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Enjoy Chizik While You Can

will jima

By will jima
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will jima Apprentice

will jima 0

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http://www.statesman.com/sports/content/sp...08/11bohls.html

Enjoy having Chizik while you can. His days as a top Horns assistant may be numbered.

The lure of top coaching vacancies next season may claim UT's talented co-defensive coordinator

Friday, August 11, 2006

Gene Chizik is going places.

Then again, the place he's already at ain't bad. And he knows it.

That said, most everyone assumes — probably correctly — that the Texas co-defensive coordinator is strictly a rental and won't be around the Longhorns for the long-term.

Given what Mack Brown figures to be the latest trend in hiring rising coordinators as first-time head coaches, Chizik's name is sure to be near the top of every head-hunting firm's and athletic director's list as a potential head coach.

He has the necessary criteria:

Young but experienced at 44.

Dynamic presence. "He's all business," offensive lineman Justin Blalock said.

Devoted father of three, to the point that he requested of his real estate agent the average number of kids in their prospective neighborhoods.

Bought his jaw where Bill Cowher shops.

Intensity one would expect from the son of a decorated Marine hero.

Smart and witty. Asked if he broke anything in the Rose Bowl press box when his defense allowed 38 points to Southern Cal, he said, "Just my heart."

That was patched up when his unit made the one stop it had to have on the most famous fourth-and-2 stand in school history, giving Texas the impetus for the comeback and a 41-38 victory.

Chizik is back for a second year, but don't necessarily bank on a third one for all the reasons above. Duane Akina, Texas' co-coordinator, could be on the fast track as well.

Forget the bias against hiring assistant coaches who have never been the head guy, Brown said.

"Top assistants are getting a lot more jobs," said Brown, naming Syracuse, Mississippi State and Boise State as recent examples. "Head coaches are getting fired or too old."

Brown's theory holds water. Eight of this year's 11 new Division I-A coaches are in their their first head coaching jobs.

But other than promoted 36-year-old defensive coordinator Bret Bielema at Wisconsin, the bulk of those vacancies were filled at college football outposts like Buffalo, Temple, Middle Tennessee State and San Diego State. Seen any of those teams in a BCS bowl game lately?

Most recent head coaching jobs that have gone to rookies are not off the beaten path, but they're not at football hotbeds. Places like Mississippi, North Carolina, Syracuse and Boise State.

Some top aides inherit jobs at winning programs, but those almost always leave marquee football schools, as Florida's defensive coordinator Bob Stoops did to join Oklahoma. The same held true for Florida State products Mark Richt and Chuck Amato, who left to take over at Georgia and North Carolina State.

The rest, however, start in places like Buffalo, and we're not talking the Bills.

"They came off very successful staffs," coaching head-hunter Jed Hughes said of the Richts and Amatos. "Florida State was hot. OU has had two or three (Chuck Long, Mike Leach, Mark Mangino) leave because the brand is hot."

But Hughes disagrees with Brown's contention.

"In the last five years," Hughes said, "of the schools that had been in the BCS games more than two times, six of eight had previous head coaching experience."

Hughes has some insight in the process. The former assistant Pittsburgh Steelers coach under Chuck Noll works for the international, 50-year-old Spencer Stuart executive search firm and has helped place head coaches in eight jobs over the last eight years, including Ohio State's Jim Tressel, Cleveland Browns' Romeo Crennel and St. Louis Rams' Scott Linehan.

And he speaks from experience. Bittersweet experience, in some instances.

As UCLA's defensive coordinator and one of the nation's top recruiters from 1976-81, Hughes had shots at head coaching vacancies.

"I came close two or three times on good jobs," he said. "But not top 10 jobs. I think there's a difference. I know Chizik and his reputation, and he's probably sitting in a position to compete for a head coaching job like Stoops did."

Chizik also has the advantage of having excelled at two upper-flight programs — Texas and Auburn. Heck, he has a personal, 28-game win streak that dates back to Nov. 15, 2003 when the Tigers fell 26-7 at Georgia.

"I don't remember it," Chizik said, "but I know I was really depressed."

Chizik turned down a secondary job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is probably better-suited to college because of its lifestyle and job security. His new $325,400 salary doesn't hurt.

"I think he's a star," Brown said, "but he's very humble, and he's always been sensitive about how he and Duane are co-coordinators. He doesn't ever talk about himself. After last year, it could be all about him."

With Chizik, it's more about them — the returning players off last year's 10th best Division I-A defense. Who knows, unless an Auburn or a North Carolina opens up and is interested, Chizik may return again next year.

As he put it, "I'm here at the University of Texas. I have the best job in the country."

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SKCAUB Founding Father

SKCAUB 0

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Could care less.

No WAR-Matt...you COULDN'T care less...COULDN'T!!! :)

:au::homer:

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WAR-MATT Founding Father

WAR-MATT 2

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Could care less.

No WAR-Matt...you COULDN'T care less...COULDN'T!!! :)

:au::homer:

Posted BC "Before Coffee". ;)

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tigerfan1234 Proficient

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I would have no issue with the man if he didn't make some shady comments when he was hired at Texas about Auburn and Tubberville. I can't quite remember what he said, but I do remember being a little put off by some of his statements upon accepting the UT job. Also, UT is the best job in the country? A great job no doubt, but come on, there are alot of great jobs out there in college football. He had a great one at Auburn. My feelings on the comments that coaches make all the time about having the best job is that if you are working for a major program on a top 25 level, you have one of the best jobs in college football. In my opinion, Auburn and Texas are pretty much on equal footing. Now, UT has a leg up on AU because Austin is supposed to be a very cool city and the city of Auburn is still a developing place. Auburn will never be as large as Austin anyway. As far as strictly football though, AU and UT are on a level field.

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ProgRock Proficient

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Nah...that's what Al's for.I think Chizik is a trader in my opinion,he didn't move up he moved to co-captain(sound's very cheerleaderish doesn't it) defensive coach.Good riddance we don't need ya anymore,we got the MUSH!!

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tiger88 Founding Father

tiger88 934

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I doubt borges will ever hc at AU, just a feeling.

afa chizik all we know about him is that he can do great things when provided with a mountain of talent. It takes a heckuva lot more than that to be a hc. We'll see how he does on his own and that is anybody's guess.

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Raven_tiger Founding Father

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I doubt borges will ever hc at AU, just a feeling.

afa chizik all we know about him is that he can do great things when provided with a mountain of talent. It takes a heckuva lot more than that to be a hc. We'll see how he does on his own and that is anybody's guess.

He did a great job at UCF, that's why he landed the Auburn position. UCF is not particularly noted for having great talent, sans Duante Culpepper... :rolleyes:

It just sounds like sour grapes. Tubby made some verbal jabs at Chizik as well. We don't know what happened behind the scenes. :homer:

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Raven_tiger Founding Father

Raven_tiger 5

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Best of luck to him, he did a great job @ UCF, AU and UT.

:cheer:

:au:

He's already married raven. Keep it in your pants. :rolleyes:

Nice, did you retain that from 7th grade?

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DKW 86 Founding Father

DKW 86 6,364

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I doubt borges will ever hc at AU, just a feeling.

afa chizik all we know about him is that he can do great things when provided with a mountain of talent. It takes a heckuva lot more than that to be a hc. We'll see how he does on his own and that is anybody's guess.

He did a great job at UCF, that's why he landed the Auburn position. UCF is not particularly noted for having great talent, sans Duante Culpepper... :rolleyes:

It just sounds like sour grapes. Tubby made some verbal jabs at Chizik as well. We don't know what happened behind the scenes. :homer:

Yeah, I think he was 1-0? versus Al Qabama before he got here.

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tiger88 Founding Father

tiger88 934

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Best of luck to him, he did a great job @ UCF, AU and UT.

:cheer:

:au:

He's already married raven. Keep it in your pants. :rolleyes:

Nice, did you retain that from 7th grade?

No I just thought it appropriate with you breaking out the gay looking sexually ambiguous pom pom character at the drop of a hat everytime someone mention chizik. Jesus man we get the point you like chizik. Drop the pom pom thingy if you want me to quit busting on it.

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tiger88 Founding Father

tiger88 934

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I doubt borges will ever hc at AU, just a feeling.

afa chizik all we know about him is that he can do great things when provided with a mountain of talent. It takes a heckuva lot more than that to be a hc. We'll see how he does on his own and that is anybody's guess.

He did a great job at UCF, that's why he landed the Auburn position. UCF is not particularly noted for having great talent, sans Duante Culpepper... :rolleyes:

It just sounds like sour grapes. Tubby made some verbal jabs at Chizik as well. We don't know what happened behind the scenes. :homer:

He did a good job overall at ucf, I'm sure. I don't remeber ever hearing of him until he was provided tons of talent at AU though. Like I said, we'll see how he does when he gets his shot. I don't doubt that he may do very well. However, many with better resumes have failed when given their hc shots.

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Raven_tiger Founding Father

Raven_tiger 5

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Best of luck to him, he did a great job @ UCF, AU and UT.

:cheer:

:au:

He's already married raven. Keep it in your pants. :rolleyes:

Nice, did you retain that from 7th grade?

No I just thought it appropriate with you breaking out the gay looking sexually ambiguous pom pom character at the drop of a hat everytime someone mention chizik. Jesus man we get the point you like chizik. Drop the pom pom thingy if you want me to quit busting on it.

Did you say Chizik??? :cheer:

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CCTAU Founding Father

CCTAU 2,057

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Raven Tiger is a girl... :cheer::cheer: :cheer:

Chizik is a guy... :cheer::cheer: :cheer:

Doesnt sound GAY to me...

Raven's a girl?

She fights like a guy. :huh:

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