Dug up after a year, for some reason: Endorsement for Steele

[AUApostle 7,651]

51 minutes ago, Tiger said:

Because he's local and what he did at UAB is actually impressive. But make no mistake about it, if he coached at San Jose State or somewhere far away from this region of the country with the same exact credentials he wouldn't be named at all on this board as a candidate.

The local roots makes him very appealing.  He can walk into high schools and recruits' homes day one without laboring for months to build a relationship.  I've also heard he runs a very tight and disciplined program...well conditioned and attentive to details.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

5 minutes ago, AURealist said:

As I said in another post:

It seems KS is now not only HC material, not just for a small school, but an SEC school, and is also going to be running the D. 

Is his real name Clark Kent?  Aren't we running the risk of divulging his secret identity? 

That is not what I said or described. Travis Williams would run the defense.  But Steele would still be around and could offer input or be a resource.  That’s not “running the defense” or having to be Clark Kent.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

4 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Gus Malzahn has always been his own OC. Saban has always been his own DC. Mullen, Freeze, Smart, Muschamp, and Pruitt all run their respective sides of the ball. Should I go on? True CEOs - like Orgeron, Tubberville, Miles, Fulmer, Richt don't seem to be the trend in the SEC right now. 

Tubs also had a ton of input on the defensive side of the ball when he was head coach.

[AURealist 2,185]

2 hours ago, AUght2win said:

Gus Malzahn has always been his own OC. Saban has always been his own DC. Mullen, Freeze, Smart, Muschamp, and Pruitt all run their respective sides of the ball. Should I go on? True CEOs - like Orgeron, Tubberville, Miles, Fulmer, Richt don't seem to be the trend in the SEC right now. 

Since we know Steele is at least as good as Muschamp, Mullen and Pruitt (we know this because... well we just know it...) sure let's make him head coach.  What could possibly go wrong?

I'm laughing out loud as I read and write these posts.  I can't believe you guys are actually serious about making Steele HC of Auburn University.  This type of magical thinking is why we can't have nice things.  I'm serious.

[AURealist 2,185]

1 minute ago, TitanTiger said:

Tubs also had a ton of input on the defensive side of the ball when he was head coach.

We fired him.

[AUght2win 6,854]

Just now, AURealist said:

Since we know Steele is at least as good as Muschamp, Mullen and Pruitt (we know this because... well we just know it...) sure let's make him head coach.  What could possibly go wrong?

I'm laughing out load as I read and write these posts.  I can't believe you guys are actually serious about making Steele HC of Auburn University.  This type of magical thinking is why we can't have nice things.  I'm serious.

I am sure you're laughing as every question you sarcastically pose is answered, proving you don't know what you're talking about.

Nobody is proven until they get a chance to prove it. Regardless of who we hire, unless they are Bob Stoops, they will be an unknown at an SEC power. Campbell, Fleck, Clark, Rhule, whoever you want to name, is someone we are going to have to take a chance on. 

[AUApostle 7,651]

1 minute ago, AURealist said:

I'm laughing out load as I read and write these posts.  I can't believe you guys are actually serious about making Steele HC of Auburn University.  This type of magical thinking is why we can't have nice things.  I'm serious.

I'm with you...this reeks of "let's float the name of underwhelming candidate B out there to distract the media while we work on a side deal with rockstar candidate A"

[AUght2win 6,854]

2 minutes ago, AURealist said:

We fired him.

WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TRYING TO SAY?! DOES NOT COMPUTE! Who tf constitutes a good head coach for Auburn in your eyes? Specifically?

[TitanTiger 20,499]

3 minutes ago, AURealist said:

Since we know Steele is at least as good as Muschamp, Mullen and Pruitt (we know this because... well we just know it...) sure let's make him head coach.  What could possibly go wrong?

I'm laughing out load as I read and write these posts.  I can't believe you guys are actually serious about making Steele HC of Auburn University.  This type of magical thinking is why we can't have nice things.  I'm serious.

Help me understand what makes you so certain he would be a bad hire. Note: I don’t take issue with having a few other coaches higher on the list. I just don’t get the doom and gloom.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

3 minutes ago, AURealist said:

We fired him.

Not because the defense sucked. In fact we never had to worry about that side of the ball really. And he had a pretty good run here. It was our offensive struggles and recruiting taking a downturn towards the end that did him in. 

[AUght2win 6,854]

2 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Help me understand what makes you so certain he would be a bad hire. Note: I don’t take issue with having a few other coaches higher on the list. I just don’t get the doom and gloom.

He is someone who knows what he DOESN'T want, but can't tell you what he does want. A.K.A. a useless opinion. 

[keesler 5,924]

When a little over 12 months ago folks on here and in the media floated Bob Stoops caliber out to us please forgive some of us if Kevin Steele doesn't get us all excited.

I'm not going to shoot this latest candidate down like I have a missile, but I'd personally hoped if Auburn makes a change that it would be a few notches above this.

Hell, I have given Mikey, AU64, and my own father hell for years for saying "be careful what you wish for", but DAMN if those old geezers may be right.

[AURealist 2,185]

2 hours ago, TitanTiger said:

Help me understand what makes you so certain he would be a bad hire. Note: I don’t take issue with having a few other coaches higher on the list. I just don’t get the doom and gloom.

No one can be certain Steele would be a bad hire.  I just don't have any reason to believe he'd be able to carry out all the duties of HC and mentor the defense and beat UGA, LSU and bama every other year.  Seriously, I have no reason at all to believe he could do it.  If he has head coach aspirations, he should be head coach at a lesser school.  I don't get how being a HC in lesser Top 5 Conferences is a black mark against other possible applicants, but not ever being a successful HC anywhere isn't a factor where Steele is concerned.  

We gambled on Chiz.

We gambled on Gus.

Why are we willing to gamble again on someone who isn't even a proven HC anywhere?

I don't need reasons to not like the idea.  I need a reason to like it.

[Auburnfan91 1,407]

The only way Steele should be named HC is if others turn us down. Steele should not be Plan A or Option #1.

Those throwing Ed Orgeron as an example of a successful turnaround as a HC also need to remember that Orgeron was not LSU's Plan A or Option #1. They got turned down by Jimbo Fisher, Tom Herman, etc... before they finally gave it to Orgeron.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

1 minute ago, AURealist said:

No one can be certain Steele would be a bad hire.  I just don't have any reason to believe he'd be able to carry out all the duties of HC and mentor the defense and beat UGA, LSU and bama every other year.  Seriously, I have no reason at all to believe he could do it.  If he has head coach aspirations, he should be head coach at a lesser school.  I don't get how being a HC in lesser Top 5 Conferences is a black mark against other possible applicants, but not ever being a successful HC anywhere isn't a factor.  

We gambled on Chiz.

We gambled on Gus.

Why are we willing to gamble again on someone who isn't even a proven HC anywhere?

I don't need reasons to not like the idea.  I need a reason to like it.

I’d say what he has over some of the guys you mention is that he’s been a highly successful coordinator for many years at multiple big Power 5 programs including rebuilding the dumpster fire our defense was here at Auburn. It’s the same reason UGA would hire Smart over any of those guys for instance. 

[TitanTiger 20,499]

9 minutes ago, Auburnfan91 said:

The only way Steele should be named HC is if others turn us down. Steele should not be Plan A or Option #1.

Those throwing Ed Orgeron as an example of a successful turnaround as a HC also need to remember that Orgeron was not LSU's Plan A or Option #1. They got turned down by Jimbo Fisher, Tom Herman, etc... before they finally gave it to Orgeron.

Which is pretty much what I said when I said I’d need a hard “no” from Cristobal and Bob Stoops before he’d come into play for me. 

But the point still stands with Coach O. Sometimes it’s about fit and overall vision than just resume or a flashy upset win here and there. 

[AURealist 2,185]

4 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

I’d say what he has over some of the guys you mention is that he’s been a highly successful coordinator for many years at multiple big Power 5 programs including rebuilding the dumpster fire our defense was here at Auburn. It’s the same reason UGA would hire Smart over any of those guys for instance. 

That's not why UGA hired Kirby.  They were desperate and gambled that he had significant Saban stink on him.  The jury is still out on the wisdom of that hire.  Sure, he can beat us most of the time, but it seems anyone with comparable players can do that.

I'm not down at all on Coach Steele.  He has single-handedly saved Gus' bacon this year and that is quite the Herculean task.  I'm just wary of yet another HC gamble that will be inexplicably made 10x worse by the Auburn PTB.

 

[TitanTiger 20,499]

2 minutes ago, AURealist said:

That's not why UGA hired Kirby.  They were desperate and gambled that he had significant Saban stink on him.  The jury is still out on the wisdom of that hire.  Sure, he can beat us most of the time, but it seems anyone with comparable players can do that.

The Saban link didn’t hurt. Neither did being an alum. But being a longtime highly successful coordinator was the number one reason. 
 

Quote

I'm not down at all on Coach Steele.  He has single-handedly saved Gus' bacon this year and that is quite the Herculean task.  I'm just wary of yet another HC gamble that will be inexplicably made 10x worse by the Auburn PTB.

You can’t worry about the PTB at Auburn. If they are going to frick something up it won’t matter who the coach is. 

[AURealist 2,185]

6 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

The Saban link didn’t hurt. Neither did being an alum. But being a longtime highly successful coordinator was the number one reason. 
 

You can’t worry about the PTB at Auburn. If they are going to frick something up it won’t matter who the coach is. 

I know, but I'd like the best, firmest starting point before the fricking begins...

[caleb1633 1,418]

1 hour ago, AUght2win said:

The only knock on Steele is his record at pre-competitive Baylor. Which is R I D I C U L O U S. It was 20 years ago, at one of the worst programs in America. Y'all are nuts if you think he is the same guy.

Cristobal brought FIU their first wining season in school history. Fleck brought Western Michigan into the Top 25 for the first time in school history. Being at a crap program doesn’t excuse you from being able to coach it up. Maybe CKS has improved as an HC, but there’s no evidence to support that.

[TitanTiger 20,499]

1 minute ago, caleb1633 said:

Cristobal brought FIU their first wining season in school history. Fleck brought Western Michigan into the Top 25 for the first time in school history. Being at a crap program doesn’t excuse you from being able to coach it up. Maybe CKS has improved as an HC, but there’s no evidence to support that.

Neither of those had to take a doormat in a strong P5 conference and make them into a winner. It’s far easier to get FIU to win the Sunbelt than it was to get Baylor to jump Nebraska, Texas, OU, et al for a Big XII title. 

Look I get wanting to see him do well there, but it’s not a full picture, especially 20 years later. 

[caleb1633 1,418]

Just now, TitanTiger said:

Neither of those had to take a doormat in a strong P5 conference and make them into a winner. It’s far easier to get FIU to win the Sunbelt than it was to get Baylor to jump Nebraska, Texas, OU, et al for a Big XII title. 

Look I get wanting to see him do well there, but it’s not a full picture, especially 20 years later. 

There's always going to be differences in comparisons, whether you're for or against him being HC, but I don't think you can't consider what he's already shown. We just have zero clue if he'd be a good HC now. However, there are 4-5 coaches out there who we have a lot more information on when it comes to their performance as HC. Until they shoot us down, Steel shouldn't be our go-to.

[DAG 33,997]

1 hour ago, Tiger said:

Because he's local and what he did at UAB is actually impressive. But make no mistake about it, if he coached at San Jose State or somewhere far away from this region of the country with the same exact credentials he wouldn't be named at all on this board as a candidate.

Of course not. Local roots mean a thing in coaching searches. That’s why I laugh when people say PJ Fleck like he is not some midwestern Guy. He probably prefers the Midwest more than anything and was big reason why Minnesota took a chance on him versus any of the other SEC schools. 

[AUght2win 6,854]

25 minutes ago, caleb1633 said:

Cristobal brought FIU their first wining season in school history. Fleck brought Western Michigan into the Top 25 for the first time in school history. Being at a crap program doesn’t excuse you from being able to coach it up. Maybe CKS has improved as an HC, but there’s no evidence to support that.

It was 20 years ago!!!

[caleb1633 1,418]

3 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

It was 20 years ago!!!

Lol please be sarcasm font.