Where will Chizik turn for Auburn assistant coaches?

[AUSportTalk 4]

Bad weather socked in new Auburn coach Gene Chizik and his recruiting trips Tuesday morning, but he's still has plans to hit the skies today. What's he looking for? Football players. Apparently, any clarity about his coaching staff will have to wait.

Chizik is not giving any clues at who he is looking at, coaching-wise, but is it a stretch to think he won't look at a few guys with Auburn connections?

Here are some guys to consider, most of whom have plenty of SEC experience:

Again, we're only doing a little semi-informed guessing. The common theme: Pat Dye. Here goes, in some reasonable order:

Rodney Garner (Auburn, 1984-1988). He's the assistant head coach and defensive line coach at Georgia, and was interviewed just last week by Auburn when the Tigers were looking for a head coach. He's also Georiga's recruiting coordinator, and that's the key. He was an Auburn assistant coach from 1990-95. He's also coached at Tennessee.

Tracy Rocker (Auburn, 1985-88). A winner of the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award at Auburn, Rocker is the defensive line coach at Ole Miss. He spent the five previous seasons at Arkansas. While still a member of the Arkansas staff, he was honored with a presentation of his Auburn jersey at Jordan-Hare Stadium after being inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Stacy Searels (Auburn, 1984-87). An All-American offensive lineman at Auburn, and a graduate assistant at Auburn in 1992-93, Searels is another Georgia assistant who may pique Chizik's interest. He coaches the offensive line at Georgia after coaching the O-Line at LSU the previous four years.

Patrick Nix (Auburn, 1992-95). Former Auburn quarterback who has been the offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. He's now the offensive coordinator at Miami. Like Garner, was interviewed when Auburn was looking for a head coach.

Kurt Crain (Auburn 1986-87) Presently waiting to coach linebackers as an assistant coach at South Alabama, Crain was an Auburn assistant from 1993-95 and a graduate assistant before that. His Auburn connections include working for head coaches Pat Sullivan and Larry Blakeney.

Wayne Bolt (Auburn, 1981-85, 1990, assistant coach). On Gene Chizik's staff at Iowa State, Bolt played for Pat Dye at East Carolina and was on his staff there and at Auburn. He was Chizik's defensive coordinator, but lost that title after the season, but was to remain on his staff. He was a long-time assistant for Larry Blakeney at Troy. He was also defensive coordinator at UAB.

Another guy to consider is Joe Whitt, the one-time long-time Auburn assistant who coached linebackers when Chizik was Auburn's defensive coordinator from 2002-04. Chizik has already recruited Whitt out of Tigers Unlimited and put him on the recruiting trail.

[Guest auburn warrior]

i hope we get the first 3

[AUSportTalk 4]

Here is a list of coaches i have gathered the last few days

There is def gonna be names added and taken off this list but this is a GREAT start!!

Head Coach - Gene Chizik

O Coordinator, QB Coach, asst HC - Borges and/or Pat Nix, or Gus Malzahn

OL Coach - Robert Mcfarland or Stacy Searels

WR Coach - Jeff Rodgers

TE Spec Teams - Scott Fountain

D Coordinator - Vic Koening/John Chavis

Asst D Coord - Rodney Garner

Staff - Mike Pelton, Tracy Rocker

Staff - Joe Whitt jr

Staff - Dunn (out)

*Also heard Coach Willis could possibly stay, but I guess not after seeing the assistants won't be retained.

Dir of Football Opp - Jimmy Perry (from the Tuberville staff)

HS Relations - Jeff Koonz

Director of NFL Relations - Phillip Lolley (from Tuberville staff)

[RunningBackU1345162763 0]

What do you really think are the chances we turn back to Borges?  He really had a tough time getting his offense going here, or it can be argued that he was handcuffed a little with his strategies by the head coach I guess.  Just seems hard to believe that we would go back to a guy who's system really didn't work as anticipated. 

[Jackson-Sullivan 0]

I think he may have been held back a bit.  It was pretty damn good at the begining and then fizzled out at the end.  Carlos Rodgers said that Jason Campbell really wants to see Borges back for what it's worth.

[RunningBackU1345162763 0]

Interesting point on J Cam.  Never knew that.  But for what it is worth, anyone could have made those guys look great.  Plus Borges' system was really devised for that offensive team, too bad he never changed it the next few seasons. 

[AUSportTalk 4]

Yeah well i really think that he might have been held back a lil but i also think that he ran out of ideas b/c his offense became highly predictable b/c i could basically call the plays by knowing how they set up! That is bad b/c if i can i know the defenses can read it! We will see within the next few days though!

[The Duke 0]

Yeah, I really hope that Borges is not the guy that is called on as OC; he did a good job, but like Nick said it would be hard to be bad with those guys. We probably could have told them the play and where the ball was going and it wouldn't have mattered.

[Guest auburn warrior]

well from what i've heard you probably won't hear anything on assisstants until; after christmas

[Kiser 0]

Yeah, I don't think Borges would be a good idea.  I don't know how much free reign he had while Tuberville was coach, but our offensive numbers slid every year since 2004.  By the time he left, we were one of the worst teams in NCAA football offensively.

[RunningBackU1345162763 0]

Well I don't know if you guys saw and I also haven't looked further up the board where it was probably already reported but Borges is headed to San Diego State as OC.