Our OL coach

[JerryAU 1,679]

18 hours ago, gr82b4au said:

Agree they were awesome, but were they all recruited and signed within 6 weeks of hiring an OL coach? 

They didn't all need to be signed w/in 6 weeks of hiring an OL coach!

Hell, Tubs did his dang job and his did theirs back then.  He knew the importance of talent in the trenches, and he brought in linemen and developed them.  Chizik & Co. won the first NC in +50 yrs with Tubs olinemen.  It was Malzhan that allowed oline to become an afterthought and he didn't place a high importance on the position.  There's no need to drag out Harsin's piss poor management at the position.

 

Edited January 11, 2023 by JerryAU

[gr82b4au 5,568]

1 hour ago, JerryAU said:

They didn't all need to be signed w/in 6 weeks of hiring an OL coach!

Hell, Tubs did his dang job and his did theirs back then.  He knew the importance of talent in the trenches, and he brought in linemen and developed them.  Chizik & Co. won the first NC in +50 yrs with Tubs olinemen.  It was Malzhan that allowed oline to become an afterthought and he didn't place a high importance on the position.  There's no need to drag out Harsin's piss poor management at the position.

 

Well, I agree with you, but this thread is about how we just signed eight or nine offensive lineman in a six week period After hiring a new offensive line coach. It is just talking about how good of a job he did. That’s it.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

16 hours ago, TeamZero77 said:

Exactly. I'm not sure why others are having trouble comprehending what you're saying. You never said Thornton was the greatest O-Line coach ever but somehow that's how some have read it. You also never said that this O-Line class was the most impressive in Auburn history, you simply said it's the most impressive recruiting start for any new O-Line coach we have ever had. 

I also agree with you 100% that Coach Thornton is off to a great start here at Auburn. WDE

Thank you. Sometimes I feel like I’m taking crazy pills when reading this site. Haha

[TXaubie 566]

21 hours ago, AUY2K said:

The Ryan Pugh OL class was the most impressive. Heck he Lee Ziemba and one other  all started their freshman year and were all 4 year starters the year we won the national championship!  
 

that whole group was the main reason why Cam came to Auburn.
 

This should be repeated!!  

Also Grimes’ class was also stellar!!  3-4 yrs later they are in the Natty. So while getting the QB is fun and all. This is the formula for how you win championships!!  So refreshing that CHF realizes that. 

[Tiger Kent 29]

It makes you wonder about our last 2 OL coaches and our last 2 Head coaches.  What were they doing?  Obviously, they weren't recruiting.  Auburn should be an easy sell, but our last 2 coaches couldn't get any OL players to sign with us.  Were they not trying?  The new coach signs more OL players in one month than the last 5 years of recruiting classes.  Those coaches should be ashamed of themselves.  I was shocked beyond belief last year when Harsin and Will Friend didn't get a single OL from the portal.  How can that be possible?  If Harsin would have stayed one more year, what do you think our recruiting ranking would have been?  I bet in the 60's easy.  Hugh Freeze has been a breath of fresh air.  I am actually excited to read Auburn news again.  I am going right now to donate some money to the NIL.  Let's show them our support.  

 

[bigbird 60,573]

8 hours ago, Tiger Kent said:

It makes you wonder about our last 2 OL coaches and our last 2 Head coaches.  What were they doing?  Obviously, they weren't recruiting.  

 

People laughed when I posted this 

On 10/23/2022 at 8:54 AM, bigbird said:

FWIW Harsin has been dictating who Friend can target. 

 

Will Friend is continually being hired in the SEC for a reason.  He has built his career on stellar recruiting and solid lines.  Unfortunately for us, we are the two year anomaly on his resume.

[ellitor 33,110]

10 hours ago, Tiger Kent said:

It makes you wonder about our last 2 OL coaches and our last 2 Head coaches. 

@Tiger Kent Gus didn't let OL coaches, nor nearly any position coach, have any input on who we offered or took at their respective positions. With OL recruiting he narrowed in on his targets & didn't open up to other targets til it was too late.

Harsin was completely hands off on recruiting. He pushed most, if not all of it to our off field recruiting staff, including who to target & offer. Friend never really had a recruiting opportunity here. In no way was Grimes a good recruiter but he didn't have much say either.

10 hours ago, Tiger Kent said:

If Harsin would have stayed one more year, what do you think our recruiting ranking would have been?  I bet in the 60's easy.

Unlikely that low nationally but bottom 3 of the SEC for high schoolers and jucos. That would put us in the 30s nationally and that's really bad for the SEC, especially for a tradional power. As for the portal not in the top 25 nationally which would have compounded our talent problems.

[einatlanta 502]

Harsin was a micro-manager to the nth degree. I understand coaches wanting to direct the overall ship his way but he went to the extremes in not trusting most of his staff. We are definitely not done in terms of pulling a high caliber portal player but we are not paying high 6 figures for a skills position. DL and OL were the big ticket items and rightly so. If anyone needs proof, we had a heisman talented running back that was essentially wasted and had to do his job with not much help (look at his yards after contact and compare to yards overall if you are wondering). HF is very much getting input and listening to the assistants. It's going well so far, good attitude in the locker room and positive energy by all of the assistants. Even the board and moneymen are optimistic. 

[ellitor 33,110]

4 hours ago, einatlanta said:

Harsin was a micro-manager to the nth degree.

Directing coaches to the off field recruiting department to get permission to offer recruits is anything but micro managing.

[JerryAU 1,679]

5 hours ago, einatlanta said:

Harsin was a micro-manager to the nth degree. 

A micro-manager is someone with their hands in every single microscopic aspect of the program.  Harsin pushing recruiting and talent evaluations to off-the-field personnel was not micro-managing.  When the HC of Auburn Football doesn't even bother to leave campus for an hour drive to visit the State's top high schools that proves he wasn't managing anything.    

[AUTigerTime 186]

6 hours ago, einatlanta said:

Harsin was a micro-manager to the nth degree. I understand coaches wanting to direct the overall ship his way but he went to the extremes in not trusting most of his staff. 

What's weird is he was a micro-manager in ensuring that the coaches were NOT doing their job. Like he was actively trying to force his coaches in being lazy recruiters.

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

How about our DL coach too!   OL and DL have received a tremendous boost in the last few weeks!!!!!🙌🙌🙌

[Sani-Freeze 552]

On 1/10/2023 at 7:16 PM, gr82b4au said:

We have literally doubled our depth chart. 

Probably a moving target, but does anyone know which OLs from last season are expected to return? Wright, Johnson, Smith, Langlo and Harris? Is Zierer gone? 

Thanks - 

[SumterAubie 3,031]

On 1/11/2023 at 12:40 PM, JerryAU said:

They didn't all need to be signed w/in 6 weeks of hiring an OL coach!

Hell, Tubs did his dang job and his did theirs back then.  He knew the importance of talent in the trenches, and he brought in linemen and developed them.  Chizik & Co. won the first NC in +50 yrs with Tubs olinemen.  It was Malzhan that allowed oline to become an afterthought and he didn't place a high importance on the position.  There's no need to drag out Harsin's piss poor management at the position.

 

sssssssssshh. Someone might hear you.

[AU-24 3,107]

On 1/11/2023 at 12:41 PM, TeamZero77 said:

Exactly. I'm not sure why others are having trouble comprehending what you're saying. You never said Thornton was the greatest O-Line coach ever but somehow that's how some have read it. You also never said that this O-Line class was the most impressive in Auburn history, you simply said it's the most impressive recruiting start for any new O-Line coach we have ever had. 

I also agree with you 100% that Coach Thornton is off to a great start here at Auburn. WDE

Yes, pretty good for a little over a month and a half.

[AUINSY 2,228]

On 1/12/2023 at 12:57 PM, JerryAU said:

that proves he wasn't managing anything

Looking for that golden parachute