Dare I say?

[InDNo 0]

With the talent we have in underclassmen (freshmen and sophomores, particularly) and with good recruiting (which Tommy Tuberville's always done), Tuberville has a chance to become a bona fide legend (note that I used both bold and italics in the word immediately preceding this parenthetical; that's for really, really heavy emphasis) at Auburn.

Dare I say there could come a day when Auburn fans would talk about a coaching triumvirate of Auburn football history: Jordan, Dye and Tuberville --- in no particular order?

It's very possible.

Thanks for your commitment to Auburn, Tommy!

warau

[AU-Dave 7]

I sure hope so!

[Justin5 20]

Lets first worry about finding a QB for next season. I would LOVE Kodi to step up and take the job but he definitely isnt there yet.

[AUChizad 0]

If he retires here, yes.

Plain & simple.

Does he have room to cement that legendary status? Absolutely.

[DCWarEagle 0]

Tub isn't quite in the same league with the other two yet, but he could make it in the next few years. Here are the first things that come to my mind about those three coaches.

Shug was the leader of the team for a quarter century. He is by far the winningest coach in Auburn history (176 wins, no one else even has 100). He won a national championship. He coached a Heisman winner. Our stadium in named in honor of him. He was our basketball coach. He was a WWII hero and, from all accounts, a spectacularly good person.

Dye brought Auburn to an even level with Alabama. He won four SEC championships, including three in a row. He was a large part of the Iron Bowl being brought to Auburn. He coahced a Heisman winner. Our field is named in honor of him.

Tub led Auburn to a perfect season (should have been a national championship). He has won six Iron Bowls in a row (and counting). He does very well in the big games against top competition.

I think in order to get on the same level as the other guys, Tub needs to get to at least 100 wins (at Auburn, I know he got his 100th career win earlier this year) and needs to win at least two more SEC championsips, or one SEC and one undisputed MNC. He also must retire an Auburn man.

[AUman43 5]

I disagree as much as I loved Coach Jordan and Dye. First of all, Shug won, on the average, less games per year than Tubs. He did it in a day and age when there were more schollys and less rules. He was a "legend in his own time" so to speak, and as such, nobody spoke openly of firing him when he won 3, 4, or 5 games per year, although I can assure you there were years in which much criticism and unrest was present. Yes, he was a fine man and a good coach and he loved Auburn, but in truth, that's about all. Dye, on the other hand, was a better coach in my opinion because he has done more than Shug with more stringent rules and limited schollys and had a better record against Alabama. Tubby has had a winning record almost every year after his first year and has won on the average, about 8-9 games per year. Shug had down years in which he barely had winning seasons. Tubs has also beat Alabama more than any coach that preceded him, including Dye and Shug. He has also won SEC championships and actually won a national championship, which in my opinion, we were denied unjustly just as Dye was in 1983. Each man has played a key role in Auburn's evolution as a national football power. Shug brought us to the national level and began to bring other teams to Auburn that had refused to play there before. Dye further leveled the playing field with Alabama and taught us not to fear them by teaching discipline, pride and smash mouth football. He also inspired the school's leadership to invest in our future by expanding and modernizing our football facilities and putting a bankrupt program back in the black through his astute management style. Tubs has finished the job in terms of beating Alabama on a regular basis, as well as other top 10 and nationally recognized football powers, having us in the top ten each year and competing for the MNC, done a fine job recruiting, and overseen AND will oversee more dramatic upgrading of our athletic facilities. Last but not least, he has made Auburn proud, just as the other two did by turning out fine young Auburn men to represent the school well that we all love dearly. JMHO WDE!

[warjacket 0]

It is not comparable.

First stats over the eras have changed. Shug played 10 game seasons. Today we play 12-13 game seasons.

Football was a slower, less athletic sport of men in the older days that is now a faster, more athletic sport of boys. (Anyone that was 17 and lived through the depression or war was a man, not a boy. Today many 30 year olds have not reached manhood.)

Conference championships were awarded even for ties. If CTT was awarded a championship for every time he has tied for the west, he could be called nothing but dominate.

The membership in the conference has changed and shifted during the years. 12 members with a championship game is much more difficult than the old format.

Auburn's traditional rivalries have improved. UAT has not, but LSU, UGA, and UF have all become much more consistent powerhouses than they were during Shug or Pat's time.

MOST IMPORTANT, without Shug and without Dye, there is not an Auburn program to welcome Tuberville. Heck, even Tot is important to the AU legacy. We are what we are (my favorite Sabearism) because of how we got here. Our history helps to define our future by setting priorities, goals, and humbling us when needed, and providing motivation to us always.

Shug will always be the gentleman that defined an Auburn man.

Dye will always be the man that took AU out from under Bryant's shadow.

Tot will always be the guy that proved our best desires can become our worse dreams.

And CTT will be remembered as the man that rebuilt AU into the team of the present and future.

[kingfish 63]

... nobody spoke openly of firing him when he won 3, 4, or 5 games per year, although I can assure you there were years in which much criticism and unrest was present.

Shug had down years in which he barely had winning seasons. Tubs has also beat Alabama more than any coach that preceded him, including Dye and Shug.

Shug came to Auburn in 1951 after the worst times in our football history.

1947 record 2- 7-0

1948 record 1- 8-1

1949 record 2- 4-3

1950 record 0-10-0

We had lost every game in the year prior to his arrival, and we had won only 5 games total during the four year period before Shug got here. The last winning season was 6-4-1 in 1942 and 6-4-1 in 1940. This was definitely a dark period in our past.

Shug takes over in 1951 and goes 5-5 followed by 1952's 2-8-0 ... remember freshmen couldn't play on the varsity in these years. Recruiting begins to kick in and we have our first winning season at 7-3-1 in 1953 (the first winning season in 12 years). Subsequent records:

1954 record 8-3-0

1955 record 8-2-1

1956 record 7-3-0

1957 record 10-0-0 (Nat'l C'hip) first AP National Championship to be won in the state of Alabama.

1958 record 9-0-1

After this time Shug had only 2 losing seasons 1966 4-6-0 and his last year 1975 4-6-1. Shug not only brought Auburn up to national prominence from one of the worst times in college football, but he did it with class and dignity.

As for victories against Alabama: Shug had the 5 game streak record until Tubs. Shug, not CTT, has won the most games against Bama of any AU coach with 9.

There was never a time of serious dissatisfaction from a significant group of AU supporters ... sure there would be the grumblings from the everpresent few that Shug had spoiled with his great success.

Never has a finer gentleman or classier person ever walked the sidelines than one Ralph Shug Jordan -- the man who quickly took Auburn from its darkest years into college football prominence.

[redfish99999 0]

Coach Jordan was also a fine gentleman and an excellent teacher ( a real college professor at UofGA)

These are traits that you do not see in todays coaches.............

I remember once, when he was discussing a celebration, he said "We threw up our hats".....then he quickly corrected himself and said "We tossed up our hats"............. How many of todays coaches would know the difference??

Another tine , during a game, the offense did not perform on a particular play.... Coach Jordan called the same play several times in a row and said "We will keep running it 'till we get it right"..... that's a teacher..

[AUChizad 0]

I remember once, when he was discussing a celebration, he said "We threw up our hats".....then he quickly corrected himself and said "We tossed up our hats"............. How many of todays coaches would know the difference??

I'm sure BG's thrown up a few hats. They can't possibly digest well.

[War Eagle 96 10]

Coach Jordan was also a fine gentleman and an excellent teacher ( a real college professor at UofGA)

CSJ had a graduate degree?

[AURaptor 1,114]

Lets first worry about finding a QB for next season. I would LOVE Kodi to step up and take the job but he definitely isnt there yet.

It is I who will so boldly claim that BC, brave and determined as he is, held Auburn back from even more greatness. Yes, I'll say it. We won 3 IB's despite his efforts, not because of them.

Time will tell.

WDE