OL Coach: Will Friend

[dilligas 581]

11 minutes ago, abw0004 said:

I am curious of what he thinks of the hire as a former AU lineman.  He would offer good perspectives I think.

I’m impressed with Cubelic.  His takes are always good.

[W.E.D 11,070]

1 hour ago, Zeek said:

We lost a lot of OL recruits to Tennessee while he was there. Good pickup imo.

 

He's a beast recruiter and has had good OLs along the way.  Hopefully this year was an aberration.

Or just let him recruit and let Kendall Simmons teach them how to be good OLs

[gravejd 3,270]

I would put this in the "concerning" category about or new OL hire

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30667800/tennessee-not-extending-contracts-pause-hiring-amid-football-investigation-sources-say

NCAA looking into Tennessee recruitment of OT Mims

[LKEEL75 2,566]

11 minutes ago, gravejd said:

I would put this in the "concerning" category about or new OL hire

https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/30667800/tennessee-not-extending-contracts-pause-hiring-amid-football-investigation-sources-say

NCAA looking into Tennessee recruitment of OT Mims

According to USCe's website, Will was coaching for them last year https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/football/coaches

 

[gravejd 3,270]

5 minutes ago, LKEEL75 said:

According to USCe's website, Will was coaching for them last year https://gamecocksonline.com/sports/football/coaches

 

The article says Friend left last month. I don't really know when he went over to USCe

[Paladin 3,305]

Friend was named offensive line coach at South Carolina on December 27, 2020.

That was what his bio said.

[dilligas 581]

No, Beamer just hired him.  The USCe web designer just added him to the 2020 roster even though he was hired after the season was over.  He coached at UTK last year.

[nurbis 572]

3 minutes ago, gravejd said:

The article says Friend left last month. I don't really know when he went over to USCe

If you click that link to the Gamecocks site and then click his name, it says 

"Will Friend was named the Gamecocks' offensive line coach on Dec. 27, 2020."

 

[AuCivilEng1 11,012]

Not a fan of this guy, Bobo, or the LB coach. And I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that RG isn’t going  be retained either and we are going to more than likely downgrade at DL coach, because RG is one of the best. So far Mason has been the only hire I’ve liked. This, imo, so far,  is the least exciting staff I’ve seen at Auburn since Tuberville. I hope I’m wrong and they all do well.

[chizhead 618]

18 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

downgrade at DL coach

No, not if Brick Haley is hired. Haley is an upgrade

[aubaseball 2,625]

45 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

Not a fan of this guy, Bobo, or the LB coach. And I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that RG isn’t going  be retained either and we are going to more than likely downgrade at DL coach, because RG is one of the best. So far Mason has been the only hire I’ve liked. This, imo, so far,  is the least exciting staff I’ve seen at Auburn since Tuberville. I hope I’m wrong and they all do well.

Do really believe the staff malzahn had is better??

[AuCivilEng1 11,012]

14 minutes ago, aubaseball said:

Do really believe the staff malzahn had is better??

I do. I liked T-Will, Caddy, Al. Pogue, Garner. I think those guys are going to be hard to upgrade from. And previous staff members like D. Craig and Tim Horton were great too. I wasn’t a fan of most of Malzahn’s offensive staff hires. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

7 hours ago, EagleEye67 said:

OK, I surrender, I got it.   I would only know by reputation and to me, Friends reputation on actually coaching doesn't seem that great.  Hopefully I'm wildly mistaken.   I very much hope so.

I know UT could have ran for 400 plus had they wanted to. I know he is a good recruiter and that is what we need MOST at this position right now. I know I do not trust anything a UGA or UT fan says.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

1 hour ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

Not a fan of this guy, Bobo, or the LB coach. And I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that RG isn’t going  be retained either and we are going to more than likely downgrade at DL coach, because RG is one of the best. So far Mason has been the only hire I’ve liked. This, imo, so far,  is the least exciting staff I’ve seen at Auburn since Tuberville. I hope I’m wrong and they all do well.

I think Garner is a good recruiters, and a decent coach. I am ready for a change and hopefully the new staff will be able to develop a pass rusher. We haven't had one since Jeff Holland. So many disappointments. As for the rest of your post....10000000 times disagree. 

[AuCivilEng1 11,012]

1 minute ago, Tigerpro2a said:

I think Garner is a good recruiters, and a decent coach. I am ready for a change and hopefully the new staff will be able to develop a pass rusher. We haven't had one since Jeff Holland. So many disappointments. As for the rest of your post....10000000 times disagree. 

That’s all good, man. People can have disagreements. I don’t think replacing T-Will with some dude from Boise St is a good move though. Hopefully T-Will finds a spot on the staff. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

Just now, AuCivilEng1 said:

That’s all good, man. People can have disagreements. I don’t think replacing T-Will with some dude from Boise St is a good move though. Hopefully T-Will finds a spot on the staff. 

Oh absolutely. It is what makes the world go round is difference of opinions. That is one that I agree with you on is T-Will. He was the only coach I hoped we retain. When I said the rest of your post I disagree with...I was referring to the overall staff and you liking CGM staff better. 

[AuCivilEng1 11,012]

13 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

Oh absolutely. It is what makes the world go round is difference of opinions. That is one that I agree with you on is T-Will. He was the only coach I hoped we retain. When I said the rest of your post I disagree with...I was referring to the overall staff and you liking CGM staff better. 

I’m not sure I like them better, now that I think about it. I just felt like he had put together a staff of good recruiters and I was excited about it. I’m pretty nervous about BH possibly bringing in too many Boise St guys, because I’m not confident that they will be effective recruiters against Bama, Georgia, LSU, etc. Chizik’s first staff was beautiful and I was hoping to have that kind of excitement again. Mike Bobo just doesn’t do it for me. Mason is a huge get though. 

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

8 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

I’m not sure I like them better, now that I think about it. I just felt like he had put together a staff of good recruiters and I was excited about it. I’m pretty nervous about BH possibly bringing in too many Boise St guys, because I’m not confident that they will be effective recruiters against Bama, Georgia, LSU, etc. Chizik’s first staff was beautiful and I was hoping to have that kind of excitement again. Mike Bobo just doesn’t do it for me. Mason is a huge get though. 

So you mention that you want recruiters and then say Mike Bobo doesn't do it for you. That is super contradictory. Bobo is a damn good recruiter and QB developer. Yea the Boise guys will have a learning curve when it comes to recruiting, but I think CBH has made excellent hires at the OC and the DC position so that should help with recruiting. I would be fine if CBH brought his entire staff from Boise if he thought that would be the best way to build the program ( I am happy he hasn't done that lol). The only hire so far I am not thrilled about is the LB coach. I really wanted Twill but there may be behind the scenes stuff I am not aware of influencing that hire. Who knows. 

[Gowebb11 9,328]

25 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

I’m pretty nervous about BH possibly bringing in too many Boise St guys, because I’m not confident that they will be effective recruiters against Bama, Georgia, LSU, etc.

Bobo, Friend, and Mason will bang for the big guns. The BSU program is one of the top winners in the nation the past two decades. They’ve over-performed by being masters at identifying and developing talent. And as a result they’ve put plenty of guys in the league. Our program will improve having both approaches. 

[sevenlee36 1,654]

Seems to have worked with Bobo a couple times before

[AuCivilEng1 11,012]

50 minutes ago, Tigerpro2a said:

So you mention that you want recruiters and then say Mike Bobo doesn't do it for you. That is super contradictory. Bobo is a damn good recruiter and QB developer. Yea the Boise guys will have a learning curve when it comes to recruiting, but I think CBH has made excellent hires at the OC and the DC position so that should help with recruiting. I would be fine if CBH brought his entire staff from Boise if he thought that would be the best way to build the program ( I am happy he hasn't done that lol). The only hire so far I am not thrilled about is the LB coach. I really wanted Twill but there may be behind the scenes stuff I am not aware of influencing that hire. Who knows. 

I’m not opposed to Bobo for his recruiting ability. I just think he’s played out as an OC and I would have liked to see someone a little younger with a more modern offensive philosophy.

[caleb1633 1,418]

40 minutes ago, Gowebb11 said:

Bobo, Friend, and Mason will bang for the big guns. The BSU program is one of the top winners in the nation the past two decades. They’ve over-performed by being masters at identifying and developing talent. And as a result they’ve put plenty of guys in the league. Our program will improve having both approaches. 

I'm hoping that Mason and Bobo open the lines of communication and everyone else can ride their coattails for bringing in the big recruits. I won't speak for Harsin, but that does seem to be his strategy right now. If we get McLendon and/or T-Rob, we will be sitting pretty with recruiters.

[Tigerpro2a 5,650]

3 minutes ago, AuCivilEng1 said:

I’m not opposed to Bobo for his recruiting ability. I just think he’s played out as an OC and I would have liked to see someone a little younger with a more modern offensive philosophy.

Insert Brian Harsin. Harsin is the younger, more modern philosophy. I think it is a great match. 

I think too many people are putting too much stock into what other fanbases are saying. Not necessarily you in particular, but many posts I have seen here and other boards mention Leghumpers opinions, or Convict trash cleaners opinions on Bobo.

[Jgarrett7 957]

Ummm.. Bobo is 46. Is that considered old now?

[auburndkel 100]

9 hours ago, gr82b4au said:

This is probably the best offensive line coach and OL recruiter that we have had at Auburn in the last few decades and yet our fans of course are bashing him. He has not even step foot on campus yet. Unreal. 

 

Not too sure anyone is bashing him?  I’m certainly questioning the hire because I think our future is tremendously dependent on the strength of our O-line, both recruiting and coaching.  Why Gus essentially ignored the OL is beyond me. utk was loaded with a OL talent, but it never showed on the field. That could be Friend, it could be Pruitt, or it could just be that Knoxville is an unhappy place for football where SEC dreams go to die.  Obviously we’re all pulling for Friend, but I was hoping Harsin would find some way to bring the good Grimes (Jeff) back into the AU fold.