those things to happen, Gus had to develop into the coach to actively make those decisions.  For him to realize his strengths and weaknesses as a head football coach.  Gus Malzahn is the one who hired the assistant coaches to make those calls as he stepped back.  All of the great strides this team has made goes back to Gus making the right calls as the coach.

[bigbird 60,359]

1 minute ago, abw0004 said:

This will be one of the very few times I will disagree with you.  In order for those things to happen, Gus had to develop into the coach to actively make those decisions.  For him to realize his strengths and weaknesses as a head football coach.  Gus Malzahn is the one who hired the assistant coaches to make those calls as he stepped back.  All of the great strides this team has made goes back to Gus making the right calls as the coach.

You're correct, in that Gus took strides as a coach and learned to trust his coaches. In doing so, he removed himself greatly from the offense. To me, that was more instrumental in the turn around than anything else.

[abw0004 10,102]

3 minutes ago, bigbird said:

You're correct, in that Gus took strides as a coach and learned to trust his coaches. In doing so, he removed himself greatly from the offense. To me, that was more instrumental in the turn around than anything else.

Very well put.  And I think this realization will pay huge dividends for our program moving forward.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

Meanwhile, back at the ranch,

some decisions looming:

'...Malzahn has long supported the addition of a tenth assistant, which is just under a month from coming to fruition, when teams can make those hires on Jan. 9.

"I've thought about it for quite a bit of time," Malzahn said. "I do have a good idea of what we're looking for, and all those things will start happening pretty quick."

The specific position role Auburn's tenth assistant will fill is still undecided...'

http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2017/12/what_gus_malzahn_wants_in_aubu.html

 

[WFE12 9,191]

2 hours ago, McLoofus said:

That's the whole thing. The first half of this season was every bit as poorly coached as the first and last quarters of last season. That's why so many of us hit the eject button. He had not learned. He had not learned to trust his staff or his players. He had not learned that he has to make in-game adjustments. And we lost games we shouldn't have because of it. Again.

It's not particularly logical, in my mind, to continuously isolate every moment into whatever category that will allow you to maintain a positive outlook- it absolutely does matter when the crap we're seeing halfway into this season looks just like the crap we suffered through last season- but hey, dilly dilly, I truly do envy that ability. 

Exactly and there's no guarantee that even with another top 10 recruiting class,star qb coming, and Steele and Lindsey coming back that Gus does not do all this nonsense again. How confident is every one feeling that he won't wait 4 weeks to figure out his team next year? Or mettle with playcalling? Or run his star rb into the ground? Or take his foot off the pedal? I too, feel excited for 2018 but these thoughts will always be in my mind.

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 minutes ago, WFE12 said:

How confident is every one feeling that he won't wait 4 weeks to figure out his team next year?

I'm pretty confident. His OC, whom he (finally) trusts, is returning. His QB, whom he likes, is coming back, too. The last time both of those things happened was 2014, and that offense was hell right out of the gates. But 2019 and beyond? 

Quote

Or run his star rb into the ground? 

  He didn't learn the first time. Maybe... just maybe...

[WFE12 9,191]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I'm pretty confident. His OC, whom he (finally) trusts, is returning. His QB, whom he likes, is coming back, too. The last time both of those things happened was 2014, and that offense was hell right out of the gates. But 2019 and beyond? 

  He didn't learn the first time. Maybe... just maybe...

Not to mention all wr's will be coming back also. Shouldn't take long to figure out the skill players on offense that is. As for the o-line we had trouble figuring out lineups with all those veterans...I can only hope that we don't get that again with all these young guys  on the line next year. I just find it hard to believe that we will not see Gus holding a playsheet again. I feel confident that we can have great success next year, but like I said I still think games can be lost on some nonsense, key games at that. I hope I'm wrong.......famous last words...

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, WFE12 said:

Not to mention all wr's will be coming back also. Shouldn't take long to figure out the skill players on offense that is. As for the o-line we had trouble figuring out lineups with all those veterans...I can only hope that we don't get that again with all these young guys  on the line next year. I just find it hard to believe that we will not see Gus holding a playsheet again. I feel confident that we can have great success next year, but like I said I still think games can be lost on some nonsense, key games at that. I hope I'm wrong.......famous last words...

Very valid concerns IMO. 

[RHN1975 302]

23 hours ago, AU64 said:

As for Clark....his loss to the 1-11 Charlotte 49er team has to be the most unexplainable loss by any Div 1 coach...almost a firing offense....and certainly a good reason to leave him off the list. . 

So a program in basically it's first year lost to a program in year 3? I think it's very explainable. Before the season that game would have been considered a toss up as most thought UAB might win two games, Alabama A&M and maybe Rice. 

It didn't hurt to have Spencer Brown emerge as a monster RB. He was a stud in HS against good competition and all around good kid with grades but had 1 single offer and that was to UAB. We could use a fast 6' 235lb back at AU.

[AU64 10,122]

33 minutes ago, RHN1975 said:

So a program in basically it's first year lost to a program in year 3? I think it's very explainable. Before the season that game would have been considered a toss up as most thought UAB might win two games, Alabama A&M and maybe Rice. 

It didn't hurt to have Spencer Brown emerge as a monster RB. He was a stud in HS against good competition and all around good kid with grades but had 1 single offer and that was to UAB. We could use a fast 6' 235lb back at AU.

I was primarily joking....but Charlotte should have been the easiest game on the UAB schedule......otherwise UAB had a tremendous season....though the Charlotte loss might have cost them a little better bowl game....it really came at a bad time for them.....and did not save the Charlotte coach's job either. 

[ToraGirl 5,498]

10 hours ago, abw0004 said:

It is fairly accurate with the general consensus being throughout the season what I said.  It was safe to say there was a very small minority on this forum defending Malzahn over the course of the season.

And I get that you see it that way, but it seems that some are enjoying continuing to bring it up when most are trying to move on.  The "Told Ya So" crowd is in full force, but honestly?  Most posters agree that some criticism WAS merited.  I am "sunshine" as best as I can be most of the time, but I agree with those, many who have been as or more sunshine-y than I, who rightly questioned what the data and facts were showing.  Some of us don't speak "coach speak", so we didn't necessarily like the answers that were forthcoming as to the mystifying product.  Many of us, for the most part, like what we see now, but we must be honest and believe that there was a reckoning along the way that finally got through...and we pray that it lasts. At least SOME of us do.

I repeat...generalizations raise ire (and multiple threads) in the "Fambly."  We shoot off at the keyboard way too easily...and I have to watch myself.  That is why most of my posts are edited...edited...ridiculously, "perfectionistically" edited.  I need a real hobby.   

P.S.  The problem with 'Told Ya So' is that you can spin it any way you want to. 

*"Told Ya" that if Gus put down the clipboard and trusted his personnel, he might be nominated for "Coach of the Year."

*"Told Ya" that if we beat our two biggest rivals it would bring our fanbase closer together.

*"Told Ya" that there was no way #2 was going to happen without changes (see #1)."

It's really not rocket science.

[bigbird 60,359]

22 minutes ago, ToraGirl said:

 I need a real hobby.   

I would recommend golf, but I hate Golf

[ToraGirl 5,498]

Just now, bigbird said:

I would recommend golf, but I hate Golf

I knew you did.   I really, really like OUR Golf...we share a common love of music...but as for golf itself, yuck.  Just not fast-paced enough for me.  But I will take sightseeing in St. Andrews, Scotland any day!  

[abw0004 10,102]

@ToraGirl I didn’t want to quote the whole post due to the length, but I do agree with what you are saying and I think you and I are usually in the same page with everything.  Good explanation too!