Malzahn will keep his job, but..

[aubiefifty 17,487]

Auburn football: Gus Malzahn will keep his job, but Tigers can’t keep living like this

Alec Shirkey

SECcountry staff

 

 

Auburn fans have seen the good and bad versions of Gus Malzahn since he returned to The Plains four years ago.

On Saturday, the Tigers’ 2016 season ended much like it began: With the Mr. Hyde version of their coach and his offense dooming them in a game they could otherwise win.

The parallels between Malzahn’s flawed game plan in the Iron Bowl, a 30-12 loss, and the Clemson disaster are all too easy to draw.

Against Alabama, the absence of injured starter Sean White saw the Gus Bus resort to a puzzling quarterback committee of Jeremy Johnson, John Franklin III and H-back Chandler Cox. Those three players combined to go 7 of 19 for 116 yards and an interception, thrown by Cox on Auburn’s final possession of the game. In Week 1, indecision about the starting QB resulted in a similarly ineffective rotation under center.

The signature rushing attack? Also absent in this one. The Tigers offensive line got swallowed whole by the Crimson Tide defensive front. Kerryon Johnson and Kamryn Pettway combined for 56 yards rushing. Much like this team’s shortcomings in September.

And then there was the defense, again doing its part to stop a College Football Playoff contender in vain. Yeah, Alabama wound up with 500 total yards of offense, but it also had possession of the ball for 40:29. Auburn intercepted Jalen Hurts twice and came up with two huge red zone stops in the first half. The offense couldn’t give that group a breather to save its life.

For good measure, we saw some apparent tension bubbling between Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee. Are they on the same page? After a game like this, that question is worth asking.

Auburn finishes the season 8-4, but the most damning number for Malzahn is his 0-6 record against Alabama and Georgia since 2014. In five of those games, the Tigers scored 13 or fewer points.

The underlying problem in all of this comes down to quarterback recruiting. Without White, Auburn hasn’t been the same on that side of the ball. The coaching staff still hasn’t defined a clear role for Franklin III beyond situational gimmick, and Johnson — good teammate and hard worker though I’m sure he is — simply isn’t a starter.

If there even was a 2016 contingency plan for White going down, it was drawn with crayons on construction paper.

Malzahn has weapons to build upon in 2017. Pettway and Johnson are workhorse-type backs you can ride. The receiving corps is littered with young studs, from Darius Slayton to Kyle Davis to Eli Stove. The offensive line has improved since Week 1 under the direction of position coach Herb Hand. Woody Barrett should get every crack at the starting job next spring. And for a while after Lashlee took over play-calling, the unit looked like it got the makeover it desperately needed.

Still, issues with the game plan and overall management of personnel reared their ugly heads in the Iron Bowl, and all of that falls back on Malzahn’s shoulders. Once again, it looked like the former high school coach was engaging in educated guesswork on the sideline. He didn’t have the look of a coach who felt like he could beat Saban and mighty Alabama.

Ironically, Hurts — who recorded 323 total yards and 3 touchdowns in Bryant-Denny Stadium — would have made a fine centerpiece in Malzahn’s offense. Looks like Alabama beat the Tigers in February and November.

Speaking of the offseason, there was silly talk of whether “CEO Malzahn” would become “Coach Gus” and take a more active role at practice and in game-planning sessions. I’d argue the opposite: Saturday’s loss seems to be yet another example that Auburn is better off if Malzahn does as little as possible.

The fourth-year coach did just enough to fight off a change this season. If he wants to make it past Year 5, he might be best-served giving his coordinators even more autonomy.

 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

This wasn't the only game that Malzahn’s game plan sucked, but was against Clemson, Texas A&M, Ga. and 2015. In fact, since his first year (2013), Malzahn's offense and play calling has really sucked. However, he doesn't make any changes during halftime and he sure don't make any changes during the off season. Why? because he's too damn hard headed. If you take away his first 12-2, 7-1 record, he is 23-15 overall, 11-13 in the SEC.

[shabby 1,958]

If you want your coach to do as little as possible when it comes to game planning then you need another coach.

[AU-HANDLEY-TIGER 205]

I agree we don't need a figurehead, for the third year in a row I'm happy the season is over ?

[OnthePlains 2,014]

For anyone willing to really look at the last 3 seasons it's fairly obvious the guy is in over his head. He's a lame duck coach and next off season we will all be on the coach search thread.

[Randman5000 4,238]

14 minutes ago, OnthePlains said:

For anyone willing to really look at the last 3 seasons it's fairly obvious the guy is in over his head. He's a lame duck coach and next off season we will all be on the coach search thread.

This is what everyone needs to look.at. It's not just the this season, it's the trend! It's the inept play calling and game planning and game management. It's the inability to use, trust players, trust coaches or develop talent. He hasn't improved upon his offense since he's been here.

It's plain as day that he's not the guy to lead us. Thank goodness we had a really good defense this year! 

[corchjay 5,311]

Look at our schedule next year.  Clemson on the road, LSU on the road, Bama at home.  Other then those 3 games do you see any other loses? Maybe aTm away.  UGA?  ok of the potential 5 loses Clemson will have a new QB and losing some depth.  Granted they have recruited well.  So I'll give it a toss-up at this point.  LSU still no proven QB, a new coaching staff probably on offense.  I'll go with toss up there as well.  Kevin Sumlin I have no faith in... UGA with their OC if they keep him i'd give us the lean at home.  Bama just have to see how their new round of 5 star players play next year.  So split the toss ups... and what we lose 3 games next year?  They aren't firing Gus if he goes 9-3.  Especially if he wins  2 of 3 out of LSU, UGA and bama.

[weagl1 1,793]

If Gus doesn't get himself out of the way and go out and find a good OC who can develop a QB and a game plan he will be gone after next year.  In all 4 losses this year the defense played good enough to win and the offense was beyond pathetic.  He totally wasted the best freshman WR class we have ever had.  I look around the league and see AL, UGA, MSU and OM all with great looking young QB's.  Maybe Woody turns out good for us but with the development, or lack thereof, we have seen from our past recruits I seriously doubt it.  

[auburn4ever 1,266]

I wish we had Kiffin as our OC/QB coach.

[tombigbeetiger 223]

2 minutes ago, auburn4ever said:

I wish we had Kiffin as our OC/QB coach.

hell son, i wish we had YOU as OC'QB coach

[doug3020 842]

I hope Auburn fires Gus if he loses 4 straight to either UGA or Bama....

Found this quote to be very telling from a bama player. Per al.com..

"For much of the afternoon, Alabama looked as if it knew what was coming. And Alabama's players admitted as much.

"It felt like we were right at practice," linebacker Shaun Dion Hamilton said. "We owe it all to the coaches. We've got the best coaches in the country and they always week in and week out do a great job of game planning and putting us in the right positions."...."

Our coaches are too freaking stubborn to change anything. Gus says he self-scouts, but my guess is any of us at home in front of a TV know exactly what is coming when we make a first down. How about when its 3rd & 7? A dig on the short side and 2 staggered square- ins on the wide or a fake statue of liberty with 2 receivers to throw to? The deep post to KD or the pass in the flats to the end around guy...

It's so predictable. Just looking at the past 3 years I see zero to little improvement coaching wise. It appears we backed into a solid bowl bc the SEC in general is very weak this year. I hope you guys are ready to see our offense get man handled again in the bowl game. Gus is in way over his head...

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Well tombigbeetiger, it seems like your still backing Gus and Rhett and you love having Auburn win 8 in 2014 then 7 in 2015 then 8 in 2016. Mean while, across the state, Alabama is winning the SEC west, the SEC then the national championship every year. I want a lot more from my coach who only wins 7 or 8 games since 2013.

[johnnyAU 3,683]

18 minutes ago, auburn4ever said:

I wish we had Kiffin as our OC/QB coach.

I do not in any way.

[boisnumber1 2,844]

The mere suggestion that there is "Offensive gameplanning" going on by the AU offensive staff is laughable. There is no game plan for specific opponents/personnel. Never has been under Gus. Yeah, there's the occasional play here or there that they think will work against someone, but other than that, it is the same plan every single week. If it works, we're good. If not, we look like hell for 4 quarters. It will stay this way until we get a true OC/QB coach that is not a Gus cronie/yes man. That's just how it is.

[tombigbeetiger 223]

13 minutes ago, auburn4ever said:

Well tombigbeetiger, it seems like your still backing Gus and Rhett and you love having Auburn win 8 in 2014 then 7 in 2015 then 8 in 2016. Mean while, across the state, Alabama is winning the SEC west, the SEC then the national championship every year. I want a lot more from my coach who only wins 7 or 8 games since 2013.

hell son, i didn't want malzahn in the first place, when he was hired.....i wanted him fired last year

[far_away_fan 101]

We should've beat UGA this year! And aTm! So you say you only see 3 loses and other teams like LSU trying to find a QB. I'm pretty sure the QB for LSU to end the season was a step up from what they had at the beginning. Those three wins were loses this year except LSU. We have QBs, we have the defense, the receivers, running backs, and the special teams. What is missing is better play calling. I watched in horror with this gimmicky offensive playing calling that had yet to fool anyone but lower tier teams. The run (true run) play calling was completely avoided like they were afraid to establish any sort of rhythm. Cox at QB? COME ON! CGM and CRL play calling has been figured out by defenses. Plain and simple. It's time for the offense to evolve. If Little Nicky can evolve his offense and realize it needed to change, why can't the offensive guru? This season was on the coaches, not players. 

[ClaytonAU 4,606]

The SEC sucked this year too... there's not a coach outside of Saban that I'd take over Gus at this point. 

[aubearcat 2,144]

1 hour ago, ClaytonAU said:

The SEC sucked this year too... there's not a coach outside of Saban that I'd take over Gus at this point. 

I'm not so sure about that. Not just because of yesterday but I really like Mason. I'm kind of the mind that if he were coaching at a school with less academic expectations, he'd have a top 10 team or so. 

[WarDlowe 39]

5 hours ago, boisnumber1 said:

It will stay this way until we get a true OC/QB coach that is not a Gus cronie/yes man. That's just how it is.

This +100.  What I am looking for this off season is for Rhett to move on, whether it be at Auburn's hands or because he finds a job somewhere else.  I think the the Gus/Rhett dynamic hurts Auburn in so many ways.  Not allowing QB's to work with a specialist outside the program is detrimental to both the long term success of the player and the program and is probably part of why there was not a plan B when Sean went down this year.  Gus has to be willing to see that he and Rhett can't develop QB's like they thought they could and need to rely on some outside help.  That's why those people exist.  
 

Secondly, and what should probably be firs point, is that this coaching combination has been together too long and is self-destructive.  At some point there needs to be a challenge to Gus, someone who believes in his offensive mindset but will challenge him to adapt and expand it, not try the same things over and over even if they don't work.  I'm talking about someone who will be allowed to tell Gus he is coming up with back yard football offensive game plans. In my opinion, Gus's offense was once something to be desired and innovative, but has not been polished and adapted when opposing defenses figured it out. We've heard Gus was going to get more involved which resulted in the Clemson disaster, and then we heard he had given the reigns to Lashlee which resulted in what we saw the rest of the season.  

With a defense who didn't give up a rushing touchdown from the fourth quarter of the aTm game until the UAT game and who was one of the most competitive groups we've seen on the Plains arguably since the CTT era, there is not an excuse for how the offense performed.  Until Gus gets some of these things through his head (and unfortunately, I don't know that he will until he's looking for another job), we are going to see more of this I am afraid.  

 

With all that being said, I am thrilled to have won 8 games and actually to have been a contender for part of this season.  If Gus can change his ways he can continue to be a successful coach for AU, and I am behind him until he proves otherwise.  I hope this off season is the year for that.  

[Farmer Brown 2,391]

"Saturday’s loss seems to be yet another example that Auburn is better off if Malzahn does as little as possible."

I recommended last night that they cut the wires on his head set. The incompetence is embarrassing.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

Anyone have any knowledge on when we can expect to hear Gus' plan of action moving forward? Obviously the Rhett Lashlee pawn might take a little while, but I'm hoping, now that gamemanship is no longer on the line, that we will be given an honest assessment of Sean's injury/future status, and what needs to be done to fix our offensive offense.

[Tiger 8,835]

On 11/27/2016 at 2:02 PM, tombigbeetiger said:

hell son, i wish we had YOU as OC'QB coach

out of likes but 

[cctiger 572]

Malzahn will keep his job but, I wish Arky would fire baloney man and call their native son back to Pigville!.

[lionheartkc 6,150]

2 minutes ago, cctiger said:

Malzahn will keep his job but, I wish Arky would fire baloney man and call their native son back to Pigville!.

That's the last thing you should want. Having to play against a Malzahn run Arkansas would be an annual nightmare for us. He's a legend in that state, so he would have his pick of all of the regional talent, plus whoever his staff could snag from the rest of the SEC and, unlike Bret... he wouldn't insist on trying to play Big 10 football in the SEC.

[AUApostle 7,663]

Shelf life of an OC in the SEC is about 4 years if you're really good.  It's been that way at least since the late 90's.  You can't hire coaches b/c of the offensive systems they run any longer...have to get CEO coaches that can attract talented coordinators.