The ultimate defender

[corchjay 5,311]

I'm probably the most widely known sunshine pumper and Gus defender on this board.  Maybe it's the coach in me and/or just my personality.  I always see the positives and try not to dwell on the negatives.  I do try to call them like I see them and definitely have an O & B bias.  However I will have to admit we aren't getting results out of our investment into this staff. 

Many have stated and it's probably a fact that regardless of what happens this year Gus won't be fired.  I know it's a way of venting but the reality of it is the AD will not eat 32 million.  15 million maybe so but not 32 million, not this year.  I do think there will probably be staff changes and if I had to guess it will be Horton, Grimes, and Chip.  Just a guess.  Someone will be the scape goat for the season.  It's just how it goes.  These hires will probably define how his coaching career goes and if he can run with the big dogs or not.  He probably will need to find an experienced OC with their own system that works with the players we have now.   A spread type offense with balance.  Let the OC have input on the other 2 coaches or if he wants his own guys all over you probably need to find a way to do it.  It's time to either be the head coach or an offensive coordinator.   Let the OC have his side and you provide oversight and direction.  Do the same on the D as well.  

Who is this magic OC I have no clue.  We could ramble off names for the next 6 months but we won't know until we know.  

I was proud to see the fans come out yesterday and support the team like they did.  Don't give up on these players or this football team.  We aren't those fans.  If we really are family we will continue to support our teams regardless of what we think of a President, AD, coach, or player.  Those or wins and loses don't define us as Auburn Fans, it never has and I hope it never does.  

[aubaseball 2,631]

This has always been the AU way and I hope it continues.   

[Gowebb11 9,340]

9 minutes ago, corchjay said:

I do think there will probably be staff changes and if I had to guess it will be Horton, Grimes, and Chip.  Just a guess.  Someone will be the scape goat for the season.  It's just how it goes

I appreciate your positive approach on this post. I was there yesterday and it is so disheartening to see our program in this situation. Regarding staff changes, weve already changed out Ellis Johnson, Dameynue, Lashlee, and Hand. (I realize some of those were forced and others not). So he’s already tapped into his scapegoat account. But the inconsistency and erratic performance has not changed. Also, anyone can see that Gus is on very thin ice. So what quality coaches are going to want to come be a part of a 1-2 year gig? It’s a black hole that will be very difficult to dig out of. 

[mom2kid 216]

Who is going to come here and work under Gus?  The only good solution is firing Gus and bringing in a HC with strong reputation who may elect to keep the D staff and can save this recruiting class.

[DunderMifflin 60]

Boosters would have to step up to pay $15 million this year and there would be around $4 mill to pay for each of the next four years after that.  It is doable.

My problem is I have seen the value of Gus as being tied to his system and ability to run an offense.  I don’t know what you get from him as a head coach (backing off from the O).  So if the idea is he needs a great OC to come in and run things we are paying $7 million for not a whole lot.  Tub was a good CEO type coach who struggled when the right OC (and to a lesser extent DC) was not in place.  Malzahn doesn’t bring that same CEO skill set.

[corchjay 5,311]

32 million says we won't fire Gus.  Regardless of what everyone thinks.  That's not chump change for anyone.  

And 1 million to 1.2 million a year to be an OC will attract plenty of coaches to take a shot a turning around a team with talent.  

[Gene Loblaw 636]

the man could gain a lot of favor with the fan base if he just set aside his ego and just fully committed to only playing the premium choice athletes at QB. I honestly think that the man is just too prideful and stubborn to let an athlete play QB. He wants everyone to think that it's his amazing play calls that score points and it hurts his fragile ego when an electrifying athlete breaks script, makes a huge play on his own, and gets the credit that Malzahn thinks he deserves and craves. 

[TigerSpider 10]

8 minutes ago, mom2kid said:

Who is going to come here and work under Gus?  The only good solution is firing Gus and bringing in a HC with strong reputation who may elect to keep the D staff and can save this recruiting class.

Hugh Freeze

[johnnyAU 3,634]

13 minutes ago, corchjay said:

I'm probably the most widely known sunshine pumper and Gus defender on this board.  Maybe it's the coach in me and/or just my personality.  I always see the positives and try not to dwell on the negatives.  I do try to call them like I see them and definitely have an O & B bias.  However I will have to admit we aren't getting results out of our investment into this staff. 

Many have stated and it's probably a fact that regardless of what happens this year Gus won't be fired.  I know it's a way of venting but the reality of it is the AD will not eat 32 million.  15 million maybe so but not 32 million, not this year.  I do think there will probably be staff changes and if I had to guess it will be Horton, Grimes, and Chip.  Just a guess.  Someone will be the scape goat for the season.  It's just how it goes.  These hires will probably define how his coaching career goes and if he can run with the big dogs or not.  He probably will need to find an experienced OC with their own system that works with the players we have now.   A spread type offense with balance.  Let the OC have input on the other 2 coaches or if he wants his own guys all over you probably need to find a way to do it.  It's time to either be the head coach or an offensive coordinator.   Let the OC have his side and you provide oversight and direction.  Do the same on the D as well.  

Who is this magic OC I have no clue.  We could ramble off names for the next 6 months but we won't know until we know.  

I was proud to see the fans come out yesterday and support the team like they did.  Don't give up on these players or this football team.  We aren't those fans.  If we really are family we will continue to support our teams regardless of what we think of a President, AD, coach, or player.  Those or wins and loses don't define us as Auburn Fans, it never has and I hope it never does.  

The problem with this, and I agree with much of it, is that it is something that continues to be a problem. He should have found an experienced OC and OL coach years ago, but he hand selected what he wanted rather than what he needed.  He needs a life preserver, a life jacket and maybe a dingy, but he keeps buying floaties and thinks it is enough. 

[auburntiger1987 759]

3 minutes ago, corchjay said:

32 million says we won't fire Gus.  Regardless of what everyone thinks.  That's not chump change for anyone.  

And 1 million to 1.2 million a year to be an OC will attract plenty of coaches to take a shot a turning around a team with talent.  

I hope that would be the case but I believe we already had trouble getting one when we hired chip because of thought of Gus meddling. Now Chip faulters and the voices are getting louder. I’m nervous we will get a Rhett or loffler type

[thrustmaxwell 413]

1 minute ago, Gene Loblaw said:

the man could gain a lot of favor with the fan base if he just set aside his ego and just fully committed to only playing the premium choice athletes at QB. I honestly think that the man is just too prideful and stubborn to let an athlete play QB. He wants everyone to think that it's his amazing play calls that score points and it hurts his fragile ego when an electrifying athlete breaks script, makes a huge play on his own, and gets the credit that Malzahn thinks he deserves and craves. 

It's always disheartening to see Willis come in just to hand the ball off.  The kid averaged nearly 14 yards per touch last season, it seems like there'd be a way to get him looking better than what we've seen so far. 

[corchjay 5,311]

2 minutes ago, Gene Loblaw said:

the man could gain a lot of favor with the fan base if he just set aside his ego and just fully committed to only playing the premium choice athletes at QB. I honestly think that the man is just too prideful and stubborn to let an athlete play QB. He wants everyone to think that it's his amazing play calls that score points and it hurts his fragile ego when an electrifying athlete breaks script, makes a huge play on his own, and gets the credit that Malzahn thinks he deserves and craves. 

This is what is frustrating for me as a poster on this board.  None of this is can be backed up by anything tangible, you don't know Malzahn's ego, you don't know what he thinks, and you definitely don't know if he's to prideful to let and "athlete" play QB.  Seems we recruit a lot of athletic guys at the QB position to not want an "athlete" there.  

 

[sevenlee36 1,654]

Why are we thinking Horton is getting the boot? I know he’s been trying to leave most years.

[TigerSpider 10]

He’s got to let Chip call Chip’s offense and leave him alone. He’s not selling HUNH anymore. Just manage the game. Get out of the way and let your assistants coach. 

[thrustmaxwell 413]

1 minute ago, corchjay said:

This is what is frustrating for me as a poster on this board.  None of this is can be backed up by anything tangible, you don't know Malzahn's ego, you don't know what he thinks, and you definitely don't know if he's to prideful to let and "athlete" play QB.  Seems we recruit a lot of athletic guys at the QB position to not want an "athlete" there.  

 

So it's an evaluation and/or development issue at QB. 

[corchjay 5,311]

1 minute ago, auburntiger1987 said:

I hope that would be the case but I believe we already had trouble getting one when we hired chip because of thought of Gus meddling. Now Chip faulters and the voices are getting louder. I’m nervous we will get a Rhett or loffler type

I thought when Chip was hired that it was kind of directed to him to go after someone that could provide some balance and to stay away from the Briles family... Could be wrong but thought that was kind of the rumor floated 

[TigerSpider 10]

1 minute ago, corchjay said:

This is what is frustrating for me as a poster on this board.  None of this is can be backed up by anything tangible, you don't know Malzahn's ego, you don't know what he thinks, and you definitely don't know if he's to prideful to let and "athlete" play QB.  Seems we recruit a lot of athletic guys at the QB position to not want an "athlete" there.  

 

An athlete could hide that crap OL too. It at the very least, gives you more of a chance than Stidham, who singlehandedly gave that game away yesterday.

[corchjay 5,311]

1 minute ago, thrustmaxwell said:

So it's an evaluation and/or development issue at QB. 

Could be.  QB projection is very tough.  Stidham is about as highly rated a guy as you can get and has all the tools you could possibly want in a QB... but for whatever reason he processes information very slowly, he doesn't read defenses well at all and I'm not talking difficult schemes just normal "high schoolish" defensive schemes, and definitely wilts under pressure whether it be game pressure or pressure from the rush.   I don't want this to be a bash Stidham thread either.  

[I_M4_AU 7,865]

Thanks for your honesty, corchjay. I was hoping when Gus hired CCL that Gus would allow Chip to run the offense the way he saw fit.  That did not seem to happen, that was the time to see Gus mature as a head coach. Now it might be too late for him at Auburn.

I agree that the buy out maybe too steep a price to pay, but it is something the PTB will weigh and we, as fans, have no control over.  Time will tell.

The optimistic me hopes that Gus will hire Kendal Bryles and let him bring his own offensive staff in.  This, to me, would be his best option.  He is in a unique position, as his contract allows him time he would not normally have, to be able to change his coaching career.  I believe it is his last time too.

The pessimistic side of me tells me Gus will get the “band back together” and bring in Rhett Leashly.

[jAUSon 2,836]

16 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

I appreciate your positive approach on this post. I was there yesterday and it is so disheartening to see our program in this situation. Regarding staff changes, weve already changed out Ellis Johnson, Dameynue, Lashlee, and Hand. (I realize some of those were forced and others not). So he’s already tapped into his scapegoat account. But the inconsistency and erratic performance has not changed. Also, anyone can see that Gus is on very thin ice. So what quality coaches are going to want to come be a part of a 1-2 year gig? It’s a black hole that will be very difficult to dig out of. 

Yes. I appreciate corchjay and everything he says here, including this thread. But the whole thing is 2015-ish. We've done this already. I can't imagine that any hot assistant would even have us on his list. Even if he does farm it out with autonomy to a legitimate staff, It's a day late and a dollar short, imo.

[corchjay 5,311]

Also we have plenty of threads about why Gus should be fired... this is not the thread for that.  I'm of the opinion the AD will not eat the buyout and we have 1-2 more years regardless.  Now I wanted to see what everyone thought would/should happen in that context.  

I'm for either hiring an OC and let him do his thing or Gus goes back to being head coach and play caller...  It can't be a combo of both.  

I'm a Chip fan but it's just wrong time wrong situation for him.  

[OnthePlains 2,014]

Make no mistake, Chip wants out. So if he leaves and someone tries to paint HIM as the problem then that’s just wrong. We know who the problem is...

[johnnyAU 3,634]

It's just a broken record.  He needs an established OC, a QB mentor and a solid OL coach in some combination, and all of them need to recruit their players and develop them. It's an old problem that never gets corrected.

[corchjay 5,311]

5 minutes ago, OnthePlains said:

Make no mistake, Chip wants out. So if he leaves and someone tries to paint HIM as the problem then that’s just wrong. We know who the problem is...

Chip doesn't want out as bad as you think he does.  He's making bank and shouldering very little blame...  

[OnthePlains 2,014]

10 minutes ago, corchjay said:

Also we have plenty of threads about why Gus should be fired... this is not the thread for that.  I'm of the opinion the AD will not eat the buyout and we have 1-2 more years regardless.  Now I wanted to see what everyone thought would/should happen in that context.  

I'm for either hiring an OC and let him do his thing or Gus goes back to being head coach and play caller...  It can't be a combo of both.  

I'm a Chip fan but it's just wrong time wrong situation for him.  

Corch I appreciate your point of view. The problem is no one wants to think about staff changes and all that right now because most of us believe it won’t help. We’ve been down this road before and we’re getting the same result. The fan base is checking out on this season and next already. And before the “always support the Tigers “ lecture I mean checking out on Gis not the players or the program. But this is beyond fixable now. With a new OC , new QB and probably mass defections from players either to the NFL or jumping off this sinking ship then next year looks to be no better. I don’t understand why anyone thinks after six years of this that anything would be any different just because he hires another patsy.