AUBURN, Alabama – When J.B. Grimes decided it was time to go after last season, Gus Malzahn went in search of an offensive line coach. At the outset, Jack Bicknell Jr. was not on his list. Once Malzahn saw Bicknell’s resume, that changed.

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Jack Bicknell Jr. has yet to be on the field with Auburn players. (Photo: Ole Miss athletics)

As a coach and a player, Bicknell has experienced the game at every level and all kinds of situation. As Boston College’s center, he snapped the ball to Doug Flutie for the iconic Hail Mary that beat Miami in 1984. He spent eight seasons as the head coach at Louisiana Tech, beating Alabama’s 1999 SEC championship team 29-28 in Birmingham.

In a 33-year career, Bicknell has coached offensive lines at New Hampshire and Louisiana and in the NFL with the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins. He coached for the Giants in the 2012 Super Bowl. He spent the last three seasons coaching Ole Miss’ offensive line.

Bicknell arrived at Auburn with the reputation of being an outstanding recruiter, and Auburn insiders say he has lived up to that reputation and then some.

“It may sound corny, but I got into this business to have an impact on young men and their development,” Bicknell said in an interview with Steelerstakeaways.com. “In the NFL, you have grown men more set in their ways, so to speak.  In college, you have 17- or 18-year-old kids. You can have more of an impact on their lives. That’s the biggest difference.

“Guys mess up at all levels in football. At all levels our job is to correct them. But in the NFL when you close your office doors, you don’t have to think about the game. In college, it’s 24 hours a day. You have to recruit and watch out for your players more. That’s what makes it difficult. Guys have classes, tutors, you have to deal with alumni and eight million other things recruiting-wise.”

Football has been part of Bicknell’s life since the day he was born. His father was the head coach at Boston College for 10 seasons from 1981 through 1990 and coached against Auburn in the 1982 Citrus Bowl, a 33-26 Tiger victory. He recruited and coached Flutie, who won the Heisman Trophy.

“I think my dad was my biggest influence,” Bicknell said in the interview with Steelerstakeaways.com. “He was the reason I got into coaching. “

At Boston College, the elder Bicknell hired Tom Coughlin out of Syracuse. Coughlin went on to a 19-year career as an NFL head coach, winning two Super Bowls with the Giants.

“I looked up to the guys on my dad’s staff in college and saw the camaraderie and, frankly, the fun they were having,” Bicknell said. “There was never a doubt that’s what I wanted to do. I emulated my dad and Tom Coughlin.”

Even with all his experience, Bicknell has not faced anything like he faces at Auburn. With preseason camp scheduled to start on Aug. 7, he has to rebuild an offensive line that suffered graduation losses. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has yet to be on the field with his players.

Malzahn said when Bicknell was hired that his experience would be invaluable.

“Jack’s diverse and extensive resume will be valuable in developing our offensive line unit,” Malzahn said. “We’re very excited to have Jack join our staff here at Auburn.”

Bicknell spent the first month on Auburn’s staff concentrating on recruiting. In March, players were sent home because of the spreading virus. He continued to stay in touch with Auburn’s offensive linemen, meeting with them on Zoom.

Since June 8, players have been involved in voluntary workouts, but coaches have not been allowed to be involved.

With the 2020 season in jeopardy, Auburn players can only continue to work out and wait to see if they will be on the field with their new coach any time soon.