Scarbinsky: If trouble's coming, why aren't AU coaches leaving?

[TitanTiger 21,238]

Scarbinsky: If trouble's coming, why aren't Auburn coaches leaving?

Published: Tuesday, January 18, 2011, 5:05 AM

By Kevin Scarbinsky, Birmingham News

Gene Chizik continues to defy the odds.

The Auburn coach's latest feat? He's proved he can join and beat Mack Brown.

Six years after opening the Auburn-to-Texas pipeline, Chizik has shut it down. He managed to retain offensive line coach Jeff Grimes, who had the opportunity to join the Texas staff but turned it down to remain on the Plain.

This isn't a victory of BCS championship proportions, but it is significant on several fronts.

Big picture: Barring any late and unexpected moves, Chizik is going to keep his entire coaching staff together for a third straight year.

In the volatile world of major college football, keeping every assistant from one year to the next is almost as surprising as winning every game. At least, it's surprising to us on the outside who watch coaches change jobs almost as often as socks.

The view from the inside is a little different.

"I'm not surprised that people come after coaches on our staff, and I'm not surprised that our staff is still intact," said running backs coach and recruiting coordinator Curtis Luper. "Our situation is as close to ideal as it gets."

What? Ideal? Luper must not be reading the message boards. Otherwise, he'd be rewriting his resume.

Doesn't he know that Auburn is supposed to be the Titanic, heading for an iceberg?

Hasn't he heard that, when the NCAA and FBI get through with the Tigers, the Heisman and the crystal football will have to be returned, and the program will spend years crawling from the wreckage?

But wait. If there were truth to that theory, wouldn't the Auburn coaches be scrambling to beat the posse out of town? ...

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[RunInRed 18,318]

Good read.

Loved this line...

Six years after opening the Auburn-to-Texas pipeline, Chizik has shut it down.

Also, this line speaks volumes about Chizik...

"I feel like we work with Coach Chizik, not for him, even though we know we work for him," Luper said. "There's participation, and we all work together. We all have a role, and it's a really defined role. He's a phenomenal staff manager."

[ShocksMyBrain 9,666]

Scarbinsky just read my mind...weeks ago.

[AURaptor 1,137]

Scarbinsky just read my mind...weeks ago.

Ditto. I tried to tell anyone who'd listen on some rival boards the very same thing. They ignore it, of course.

[Ranger12 53]

When I heard that Grimes was staying, that was exactly my thoughts. If anybody knew there was something out there for us to get nailed on, it would be the coaches, yet non of them seem to be doing anywhere. Pointed that out to a Turd friend of mine who keep swearing that something is going to happen.

[BeasFan 3]

It's utterly amazing to me that others who claim basic intelligence and some grasp of logic don't see this as about as much evidence as they're going to get that the "Newton Situation" is basically a done deal. Even if the books are still open after the true killer(s) of JFK are revealed, I will be stunned if the coaches and administration and compliance committee types are still working hard and apparently willingly on what they see to be a "sinking ship."

Nice piece by Mr. Scarbinsky.