A shared history

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http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/huntsvill....xml&coll=1

A shared history

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

By PHILLIP MARSHALL Times Sports Staffpmarsh9485@msn.com

Though you are in your shining days,

Voices among the crowd

And new friends busy with your praise,

Be not unkind or proud,

But think about old friends the most

-W.B. Yeats

AU's Muschamp, LSU's Fisher have a common bond

AUBURN - Memories of shared celebrations, of laughter and tears, of long days and longer nights, bind Auburn defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and LSU offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher.

In 2003, they celebrated a national championship together at LSU, two families reveling in the joy of the experience of a lifetime. The marching of time has only made their friendship closer.

"It's a bond we'll always have," Fisher said. "Coaches have to trust each other just like players do. He knew we would take care of our business and we knew he was going to take care of his. He's one of my very best friends."

But for Muschamp, Fisher and those closest to them, Saturday will be a day like no other.

In the sound and fury of Jordan-Hare Stadium, No. 3 Auburn and No. 6 LSU will play a football game of great importance.

The Muschamps and the Fishers won't celebrate together, not this time. Each will do all he can to make sure the other goes home for a long and sleepless night pondering what might have been.

"I can guarantee you that, on game day, nobody wants to beat us more than he does and nobody wants to beat them more than I do," Muschamp said. "It's part of the profession. You learn to accept it."

For their families, the weekend will be one of a reunion of friends and one of apprehension, a strange mixture of emotions.

Candi Fisher and Carol Muschamp became close friends while their husbands were at LSU. They negotiated the challenges of motherhood together. Their oldest sons - Trey Fisher, 5, and Jackson Muschamp, 4, - were born five months apart. Their youngest - Ethan and Whit - were born two months apart. The families each are part-owners of the same beach house.

"It's kind of like we are all one family," Carol Muschamp said. "We support each other. Will and Jimbo both have a great work ethic and are great family men. They have a real unique friendship. They have a lot in common, and Candi and I have lot in common.

"We have leaned on each other with our children. During football season, it's like you are a single mom. At LSU, we would get together and cook dinner and do things with our kids."

Candi Fisher and her children plan to arrive early to spend time with their old friends. They'll reminisce about those times. What they won't do is talk a lot about the football game to come.

"Coaching is such a small circle," Candi Fisher said. "The people you spend the most time with are the coaches and their wives. The children grow up together. You go through a lot of highs and lows and stress together. When one person leaves, you don't just lose that."

But friendship will be put aside when it's time to play. Football games are very personal for those whose livelihood depends on the outcome.

"It's a little different," Carol said. "We have all our friends coming in from LSU. This time, I'm going to be the odd person out. There has to be a winner and a loser. I just hope we're the winner.

"Jackson knows we are playing LSU. He said 'My friends are going to pull for LSU and I'm going to pull for Auburn. Do you think they'll get their feelings hurt?' It's hard for him. The children have to adapt and adjust just like we do."

That's why Muschamp and Fisher will put in long hours before Saturday, looking for the keys to success in a game that could make the winner a serious national championship contender.

"I'm sure the competitiveness for both of us will take over," Fisher said. "When it's over, we'll shake hands and be friends just like we've always been."

It was at Auburn that Fisher and Muschamp met for the first time. Fisher was Terry Bowden's quarterbacks coach when Muschamp joined the staff as a defensive graduate assistant in 1995. They became close friends almost immediately.

"We had a lot in common," Fisher said. "When I was around him for the first time, I could just tell he got it."

By 2001, Fisher was at LSU and Muschamp was defensive coordinator at Valdosta State. It was Fisher and Pete Jenkins, who had been Auburn's defensive line coach, who recommended Muschamp. When Saban left after the 2004 season to coach the Miami Dolphins, Muschamp went with him. Fisher stayed at LSU.

After a year with the Dolphins, Muschamp joined the Auburn staff last February. And the clash of old friends on the third Saturday in September was set.

"He's as good as I've ever been around," Fisher said. "He's energetic and aggressive and he cares. He's tough on those guys, but they respond to him."

Muschamp says taking on Fisher is a challenge that tests knowledge and preparation. In LSU scrimmages, the competitive juices would flow.

"I think the biggest thing is he has a lot of imagination," Muschamp said. "He knows what he wants to do in the throwing game, but he never gets away from running the football. The successful coaches adapt their styles to their personnel.

"You go from (LSU quarterbacks) Rohan Davey to Matt Mauck, and you have two totally different type players. (Former Auburn quarterbacks) Patrick Nix and Dameyune Craig were the same thing. He adapted what he did based on them."

Both Muschamp and Fisher dismiss talk of one having and advantage over the other. This is no scrimmage.

"Jimbo knows our talent, having competed against them," Muschamp said. "I should know the LSU kids. I recruited a lot of them. The thing is, he's not going to play a snap and neither am I. Players are going to win this game."

Fisher experienced the highs of his profession at both Auburn and LSU. He was the quarterbacks coach when Bowden started his Auburn career with 20 straight wins in 1993-94. Leaving Auburn, where Candi earned her degree in education, was hard.

"I loved it there," Fisher said. "With my personality, it seemed like I just fit in."