Chizik To Keep Texas' Defense Moving Forward

[will jima 0]

Chizik to keep Texas' defense moving forward

Tuesday, August 09, 2005

Write it down. Texas defensive coordinator Gene Chizik may be the second coming of Greg Robinson, who came and went before a full year was ripped off the calendar.

Hopefully, Chizik won't be the second going, though. At least, not as quickly.

Let there be no doubt that Chizik and Robinson were as interested in fast-forwarding the improvement of the Longhorns defense as they were in their own forwarding addresses.

They may be 10 years apart chronologically, but the two share the same passion for coaching and a sincere bond with their players that transcends the football field.

Chizik got so involved with Auburn players that one Tigers expert said it wasn't unusual for them to tell the coach they loved him. The warmth and affection at Texas will come, but as Longhorns linebacker Aaron Harris said of his first impression of the newcomer, "You don't mess with him."

Under Robinson's watchful and wild eyes, the Texas defense made monumental progress with unchecked intensity and hustle last season and keyed wins over Arkansas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. Heck, he even held Oklahoma to 12 points.

But where Mack Brown, in a manner, rescued the career of the embattled Robinson, who had resigned under extreme pressure from the Kansas City Chiefs, Chizik comes aboard to a chorus of hosannas.

You can look for the progression Robinson initiated to continue with the arrival of a humble but highly motivated coach who was recognized as the best assistant in college football, an honor that the Broyles Award winner downplays.

"I got crushed when I went back," Chizik said. "They told me, 'Don't forget about us little people.' "

Both Chizik and Robinson were cut from the same Monte Kiffin cloth as disciples of that aggressive, zone-blitzing school, and they both may be tailor made for a Texas program seeking to become as proficient on the defensive side of the ball as it has been on offense.

They also bring a tough mindset to the job. Chizik, after all, is the son of one of the few Marine survivors of the Pacific battle at Okinawa during World War II, a man who earned the Bronze Star.

Gene Chizik Sr. was such a principled man that he left Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla., within a week of the Pearl Harbor bombing and enlisted.

"I'd like to think I'm a lot like him," Chizik said of his father, who died in 2002. "But I'm probably not as good. He was a man's man who made sure his word meant what it was supposed to mean."

Chizik brings those values and ideas with him.

On the field, Robinson was more into the big picture. Chizik, 43, is so meticulous and into the details that he applied the same approach to house-hunting in Austin. He eventually bought a four-bedroom home in Steiner Ranch, in part because his research turned up 61 kids in the neighborhood as playmates for his children.

Chizik has watched every game film from last year but has never picked up the phone and called his predecessor, who relocated in Syracuse as the Orange's new head coach.

"He's got a thousand issues," Chizik said of Robinson's lengthy to-do list.

Chizik has a few dozen of his own, not the least of which is stabilizing the linebacker position and discovering some depth at defensive end to upgrade the Longhorns' at-times anemic pass rush.

The two coaches are alike in the sense that they both put a premium on keeping their opponent out of the end zone. However, Chizik doesn't even want them near the red zone.

"Greg's whole thing was not to let 'em score," Brown said. "He didn't panic at all if the other team was moving the ball. Greg was all about turnovers and scoring defense."

Chizik does share some of Robinson's hands-on involvement with his defenses. He's been that way ever since his first coaching job at Seminole High School in Florida, when Chizik was obsessed with motivating his players not to have a bad practice.

To illustrate his points, he even head-butted a player once and bloodied his own forehead. On another occasion, he went so far as to surprise his team by dressing out in pads and going through an entire workout.

"Of course, I couldn't walk the next day," he said. "I was really nuts."

He has mellowed somewhat since then and, in fact, tries to stay above the fray. Even on game days.

Unlike his Longhorn predecessor, Chizik will view the proceedings from the sanctity of the press box where this strategist treats the game like the chess player he is in his quieter moments. Robinson preferred the sidelines. And beyond.

"Actually," Brown said, "Greg was usually out at the hash marks most of the game."

Chizik will leave the sideline theatrics to fellow co-coordinator Duane Akina, who rivaled Robinson with their emotional outbursts. Chizik is more comfortable upstairs.

"I'm very adamant about that," Chizik said. "I don't like the chaos that goes on down there."

But like Robinson's demand for "controlled violence," Chizik will cultivate as much chaos between the hash marks as possible.

And Chizik may be here longer than Robinson.

"Let's put it this way," Chizik said, "I've bought a house and plan on being here for a long time. If something different happens, we'll see."

That should be welcome news for Texas fans who are still awaiting dominant defense like those that Fred Akers and Darrell Royal regularly put on the field for three decades.

Besides, Brown didn't approach this hire by figuring he was renting a defensive coordinator. He wasn't the least bit put off by Chizik's ambition and desire to become a head coach.

"So does Oscar Giles and Ken Rucker and Greg Davis," Brown said. "Duane Akina wants to be a head coach badly. Mac McWhorter does. That doesn't bother me. But I don't think anybody jumps at something they don't like."

Chizik might well have landed at Central Florida, where he worked as an assistant. Instead, Central Florida Athletic Director Steve Orsini hired George O'Leary, whom he knew from their days at Georgia Tech. Like most professions, it's as much whom you know as what you know.

"God's got a plan," Chizik said, "and it's all about timing. But, I don't like to be second."

kbohls@statesman.com

[tombigbeetiger 223]

i hope texas gives up 40 points a game.....i used to like the guy,but i hope he fails at texas

[aumoore 0]

Never heard of him? Is he related to a guy named Benedict Arnold?

[alexgreatau 0]

Calm down you two!

I don't think that there is any reason to be bitter at Chizik, the man gave us three years of his services and our defense played extremely well with him as DC. Chizik's Auburn defense last year was probably one of the best units in Auburn and SEC History. Plus, the players loved him.

Chizik is an assistant coach and assitant coaches rarely stay in the same place for 3+ years, they go on to other assistant coaching jobs or even head coaching jobs at smaller schools. It's the nature of the business.

I know that his departure was abrupt and there are some lingering questions regarding his departure but please, let's not make him out to be Terry Bowden here. Bowden ran our program into the ground, Chizik did not.

About Benedict Arnold: He was also a great American patriot and general and without his services, the Colonies may never have gained independence from Great Britain. But that's another topic for another day.

Alex

[tombigbeetiger 223]

david gibbs is the man now....i still hope ole gene ****zic screws up over there

Watch the profanity...DKW

[Tigermike 3,039]

Calm down you two!

I don't think that there is any reason to be bitter at Chizik, the man gave us three years of his services and our defense played extremely well with him as DC. Chizik's Auburn defense last year was probably one of the best units in Auburn and SEC History. Plus, the players loved him.

Chizik is an assistant coach and assitant coaches rarely stay in the same place for 3+ years, they go on to other assistant coaching jobs or even head coaching jobs at smaller schools. It's the nature of the business.

I know that his departure was abrupt and there are some lingering questions regarding his departure but please, let's not make him out to be Terry Bowden here. Bowden ran our program into the ground, Chizik did not.

About Benedict Arnold: He was also a great American patriot and general and without his services, the Colonies may never have gained independence from Great Britain. But that's another topic for another day.

Alex

173186[/snapback]

Well said Alex!

Personally I hope Coach Chizik does great at Texas. It would be great for AU & TX to play for the NC and AU win 42 - 3.

[Raven_tiger 5]

alex gibbs is the man now....i still hope ole gene shitzic screws up over there

173208[/snapback]

Why???

Thanks Gene, for giving AU several great defensive seasons. I hope the very best for him and his family.

WDE

[WarTim 3,456]

Coach Chizik made a decision based on what was best for him and his Family. I wish him well. I believe Coach Gibbs will do a good job @ AU. So long as Coach Tuberville is HC, Auburn will have a STRONG defense.

p.s. It would be fun to play TX.

[Texan4Auburn 1,626]

I doubt he will be at Texas for a long time. He wants a head job, first decent one to come his way he is gone.

[quietfan 233]

p.s. It would be fun to play TX. 

173241[/snapback]

Not always! I remember one of Pat Dye's teams starting the season ranked #1 and losing to Texas the first game of the season

[tombigbeetiger 223]

p.s. It would be fun to play TX. 

173241[/snapback]

Not always! I remember one of Pat Dye's teams starting the season ranked #1 and losing to Texas the first game of the season

173253[/snapback]

i remember him beating them twice,also

[AUfan91 0]

I hope Chizik does good at TX but I still wish he was at AU. My personal opinion would have been for Chizik to stay at AU until a head coaching job came open but its too late now. I still wish him and his family the best in all of their future indeavors.

[OKieAuburnDoug 1]

I wonder if Chizik will flip off the OU fans @ halftime like Robinson did>..

OU fans are so stinking cocky and arrogant it will be hilarious if Texas beats them FINALLY..won't matter cus Ohia State will beat Texas...

[Draven 0]

I wish Chizik well at Texas but it would be fun to put 40 plus on him just to say, look what you left auburn for.

[LegalEagle 22]

There's lots of money in NCAA football, and a head coach gets more than a coordinator. Chizik is a great coach, and if he wants a head coaching job, one will be there for him. I fail to see how coaching at TX will make him more likely to get a head coaching position. It is obvious that TX has recruited great talent, and with them being in a weaker league, maybe he figures he will have better stats there than at AU.

There is something I would like to bring up about last year, however. I'm not reviewing film so I won't mention exact numbers. It seems to me that our opponents had several big plays, including scoring plays, called back last year due to penalties. While it's true that a rule violation may open a play, most of the time the penalty does not contribute to the success of the play. How many points would we have had to give up to become the #2 scoring defense? Probably not many.

Am I correct that several big plays by opponents were called back last year? I seem to recall almost spittin' up some Wild Turkey over those plays before they were called back. Then I'd "gobble" some more when the penalty was called.

Personally, I think we tried to require him to sign a multi-year contract as DC. That is one thing that makes some sense outta his move - - but I don't remember the length of his TX contract.

[DKW 86 7,431]

I wish him well. I wonder how many of you would react if he came back to as a HC some day...

[AUesquire 1]

Yea, I hated to see the guy go. It may have been a step up pay wise, he may have had a falling out with Tubs or others, it could have been a number of things. I tend to think it was more an offer he couldn't refuse. I have a friend here with a daughter at Texas and he says they have unlimited resources to pull from at UT. I imagine if they want one of the top DCs in the nation, they can definitely hook a brother up.

[auskull 239]

He will be the difference in getting Texas to the BCS Championship game. He did a teriffic job at AU and will do the same for Texas. Its a job, not a cult, like it is for me. The better they are the harder they are to keep.

Good luck Gene and come on David.