Basketball

The basketball team is off to another horrible start.  We lost last night to Winthrop 71 to 67.  This is Barbee's third year and it is obvious this is a poorly coached team.  Auburn is not supposed to lose to Winthrop ever.  I have a feeling we will suffer with Barbee this year and one more year before the next change is made.

The Coaching Hires

We go into this Christmas season in a positive frame of mind as we see Coach Malzahn's hires.  It remains to be seen how the recruiting class works out, but we certainly have to be impressed with the assistant coaching hires.  Rodney Garner returns to Auburn.  We've heard about his recruiting and coaching prowess.  Now we'll see if it's for real.

Moving Fast

I am impressed with how rapidly Coach Malzahn is getting things done.  We already have coordinators and a new strenth and conditioning coach.    I've always heard good things about Yoxall but it's clear that Malzahn is cleaning house.  I'll be surprised if AN'Y of the old coaches are retained.

Ellis Johnson/Current Staff

Ellis Johnson is a top notch DC.  I don't see how Malzahn could do any better.  It is normal to dismiss the existing staff.  Who might still remain?  Who knows.  How will the verbal commitments hold up?  Who knows.

On Coach Dye

Phillip Marshall wrote recently that Coach Dye is in danger of tarnishing his legacy with his continued controversial comments.  I agree.  Here is what he said in the aftermath of the Malzahn hiring:  "You know what? If I had been on the selection committee, I probably would have chosen Kirby."

That should have been kept to himself.  Coach Dye needs to shut up.  If I were Malzahn, I would tell Coach Dye to keep his trap closed.  He only embarasses himself, if not the university too.

Malzahn

We get the word this afternoon that the next football coach at Auburn University will be Gus Malzahn.  The news comes as s letdown.  Maybe our expectations were too high.  Maybe we expected a bigger name.  Maybe we expected too much.  This morning I was reading that Kirby Smart might be the choice.  I would have preferred taking a chance with Smart.  But Malzahn is our man.  Let's united behind him.

AU Searches Prove Productive

BY Phillip Marshall
04 December 2012

AUBURN - Since 1980, Auburn has been through five coaching searches, including the one in progress. All have yielded coaches who had perfect seasons or championship seasons.

Pat Dye, hired in early 1981, won four SEC championships. Terry Bowden, hired in 1992, went 11-0 in 1993 and won his first 20 games. Tommy Tuberville, hired in November 1998, was 13-0 and won the Southeastern Conference championship in 2004. Gene Chizik, hired in December 2008, won the BCS national championship in 2010.

Here is a look at each of the searches:

1980-1981

Doug Barfield resigned under pressure after finishing a 5-6 season with a 34-18 loss to Alabama. The search for a new head coach began with a search committee headed by national Alumni Association president Bobby Lowder reaching out to Georgia head coach Vince Dooley, a former Auburn quarterback and coach, and Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden. Both expressed interest.

The committee decided Dooley was their man. After meeting with the committee, Dooley literally had pen in hand ready to sign. His lawyer told him they should first talk to the university president. The next day, Dooley decided he would remain at Georgia.

With Bowden no longer in the mix, the committee started over. There were talks with Texas A&M coach Jackie Sherrill and Auburn freshman coach Claude Saia, but the focus soon turned to Dye, who had finished his first season at Wyoming after a successful run at East Carolina.

Dye, one of the hotter candidates in the country, was named Auburn head coach in early January. Had Dooley left Georgia for Auburn, Dye would have been named head coach at Georgia, where he was an All-American lineman.

1992

After dominating the SEC for most of the 1980's, Dye's program had hit on hard times. Two non-winning season and coming NCAA sanctions led to his resignation the night before a 17-0 loss to eventual national champion Alabama in Birmingham.

Serious candidates were hard to come by. Interim athletics director Mike Lude liked Air Force head coach Fisher DeBerry, but another search committee settled on Terry Bowden, son of Bobby and the head coach at Division I-AA Samford.

Bowden was named head coach in December of that year.

1998

Bowden resigned after a 1-5 start and was replaced by interim head coach Bill "Brother" Oliver. Numerous candidates surfaced, including former Auburn quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Pat Sullivan, Temple head coach Bobby Wallace, Miami head coach Butch Davis and others.

Many expected Oliver to get the job permanently, but he was gone shortly after the final game. But Tommy Tuberville, who had become one of the nation's hotter candidates by making an Ole Miss program crippled by severe sanctions a winner, was the target from the start. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Tuberville was named Auburn head coach. According to Tuberville, he also had a firm offer from Oklahoma and chose Auburn after consulting with his staff.
2008

Tuberville resigned days after a 36-0 loss to Alabama ended a 5-7 season. A search committee was formed. Among those interviewed were Ball State head coach Brady Hoke, Buffalo head coach Turner Gill, Louisiana Tech head coach Derek Dooley, Georgia assistants Rodney Garner and Stacey Searels and Georgia Tech head coach Paul Johnson. There were also conversations with South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier and Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt. Late in the process, the committee interviewed former Auburn defensive coordinator Gene Chizik.

In December, despite a 5-19 record in two seasons at Iowa State and 10 consecutive losses, Chizik was named Auburn head coach.

The final chapter in the story of the coaching search of 2012 remains to be written.

Interviews Today & Tomorrow

I see from Phillip Marshall that Kirby Smart will interview.  We could have a decision by tomorrow or Tuesday.

My Prediction

My prediction is that this Petrino's job to win.  If he convinces the committee that he's the man, he will be offered the job and he will accept.  Then we'll have Bo and Pat vouching for him.  The immediate Auburn nation reaction will be split and we will take a national PR hit.   If he wins all divisiveness will be forgetten, but we won't know about that until next season.  If not Petrino, then it will be Malzahn or Fisher.  Could be either one for all I know.  Bo Pelini is surely out after he had 70 rung up on him last night.  I'll be surprised if it's Stoops or some candiate out-of-the-blue.

The Coaching Search (2)

The new name this morning seems to be Bob Stoops.  At this point I have to read about the possibilities with amusement more than anything else.  Until today's games are over and we hear who  the final serious candidates are, it's all just speculation so far.  One thing I notice.  Some candidates, like Petrino and Malzahn, would have to interview.  I assume that candidates like Stoops and Fisher wouldn't have to interview.  If Auburn desires one of those guys, just offer them the job.  There is buzz about conference realignments.  Georgia Tech to the Big Ten?  Possible conference realignments will greatly affect hirings across the board.  I can't remember another year where there are so many high profile openings.