Gus Malzahn: Worth His Weight in Gold

[Rednilla 5,403]

Gus Malzahn is beyond impressive. In six years as offensive coordinator in college, this is the first in which his offense isn't performing better than it had in recent memory. To suggest that the 1.3 million he makes annually is over priced is to utterly not understand economics and what Malzahn has actually done for Auburn.

Taking nothing away from Gene Chizik (who deserves far more credit than he gets from national pundits), hiring Gus Malzahn was perhaps the most brilliant move he has made as head coach at Auburn...and that includes such things as going for it on fourth down during the decisive drive against Alabama and taking a shot on an immensely athletic yet troubled youth from a junior college in Podunk, Texas. Malzahn isn't perfect, no, but he molds his offense around the talent he has rather than forcing a square peg into a circular hole. He has a penchant for calling plays that make the defense look silly, and his greatest playcall of all was the faked bubble screen in which Cam Newton hit Kodi Burns for the opening touchdown against Oregon. Or recognizing the matchup with hybrid defensive end/linebacker Kenny Rowe and Emory Blake for the second touchdown in the same game. Or the...

Apologies, there are many good memories from last season. Some have short memory spans though, it seems. Coleman McDowell of the Auburn Plainsman argues that Malzahn is overpaid, that the success he has had is due to the athletes he has had rather than his playcalling methods. While the argument is valid, is that not a part of it? Utilizing the talent at hand to produce greatness? Was Tom Osborne any less of a coach because he had Tommie Frazier running the triple option attack? Was Pat Dye any less the coach who turned it all around for Auburn because he had Bo to go Over the Top? As the saying goes, it's less about the X's and the O's and more about the Jimmies and the Joes.

On that topic, the Auburn offense lost four of the five starters on the offensive line. Recruiting has shined for the last couple of years under the new coaching staff, and four linemen ranked in the top 100 of rivals.com's overall recruiting rankings have been signed to take their place, but they are young. Two are redshirting to get up to speed on SEC defenses, one is struggling after being thrust into the starting center spot as a true freshman, and the future of the fourth is less a matter of concern about living up to his potential on the football field and more about him living a full life.

As a result, Malzahn has a patchwork O-line comprised of the two guys who split the right tackle spot last year and a couple of players left over from the Tuberville days to man the positions around Reese Dismukes, and coming into the season there were a total of 14 starts between the starting five. Assuredly they have all given everything they have, but the lack of experience affects the chemistry, which is vital for line cohesion. Ask any coach and they will tell you that games are almost always won in the trenches, so without that comradery, the unit is bound to struggle...and with it the offense.

In other words, Malzahn has been playing with the deck stacked decidedly against him this season. It is impossible to lose 8 starters and not have a fall off, and it is becoming more and more clear that the only quarterback on the team with the athletic tools to be successful in the SEC is a true freshman who is struggling to figure it all out.

Add all of those things together, and it means that this year's struggles are not Malzahn's fault. Predictability is a necessity, at least to some extent, when there are a limited number of plays that have a high probability of success, as there are this season.

However, future possibilities aside, none of this explains why Gus Malzahn is worth every bit of the 1.3 million he is being paid: excitement. After being left in shambles by the failed Tony Franklin experiment, Auburn fans were understandably loathe to open up to a "spread" offense again, but the buzz he brought with him after turning a successful high school career into a successful college career translated into an invigorated fan base and, perhaps even more importantly, renewed interest from top offensive prospects.

So the question that must be asked is this: would Cam Newton have been so interested in coming to Auburn if not for Gus Malzahn? I mean, come on, his other two options were to play for his old offensive coordinator or for perrenial powerhouse Oklahoma, which has developed a pipeline of QBs to the NFL similar to the one Auburn has for RBs. Now, yes, Auburn is the Loveliest Village, but Newton quite obviously was on a mission to make his last two years of college ball count, so he wouldn't have chosen an offense he didn't believe he could excel in.

Or what about Michael Dyer? Or Emory Blake? The argument can be made that Malzahn was a direct cause of those players coming to Auburn, and thus of the national championship they were all a part of, even if it really is more about the Jimmies and the Joes than his play calling or coaching style. Going farther, he is a major contributing force for many of the top prospects Auburn has signed over the last few years, the ones who will be making their names in the coming seasons.

More to the point, his contributions to the team have brought an amazing level of success, and along with that big time respect...not to mention increased sales of Auburn products and all other things that come with having a year like 2010. That, in and of itself, is worth the 1.3 million; the upswing in the program under Malzahn's watch (which is largely because of him), however, is priceless.

[wdeexit310 0]

I hop;e Gus stays, but to be a Hc is really a dream for him,,,,,Some of this year has not been all his fault...You can only do

so much when the execution part is just not there.

[NCTiger 0]

Thanks for posting this. He has done so much for us.

War Eagle !

[gilstein211345162940 0]

one thing I was thinking about yesterday was, what happened to the motion and shifts we used a lot in 2009? I know last year's attack had a different focus with Cam, but this years offensive personnel is similar to 2009. Why not use the deception the motion and shifts created to slow the defense down a step?

[Orange and Blue 17211345162833 0]

Gus has been great, but if he leaves, i wouldn't mind us running a physical offense similar to what LSU runs.

[NoALtiger 3,873]

Outstanding post sir.

[Auctoritas 2,828]

Ok, just because I had to...

Assuming he is 200 pounds, his worth is $5,519,630, using the Nov 18th USD close on the NYSE.

[n2hoops 0]

Gus has been great, but if he leaves, i wouldn't mind us running a physical offense similar to what LSU runs.

Can't and won't do this - we have recruited this type of player for three years now - we are too far down this path to try to switch gears now, at least not without some major retooling and a few more years of pain.

IF Gus leaves for a head coaching job, we'll bring in someone who uses a similar style - maybe not a Gus clone but someone who can incorporate what we already have and take advantage of what the coaches have been building towards.

War Eagle!!

[3rdgen 2]

Gus has been great, but if he leaves, i wouldn't mind us running a physical offense similar to what LSU runs.

Can't and won't do this - we have recruited this type of player for three years now - we are too far down this path to try to switch gears now, at least not without some major retooling and a few more years of pain.

IF Gus leaves for a head coaching job, we'll bring in someone who uses a similar style - maybe not a Gus clone but someone who can incorporate what we already have and take advantage of what the coaches have been building towards.

War Eagle!!

I don't know how what malzahn runs is not termed power running? Maybe it is the formation, the shotgun snap, or that we don't have a true fullback? We are all of about 280 yards behind lsu in rushing with less attepts. We are also about 280 yards behind the 2004 team in rushing which has to be our most talented team since the Bo era.

[gilstein211345162940 0]

the big difference in gus's system and some traditional power systems are those hybrid players like Bray and Reed.

[Lynx34 0]

Gus has been great, but if he leaves, i wouldn't mind us running a physical offense similar to what LSU runs.

Can't and won't do this - we have recruited this type of player for three years now - we are too far down this path to try to switch gears now, at least not without some major retooling and a few more years of pain.

IF Gus leaves for a head coaching job, we'll bring in someone who uses a similar style - maybe not a Gus clone but someone who can incorporate what we already have and take advantage of what the coaches have been building towards.

War Eagle!!

I don't how what malzahn runs is not termed power running?  Maybe it is the formation, the shotgun snap, or that we don't have a true fullback?  We are all of about 280 yards behind lsu in rushing with less attepts.  We are also about 280 yards behind the 2004 team in rushing which has to be our most talented team since the Bo era. 

We're only down about 20 rushing yards per game relative to LSU.  How about 2010?  More than 70 yards rushing per game than what LSU has this year.  Oh, was it just because of Cam?  2009: 3 yards rushing more per game than 2011 LSU.  The problem is the OL being a mix of not strong enough and not experienced enough.  Give them another year and let's see where we're at.  The problem is not the scheme.  Our rushing game isn't even terrible this year, it's jsut not as good as we're used to even, nay, ESPECIALLY since we've had Malzahn.  Give everyone another year, and we'll ahve a much more explosive offense next year.  I guarantee it.

[alexava 6,974]

rednilla, you are right on on all points. im ok with the record this year, somewhat dissapointed in the lack of improvement and the blowouts. but i am a huge believer in gus and it will take much more than one bad year to change that. the rest of the coaches are not as untouchable, but i hope we keep most of the staff together. i thought we would be a championship contender again in '12 but i am pushing that back to '13 now. just hoping to be competitive again next year.

[keesler 5,934]

Gus has been great, but if he leaves, i wouldn't mind us running a physical offense similar to what LSU runs.

We haven't recruited the players for that offense.  And, why would we want to run what other teams are running anyway? 

[TexasTiger 13,340]

the big difference in gus's system and some traditional power systems are those hybrid players like Bray and Reed.

LSU had Trindon Holliday.

[keesler 5,934]

I agree - I just hope with this much needed experience they've gained this year, that some of them somehow obtain a mean streak and get tough, really tough so they can play with attitude.

Gus has been great, but if he leaves, i wouldn't mind us running a physical offense similar to what LSU runs.

Can't and won't do this - we have recruited this type of player for three years now - we are too far down this path to try to switch gears now, at least not without some major retooling and a few more years of pain.

IF Gus leaves for a head coaching job, we'll bring in someone who uses a similar style - maybe not a Gus clone but someone who can incorporate what we already have and take advantage of what the coaches have been building towards.

War Eagle!!

I don't how what malzahn runs is not termed power running?  Maybe it is the formation, the shotgun snap, or that we don't have a true fullback?  We are all of about 280 yards behind lsu in rushing with less attepts.  We are also about 280 yards behind the 2004 team in rushing which has to be our most talented team since the Bo era. 

We're only down about 20 rushing yards per game relative to LSU.  How about 2010?  More than 70 yards rushing per game than what LSU has this year.  Oh, was it just because of Cam?  2009: 3 yards rushing more per game than 2011 LSU.  The problem is the OL being a mix of not strong enough and not experienced enough.  Give them another year and let's see where we're at.  The problem is not the scheme.  Our rushing game isn't even terrible this year, it's jsut not as good as we're used to even, nay, ESPECIALLY since we've had Malzahn.  Give everyone another year, and we'll ahve a much more explosive offense next year.  I guarantee it.

[bdc81 90]

CGM brought us out of the wilderness offensively, brought us CN and helped us win BCS championship.

No one however is worth their weight in gold.  Somewhere there is a offensive coach who is underappreciated.

Bobby Petrino in in 2002?  If CGM accepts an offer to be HC at a major program then I wish him well and will follow his success.  I ask CGC to find an OC who has championship ability. That search should be easier than in 2008 with the success we have enjoyed, the talent that has been recruited and the money we can offer.

Little doc

[vandyvoot 8]

Gus has been great, but if he leaves, i wouldn't mind us running a physical offense similar to what LSU runs.

We haven't recruited the players for that offense.  And, why would we want to run what other teams are running anyway? 

Because that is not the offense we are running. And because it is not the offense CGM wants to run and since CGM was hired to run his offense in CGC's total team effort that's why. Don't mean to sound blunt or rude in that answer, but it is the truth. If CGC thought this offense wouldn't work, he would have never hired this OC to run it. Does the "spread" work in college football, yes. Obviously it does, or we would not have a crystal football in our trophy case and MANY other teams running a similar offense. This year the pro-style looks great because (and it kills me to type this) you have two great teams running it. Will the spread continue to work next year? Probably so. Will some/most pro-styles still work? Pretty sure they will too. Heck, the wishbone still works too IF you have the players to run it.

Look, our offense has looked pretty anemic several times this year and I don't blame many for getting frustrated, because I am too. But why are we going to re-invent the wheel less than 12 months from hoisting that beautiful trophy? Give our players a chance to mature both physically and mentally before we scrap 3 years of hard work and excellent recruiting. x

[tigerclaw78 0]

^THIS^ The above post and thread topic are great examples of common sense and logical thinking. Don't push the panic people. As of this week CGM is  an AU family member. I am sure we are all happy about that. War Eagle!!!

[AU20021345162822 0]

Gus has been great.  The Plainsman article was lacking actual facts and logic.  Stating we should run the ball more when running it this year means 2 yards a pop is mindless dribble.  I would agree that the play calling this year has lacked imagination and we have been really bland.  With that said, the O line is abysmal and has lead to 100% of the issues on Offense this year.  Its hard to know what is being call and what can be called when someone is missing a block (s) every play.  You can't judge a QB, RB, or Coach when every play includes blown blocking assignments that make the play called a moot point.

[AUIH1 1,515]

Gus has proven to be good OC at every school where he has been the OC.  This is his 1st poor season as OC.  I want Gus to stay.  We have really only seen his true HUNH offense in 2009 and with that veteran OL, Chris Todd was a bona fide SEC QB.  If Gus decides to leave, I wish him the best.  He has made offense relevant again at AU.

wde

[doc4aday 1,887]

Great post!!!  It is nice to know that we will have CGM onboard for at least the next 2 or so seasons. I think he knows what is just around the corner in 2012 & 2013 when he has an OL that is well seasoned and a bevy of RBs and receivers!

WDE!!

Doc