Gus Malzahns Tenure

[aubiefifty 17,487]

By Kevin Scarbinsky | kscarbinsky@al.com
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on November 03, 2016 at 8:26 AM, updated November 03, 2016 at 8:29 AM

 

 

Gus Malzahn has surprised us in so many ways this season.

He changed his sideline look from visor and sweater vest to ballcap and jacket. He changed his job description from primary play-caller to CEO. He's altered his public status from coach on the hot seat to candidate for coach of the year.

One thing about Malzahn and his Auburn program hasn't changed, though, and it might surprise you. Three times in the last four years, he's put the Tigers in the conference and national championship races at the beginning of November.

Only Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney can say the same. That would qualify as some high-quality consistency in performance.

Think about it. This year, just like in 2013 and 2014, Auburn begins the final month of the regular season with a legitimate shot at winning the SEC and winning it all.

The Tigers won the league and played for it all in 2013. They faltered badly in November of 2014 after starting the month at No. 3 in the initial College Football Playoff rankings. They fell back to chasing bowl eligibility in the last month last year.

Now, after checking in at No. 9 in this season's first playoff rankings Tuesday night, Auburn can see a way to win the SEC title and earn a spot in the playoff. It won't be easy, and it won't happen without help elsewhere, but it can happen.

 

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Malzahn's been criticized for a number of reasons during his four seasons as head coach, but he should get credit for this: He hasn't raised Auburn's ceiling, but he's done something that may be more difficult. He's lifted Auburn's floor.

How many other programs in the SEC have entered November as championship contenders three times in the last four years? Only one, and Alabama is on a historic streak. The Tide has kicked off November with real championship hopes for nine straight years.

The enormity and uniformity of that accomplishment tends to eclipse the good work of others, especially when they work in the same state.

The first playoff rankings had Auburn's paw prints all over them. Why is unbeaten Clemson No. 2 ahead of unbeaten Michigan at No. 3? In part because Clemson opened the season by beating Auburn in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Why is one-loss Texas A&M the biggest surprise at No. 4 ahead of unbeaten Washington at No. 5, one-loss Ohio State at No. 6 and one-loss Louisville at No. 7? In part because the Aggies traveled to the Plains and beat the Tigers.

 

Holsey inspired by amputee dad in return from 2nd ACL surgery

When Josh Holsey tore his ACL last season, he found inspiration 7,100 miles away in Kuwait, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Army.

 

Auburn's significant improvement since then has turned both of those road victories into quality wins and the Tigers into a contender.

Malzahn's next task is to do a much better job of finishing what he's started. November has been his worst regular-season month as the Auburn head coach. He's 2-0 in August, 9-5 in September, 12-3 in October and only 8-5 in November.

If he runs the table this month, taking down Vanderbilt, Georgia, Alabama A&M and Alabama to get to 10-2 with a nine-game winning streak, there's an excellent chance he'll be headed to Atlanta for the SEC Championship Game. That would possibly/probably put him 60 minutes away from the College Football Playoff.

Maybe this Auburn team isn't quite good enough to get there, but despite a rocky start, it has been good enough to get here. Again.

It's becoming a habit that shouldn't be overlooked or undersold.

[keesler 5,934]

Gus is still in the learning phase.  The training wheels have been removed, he can now start building momentum for the high speed race of the SEC West.  WDE!

[msza 228]

Yeah, I posted about this in another thread -- 3 of 4 Novembers in the Top 10. And if you want to remember last year (it's okay if you don't!), he's been in the Top 10 at some point of every year he's been our HC. To start the year highly ranked takes recruiting talent, to end it highly ranked takes coaching talent.

[I_M4_AU 8,285]

Great article and Gus deserves a lot of credit for getting off the perceived "hot seat".  As mentioned by keesler, the training wheels have been removed and Gus, when he reviews this season, will correct things he believes need to be addressed.

I just hope he enters next season with a team that is ready to play for a SEC Championship.

[kd4au 1,145]

I was as disappointed in the way the season started as anyone,but Gus has turned it around and I am back on the Gus bus .Watching games every week were good teams and coaches lose to teams that they are supposed to beat, I think Gus is as good as anyone out there, I just wish It didn't take his teams 3 or 4 games to get everything together at the start of the season.

[McLoofus 35,182]

53 minutes ago, kd4au said:

I just wish It didn't take his teams 3 or 4 games to get everything together at the start of the season.

I think we're about to see that trend diminish significantly. I've stated some possible reasons for why it's been that way elsewhere and I don't care to get back into it here, but I will point out 2 things: 1) no team is the same in September as it is in November and 2) he's only now got 10 years in college football at any position.

Look at these names from the OP:

1 hour ago, aubiefifty said:

Only Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Jimbo Fisher and Dabo Swinney can say the same.

-Saban's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1975. He was a college head coach 11 years before Gus got his first college job as the OC at Arkansas.
-Meyer's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1988. He was a college head coach 5 years before Gus was hired at Arkansas.
-Fisher: '91, 2010. Not that much more head coaching experience, but 15 years more experience in the college game. 
-Swinney: '96, 2009. 10 more years in CFB, 3 more years as a head coach.
-Jim Harbaugh is the presumptive name to join this list. He was an NFL head coach a year before Gus was a CFB head coach. 

Gus is way, way ahead of schedule. 

 

[jmcrosson 203]

44 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I think we're about to see that trend diminish significantly. I've stated some possible reasons for why it's been that way elsewhere and I don't care to get back into it here, but I will point out 2 things: 1) no team is the same in September as it is in November and 2) he's only now got 10 years in college football at any position.

Look at these names from the OP:

-Saban's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1975. He was a college head coach 11 years before Gus got his first college job as the OC at Arkansas.
-Meyer's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1988. He was a college head coach 5 years before Gus was hired at Arkansas.
-Fisher: '91, 2010. Not that much more head coaching experience, but 15 years more experience in the college game. 
-Swinney: '96, 2009. 10 more years in CFB, 3 more years as a head coach.
-Jim Harbaugh is the presumptive name to join this list. He was an NFL head coach a year before Gus was a CFB head coach. 

Gus is way, way ahead of schedule. 

 

Great points man. Thanks for the research. 

[kd4au 1,145]

45 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

I think we're about to see that trend diminish significantly. I've stated some possible reasons for why it's been that way elsewhere and I don't care to get back into it here, but I will point out 2 things: 1) no team is the same in September as it is in November and 2) he's only now got 10 years in college football at any position.

Look at these names from the OP:

-Saban's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1975. He was a college head coach 11 years before Gus got his first college job as the OC at Arkansas.
-Meyer's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1988. He was a college head coach 5 years before Gus was hired at Arkansas.
-Fisher: '91, 2010. Not that much more head coaching experience, but 15 years more experience in the college game. 
-Swinney: '96, 2009. 10 more years in CFB, 3 more years as a head coach.
-Jim Harbaugh is the presumptive name to join this list. He was an NFL head coach a year before Gus was a CFB head coach. 

Gus is way, way ahead of schedule. 

 

I agree Gus is short on experience at the college level compared to other coaches you pointed out and I think most of us want Gus to succeed and as I stated I think Gus is as good as anyone out there at this point.I hope you are right about the slow starts trend.

[McLoofus 35,182]

8 minutes ago, kd4au said:

I agree Gus is short on experience at the college level compared to other coaches you pointed out and I think most of us want Gus to succeed and as I stated I think Gus is as good as anyone out there at this point.I hope you are right about the slow starts trend.

It's a fair concern, for sure. 

[WarEagleFromHoover 70]

Seeing all this info broken down makes me extremely happy that Gus is our coach ! 

It isn't easy being in the SEC especially in the SEC West ! I think Gus will learn from this year and 2015 ! 

[McLoofus 35,182]

3 minutes ago, WarEagleFromHoover said:

Seeing all this info broken down makes me extremely happy that Gus is our coach ! 

It isn't easy being in the SEC especially in the SEC West ! I think Gus will learn from this year and 2015 ! 

After TAMU, I thought he couldn't learn. Then either he learned or his wife learnt him. Either way, he's clearly capable of adapting.

[WarEagleFromHoover 70]

15 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

After TAMU, I thought he couldn't learn. Then either he learned or his wife learnt him. Either way, he's clearly capable of adapting.

Right

Being able to adapt / learn from mistakes in college football is important.

examples: Nick Saban and on the other end Les Miles 

[McLoofus 35,182]

6 minutes ago, WarEagleFromHoover said:

Right

Being able to adapt / learn from mistakes in college football is important.

examples: Nick Saban and on the other end Les Miles 

Couldn't agree with your examples more.

[gr82b4au 5,568]

Impressive.

[AUld fAUx@ 2,584]

3 hours ago, McLoofus said:

After TAMU, I thought he couldn't learn. Then either he learned or his wife learnt him. Either way, he's clearly capable of adapting.

Even better, though I couldn't find a clip of the preceding line,

this comes as Coach Aladdin finally realizes he actually is in charge.

 

Admittedly late, ETA - Coach Aladdin spends the rest of the movie coming to the realization that responsibilities attach to his newfound authority.

[chickendale 16]

13 hours ago, kd4au said:

I was as disappointed in the way the season started as anyone,but Gus has turned it around and I am back on the Gus bus .Watching games every week were good teams and coaches lose to teams that they are supposed to beat, I think Gus is as good as anyone out there, I just wish It didn't take his teams 3 or 4 games to get everything together at the start of the season.

Maybe he never started out a year with a qb he could trust.

NM, they trusted his legs but never really trusted his arm.  That and GC recruits caught up to him by the end of 2014.

He thought he could trust JJ but he got burned.  The season never really recovered.

I think they knew it should be SW even at the beginning of this year but a combination of gun shy from JJ, really flashy feet from a new guy, and the aforementioned lack of experience created some second guessing. 

He pretty much admitted the clemson debacle was boneheaded and we aint doin that again. So SW it is.  And Gus is gaining more and trust in him right along with us.

Therefore mr mcloofus' prognostication should come to fruition

[chickendale 16]

2 more cents...

Lot of talk about this o needing a qb with flashy feet...

precision arm > flashy feet

always ... in any offence

[DyeCampAlum 335]

Hey, I'm thrilled to see the progress the team's made this year! And I'm optimistic that we've turned a corner.

That said, this piece is just as BS as other non-reporting pieces Scarbinsky does. We had a fabulous year 1, a steep decline at the end of year 2, a very disappointing year 3, and an ugly start to year 4. That's a span that covers 3 seasons in which our team was not competitive in the SEC. Stop at the A&M game, and it looked like a consistent decline.

So things are turning around, and we're happy. That doesn't negate quite a long period of playing poor Auburn football. Let's pull together and support our program, including our coach.

[kd4au 1,145]

7 hours ago, chickendale said:

Maybe he never started out a year with a qb he could trust.

NM, they trusted his legs but never really trusted his arm.  That and GC recruits caught up to him by the end of 2014.

He thought he could trust JJ but he got burned.  The season never really recovered.

I think they knew it should be SW even at the beginning of this year but a combination of gun shy from JJ, really flashy feet from a new guy, and the aforementioned lack of experience created some second guessing. 

He pretty much admitted the clemson debacle was boneheaded and we aint doin that again. So SW it is.  And Gus is gaining more and trust in him right along with us.

Therefore mr mcloofus' prognostication should come to fruition

I think that is part of the frustration with the QB rotation to begin the season,SW gained most of our trust last season and JJ lost our trust.

[AU-24 3,124]

20 hours ago, McLoofus said:

I think we're about to see that trend diminish significantly. I've stated some possible reasons for why it's been that way elsewhere and I don't care to get back into it here, but I will point out 2 things: 1) no team is the same in September as it is in November and 2) he's only now got 10 years in college football at any position.

Look at these names from the OP:

-Saban's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1975. He was a college head coach 11 years before Gus got his first college job as the OC at Arkansas.
-Meyer's first paid job as a college football position coach was in 1988. He was a college head coach 5 years before Gus was hired at Arkansas.
-Fisher: '91, 2010. Not that much more head coaching experience, but 15 years more experience in the college game. 
-Swinney: '96, 2009. 10 more years in CFB, 3 more years as a head coach.
-Jim Harbaugh is the presumptive name to join this list. He was an NFL head coach a year before Gus was a CFB head coach. 

Gus is way, way ahead of schedule. 

 

Excellent points and info to back it up! 

Thanks for posting!

[keesler 5,934]

1 hour ago, DyeCampAlum said:

Hey, I'm thrilled to see the progress the team's made this year! And I'm optimistic that we've turned a corner.

That said, this piece is just as BS as other non-reporting pieces Scarbinsky does. We had a fabulous year 1, a steep decline at the end of year 2, a very disappointing year 3, and an ugly start to year 4. That's a span that covers 3 seasons in which our team was not competitive in the SEC. Stop at the A&M game, and it looked like a consistent decline.

So things are turning around, and we're happy. That doesn't negate quite a long period of playing poor Auburn football. Let's pull together and support our program, including our coach.

Simply making an "appearance" in the top 10 during a season is not an achievement IMHO, at least not for Auburn.  

This team is on the up swing, they've changed course in a positive direction after 2 yrs on the downward trend.  It's time to build momentum and get back to playing AU caliber football.  I still stand by my claim from a year ago....We will know by 2018-2019 if Gus is cut out for this job or not.

[Win4AU 4,055]

A trend I look at is Dabo's at Clemson or even Tuberville's at Auburn.  Both these coaches came in and immediately had moderate success and good recruiting classes.  Both had high expectations their 4th season but under achieved.  Dabo was almost fired after 2010 and Tubs in 2003.  Both coaches followed up those season with BCS bowls.  Dabo hasn't looked back and Tubs had a good run for the next several seasons before stalling out.  I hope this is the beginning of Gus's run of success 

[lala 327]

He has to turn this into recruiting momentum as so many have been negatively recruiting against us.   

[auburn4ever 1,266]

There's still 4 games left in this season. Oh yeah, Gus and Rhett are getting beat by Vandy.

[tombigbeetiger 223]

i am ready for that tenure to end....right now, vandy is beating us every way possible, especially in the coaching department....if vandy wins today, i hope some of you will open your eyes and smell the coffee