The anti-bash Gus Thread

[doc4aday 1,887]

 For our younger posters, we have lost some gut wrenching games to LSU going back to Shug, Dye, Bowden, Tubs, Chizick, and Gus. The same goes with bammer, UGA and others. We have had some nice wins as well with these coaches at the helm. 

Gus is a good coach and is still learning to be a better coach each season. I feel good about our future with Gus. We will lose some gut wrenching games in the future but will win some dramatic victories as well. I see us going 9-3 to maybe 10-2 or better. A 9-3 season is not a season to fire Gus nor is it one to give him a raise. I feel that we will make a good showing in each game left with a very good chance of having a special season.

[Swamp Eagle 5,140]

The thing about Gus is that other coaches are not his worst enemy. 

I'll just leave that here.

[penguin149 391]

Well crap!  Ol Nicky boy still loses gut wrenching games!!  2013 Iron Bowl?  MNC game against Clemson?  ULM??  Gus runs a clean program with guys who seem to be good young men.  Some leave to try other avenues in life.  Who else would you want at AU?  Every coach out there's gonna lose one that they shouldn't and maybe win some that they had no business winning.  Gus has yet to lose to an unranked mid-major of FCS school (hope I didn't just jinx us!)

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

22 hours ago, AUJedi said:

So who are you leaving out? Shug Dye or Tubby? 

I mean, a top 2 at worst program in Alabama was garbage for most of his tenure as well as UGA being primarily forgettable and he turned that into 0 natty appearances. Now you can argue he deserved one in particular at least, and was a win away from a second, but you gotta feel like Gus could've done pretty much the same thing if he had the advantage of just being able to be better than UA and UGA annually. 

[Dual-Threat Rigby 8,673]

15 hours ago, EagleReedle said:

I totally agree. Doesn't Malzahn have a winning record over Saban too if you factor his time as OC as well? The media affair w Saban has been nauseating. 

Saban isnt an Xs and Os guy which alot of people consider the definition of being a truly elite coach,  but IDK if you can blame the media for being in love with the most known collegiate figure since...his predecessor in the UA HoF? I cant think of any coach whos more known in the sport on a pop culture level, as far as narratives it has to be Saban, Urban and then maybe Bear or Bo/Woody. The point being, the media is gonna talk about anyone who's considered a GOAT candidate incessantly (Belichick, Brady, LeBron other modern examples)

[Mikey 16,605]

15 hours ago, NorthGATiger said:

I'm not trying to bash Gus at all but he had the same record vs the SEC as Dan Mullen did at MSU over the same period of time.

One thing bout that: MSU's annual "rival" opponent in the East is Kentucky. Auburn's is Georgia. That's quite a difference.

[Zeek 16,650]

So to be anti-hush-bashing

Who are the top 10 college football coaches currently coaching? What are some young up-and-coming names that would be better than Gus?

Gus has his shortcomings but if we started a search tomorrow we’d be hard pressed to find someone Auburn would realistically take and who would be consistently successful here.

Green are gambles not really proven yet or that wouldn’t be guaranteed to do well here.

Huepel has coached 3 games

Lincoln Riley isn’t coming to us

I don’t want Urban and he doesn’t want us

Chip Kelly would have to melt down at UCLA for it to happen and I still don’t think he’d head this far east for the SEC.

Chris Peterson would be awesome but it’s not happening.

Lance L unproven

Saban, it would be hilarious if he left them for us.

You get the point... there really isn’t a great and realistic option out there currently 

[DAG 33,988]

2 minutes ago, Zeek said:

So to be anti-hush-bashing

Who are the top 10 college football coaches currently coaching? What are some young up-and-coming names that would be better than Gus?

Gus has his shortcomings but if we started a search tomorrow we’d be hard pressed to find someone Auburn would realistically take and who would be consistently successful here.

Green are gambles not really proven yet or that wouldn’t be guaranteed to do well here.

Huepel has coached 3 games

Lincoln Riley isn’t coming to us

I don’t want Urban and he doesn’t want us

Chip Kelly would have to melt down at UCLA for it to happen and I still don’t think he’d head this far east for the SEC.

Chris Peterson would be awesome but it’s not happening.

Lance L unproven

Saban, it would be hilarious if he left them for us.

You get the point... there really isn’t a great and realistic option out there currently 

There are truly only 2 , maybe 3 coaches who deserve to break the bank. The rest have just lucked out due to the market. It is like the NBA. Good players are now making superstar money when they are just that. Good.

[Zeek 16,650]

12 minutes ago, DAG said:

There are truly only 2 , maybe 3 coaches who deserve to break the bank. The rest have just lucked out due to the market. It is like the NBA. Good players are now making superstar money when they are just that. Good.

Supply and demand right? 30+ programs can afford a great coach. Maybe only 5 “great” coaches.

[PowerOfDixieland 3,226]

21 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Even the most constructive critics end up in the mud when they're constantly being called "gripers" and "whiners". Except for that other 10% you mention, the only griping and whining I see is from those who can't accept even the most benign suggestions for improvement. (Of course, those same people are free to "gripe" and "whine" about linebacker recruiting all they want.)

Gus has instilled as good of a culture as we could hope for at Auburn. He gets talented players who are good citizens. Think about how scared of the offseason we used to be! He always rallies the troops after bad losses, which speaks well of him, his staff and the troops themselves. Speaking of the staff, most of them are killing it and I'm pretty sure I'd enjoy having a beer with each of them. The defense is playing well. Defensive line is an increasingly critical position group and that is the one area where we are truly elite. Lots and lots of good right now and I'm in no hurry to change coaches.

But I want the coach to change himself a little. He's got to show some humility and curiosity. He's got to grow and evolve. He's got to look outside for new ideas. He's got to innovate, and he's not going to do that with salt and pepper shakers at the lunch table. The best coach in the country is always looking forward, constantly evolving, always willing to adapt. I want ours too, also. It seems like he only trusts himself sometimes, but there's not some on-board football encyclopedia between those ears. There are a lot of good instincts, but they need to be fed. 

I am in violent agreement with this post....

Every year I am hopeful that Gus will grow in humility, lose the (high school coach) chip and evolve/adapt his offensive philosophies.  I think it happens, but just not as fast as I would like.  I am amazed at how far we've come on the defensive side;  the Roof, Van Gorder, Johnson years were a freaking nightmare.

[NorthGATiger 1,801]

1 hour ago, Mikey said:

One thing bout that: MSU's annual "rival" opponent in the East is Kentucky. Auburn's is Georgia. That's quite a difference.

Up until Kirby's 2nd year last year UGA was not a powerhouse so I don't understand what you are saying.  UGA was extremely beatable and we lost to some pretty bad UGA teams that had no business of beating us.

[EagleReedle 14]

10 hours ago, Dual-Threat Rigby said:

Saban isnt an Xs and Os guy which alot of people consider the definition of being a truly elite coach,  but IDK if you can blame the media for being in love with the most known collegiate figure since...his predecessor in the UA HoF? I cant think of any coach whos more known in the sport on a pop culture level, as far as narratives it has to be Saban, Urban and then maybe Bear or Bo/Woody. The point being, the media is gonna talk about anyone who's considered a GOAT candidate incessantly (Belichick, Brady, LeBron other modern examples)

absolutely agree regarding how he isn't an "x's and o's guy" and while i know the media will tug on his tether to the nth degree, my point was simply that it is nauseating. War Eagle. 

[Tiger Refuge 6,668]

22 hours ago, bigbird said:

His '09 offense was my favorite that he has run.  Running game was dynamic and unpredictable and the passing game, like you said, was all over the field.  I remember whenever we we're trailing thinking that it doesn't matter 'cause we're gonna score a few more times.  I never felt like we were out of  any game.

Oh yeah, can you please tell me why in the 9 years since we have not run a single pump-and-go like we did with TZach?  

Just to add a bit of nostalgia...

[McLoofus 35,182]

25 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

Just to add a bit of nostalgia...

Man, that play was so cathartic.

[Mid Atlantic Tiger 150]

This has been a great topic.  Gus doesn't need to go anywhere, and Auburn shouldn't have hired him in the first place.  He needed to be at an FBS school or stay at Arkansas State longer to really learn the ropes.  He has done a nice job in a position he wasn't prepared to take.  I mean, let's look at our last few head coaches: Tuberville, Bowden, and Dye (I cannot bring myself to put Czick in this group). 

Dye had had six years at East Carolina and one year at Wyoming.  All he did was build East Carolina into a consistent program while there, and took Wyoming from losing to a 6-5 record...then he came to Auburn and really built a fantastic program.

Terry Bowden had nine years at Div III Salem, and I-AA Samford, which he built into solid programs before he came to Auburn.  I do not disagree that he left the program in shambles, but he had SOLID results as a Head Coach prior to coming to Auburn.

Tommy Tuberville had four solid years at Ole Miss, a school which the NCAA had just slammed.  We all agreed that the job he did there was quite masterful, and he did a great job at Auburn.

All three of these guys have one other thing in common:  Solid coaches that mentored them.  Dye had Bear, Bowden had his Dad, and Tommy had Jimmy Johnson.  Just whom did Gus have?  No one near that level.  And that's a shame.

Again, I am glad we have Gus, even with his shortcomings, which we all have.  Honestly, Auburn won't ever be able to bring in a NAME head coach, no matter how much money they throw around, and that's ok.  War Eagle!

[kevon67 2,368]

On ‎9‎/‎21‎/‎2018 at 10:22 AM, bigbird said:

For the most part I'm a Gus fan too, but there are some aspects of his program that are just maddening.  Sadly, he didn't start exhibiting those till he became the HC. I loved him as our OC. He was fearless. His offense was creative and dynamic. The best part to me was his play calling was always taking advantage of what the D was giving.  To me, he has lost or buried those characteristics. Which is led me to my two biggest gripes. The lack of creative/aggressive play calls and his player utilization.

With emphasis on player utilization..........never thought I would see that from a Gus coached team........I too am a Gus fan and in my opinion there is not a laundry list of issues.........just the same couple that seem to arise each season and around the same time each season..........From a character stand point........he is first class......and in my opinion is huge.......War Eagle!!!

[aubaseball 2,619]

14 minutes ago, Mid Atlantic Tiger said:

This has been a great topic.  Gus doesn't need to go anywhere, and Auburn shouldn't have hired him in the first place.  He needed to be at an FBS school or stay at Arkansas State longer to really learn the ropes.  He has done a nice job in a position he wasn't prepared to take.  I mean, let's look at our last few head coaches: Tuberville, Bowden, and Dye (I cannot bring myself to put Czick in this group). 

Dye had had six years at East Carolina and one year at Wyoming.  All he did was build East Carolina into a consistent program while there, and took Wyoming from losing to a 6-5 record...then he came to Auburn and really built a fantastic program.

Terry Bowden had nine years at Div III Salem, and I-AA Samford, which he built into solid programs before he came to Auburn.  I do not disagree that he left the program in shambles, but he had SOLID results as a Head Coach prior to coming to Auburn.

Tommy Tuberville had four solid years at Ole Miss, a school which the NCAA had just slammed.  We all agreed that the job he did there was quite masterful, and he did a great job at Auburn.

All three of these guys have one other thing in common:  Solid coaches that mentored them.  Dye had Bear, Bowden had his Dad, and Tommy had Jimmy Johnson.  Just whom did Gus have?  No one near that level.  And that's a shame.

Again, I am glad we have Gus, even with his shortcomings, which we all have.  Honestly, Auburn won't ever be able to bring in a NAME head coach, no matter how much money they throw around, and that's ok.  War Eagle!

Finally someone that gets it.   All the talk of him means nothing now.    This is just my opinion but look at who he has hired on offense as opposed to defense.   He goes out and hires proven college coaches.   On offense he goes after former high school guys.   

[Zeek 16,650]

22 minutes ago, Mid Atlantic Tiger said:

This has been a great topic.  Gus doesn't need to go anywhere, and Auburn shouldn't have hired him in the first place.  He needed to be at an FBS school or stay at Arkansas State longer to really learn the ropes.  He has done a nice job in a position he wasn't prepared to take.  I mean, let's look at our last few head coaches: Tuberville, Bowden, and Dye (I cannot bring myself to put Czick in this group). 

Dye had had six years at East Carolina and one year at Wyoming.  All he did was build East Carolina into a consistent program while there, and took Wyoming from losing to a 6-5 record...then he came to Auburn and really built a fantastic program.

Terry Bowden had nine years at Div III Salem, and I-AA Samford, which he built into solid programs before he came to Auburn.  I do not disagree that he left the program in shambles, but he had SOLID results as a Head Coach prior to coming to Auburn.

Tommy Tuberville had four solid years at Ole Miss, a school which the NCAA had just slammed.  We all agreed that the job he did there was quite masterful, and he did a great job at Auburn.

All three of these guys have one other thing in common:  Solid coaches that mentored them.  Dye had Bear, Bowden had his Dad, and Tommy had Jimmy Johnson.  Just whom did Gus have?  No one near that level.  And that's a shame.

Again, I am glad we have Gus, even with his shortcomings, which we all have.  Honestly, Auburn won't ever be able to bring in a NAME head coach, no matter how much money they throw around, and that's ok.  War Eagle!

Awesome post, War Eagle!

One of my favorite lines I’ve read on here in a minute, “Gus doesn’t need to go anywhere, and Auburn shouldn’t have hired him.”

Lots of truth to that statement. Some fans have to move on from past decisions and look at our current situation. It’s true I think Gus is still learning.

He needs to learn to be more diverse too though. Kodi Burns and T-Will have turned out to be excellent for the program but we can’t have a good ole boy complex. Part of me believes that’s why we currently have JB Grimes back on the plaines.

Honestly we just need a GA or something to work as a OL recruiter for Grimes.

[kevon67 2,368]

2 hours ago, Zeek said:

So to be anti-hush-bashing

Who are the top 10 college football coaches currently coaching? What are some young up-and-coming names that would be better than Gus?

Gus has his shortcomings but if we started a search tomorrow we’d be hard pressed to find someone Auburn would realistically take and who would be consistently successful here.

Green are gambles not really proven yet or that wouldn’t be guaranteed to do well here.

Huepel has coached 3 games

Lincoln Riley isn’t coming to us

I don’t want Urban and he doesn’t want us

Chip Kelly would have to melt down at UCLA for it to happen and I still don’t think he’d head this far east for the SEC.

Chris Peterson would be awesome but it’s not happening.

Lance L unproven

Saban, it would be hilarious if he left them for us.

You get the point... there really isn’t a great and realistic option out there currently 

There is 1 name on the list I wouldnt want on the list even if he could bring us Saban type success.

[Zeek 16,650]

11 minutes ago, kevon67 said:

There is 1 name on the list I wouldnt want on the list even if he could bring us Saban type success.

Urban? I wouldn’t want Petrino either and I don’t think he’d be that successful.

[kevon67 2,368]

18 minutes ago, Zeek said:

Urban? I wouldn’t want Petrino either and I don’t think he’d be that successful.

Your speaking my language Zeek...........Petrino would loose 3 to 4 a season in my opinion........shame things went south for Hugh Freeze......really cost him big time.

[Tiger Refuge 6,668]

1 hour ago, McLoofus said:

Man, that play was so cathartic.

Like Rudi’s big, dragging TD carry against Wyoming.

[redman443 18]

Lol legit question. Why do some fans defend gus? He’s had 4-5 star recruits leave and become busts. Had a preseason Heisman qb turn into a complete disaster in 2015. Made  questionable decisions in close games

2016 vs Clemson 

2017 vs lsu 

2017 vs Georgia in the seccg 

2013 vs FSU 

2014 vs Wisconsin 

2018 vs lsu 

2014 vs Alabama 

 Not to mention he’s never won a bowl game against a power 5 opponent. 

With the exception of 2013, we haven’t really had a special season under gus.  As long as he is at the helm, auburn will never be on the level of Clemson, Oklahoma and Ohio state. I don’t know why people defend him unless they just like going 8-4 every year. 

[kevon67 2,368]

8 minutes ago, Tiger Refuge said:

Like Rudi’s big, dragging TD carry against Wyoming.

One of my favorite go to videos when I have the mulley grubs?

[Tiger Refuge 6,668]

43 minutes ago, kevon67 said:

One of my favorite go to videos when I have the mulley grubs?

*adds to my vocabulary book*