#PMARSHONAU: Have Auburn, Malzahn reached a breaking point?

[aubiefifty 18,231]

#PMARSHONAU: Have Auburn, Malzahn reached a breaking point?

ByPhillip Marshall

5-6 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama - I am not in the business of evaluating coaches. I don’t know why a play works or doesn’t.  I don’t blame coaches when a quarterback makes a bad throw, a receiver drops a pass, a running back puts the ball on the ground, a defensive lineman gets blocked or a defensive back blows a coverage.

I don’t know why – other than in 2017 when Auburn coach Gus Malzahn really did turn things over to offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey after a loss at LSU – offense has been such a struggle since 2013 and 2014. But I’ve been around Auburn football for a long time. Things just don’t feel right, and things have to be right for Auburn to keep up - or maybe I should say catch up - with very committed rivals.

Contending for championships is a collaborative venture. It starts with the coach being able to say to the masses “Follow me and I’ll get you where you want to go.” And then there has to be belief in what he says and buy-in from administrators, players, donors, ordinary fans and the students who are the real substance of the university.

Auburn’s football family is in turmoil, and not because of Saturday’s 31-20 loss to Texas A&M. Auburn people – at least the ones to whom I talk – are convinced things can be better, and they are growing increasingly impatient and frustrated. They are convinced that losing four or more games a season and watching their rivals pull away is not something that should be normalized. Even winning by 50 at Mississippi State next Saturday won’t change that.

Maybe that’s not fair, but it is reality. And I’m not talking only about social media warriors. It goes much deeper than that. As things stand today, energy and optimism among those who care so deeply are rapidly evaporating.

Has the Malzahn-Auburn marriage reached a breaking point? Would both sides be better off with an amicable parting? Malzahn could get his money and maybe move on to a more comfortable environment. Auburn’s program could have an opportunity to be energized.

Malzahn has faced a massively difficult challenge at Auburn. He has played more regular-season games against No. 1 teams and against top-5 teams than anybody in college football. He arrived as head coach just as Nick Saban was hitting his stride at Alabama. Soon, Kirby Smart was winning big at Georgia, LSU was winning a national championship, Texas A&M was rising out of the ashes and Florida was becoming like the Gators of old. But then there are those maddening losses - at South Carolina this season, to Tennessee in 2018, in numerous bowl games.

Over his eight seasons, Malzahn has done some great things. Turning Auburn from a 3-9 disaster in 2012 into an SEC champion and national runnerup in 2013 was one of the great coaching feats I have witnessed. In 2017, he beat two No. 1 teams in three weeks. For those things, he should always be loved at Auburn.

But sometimes, programs need to have a jolt of energy. Sometimes, hanging on to avoid a buyout can cost more in the long run than paying the buyout would cost. Sometimes, the only answer that will work is to move on.

Has Auburn reached that point? That is for others to decide, but Auburn football is in a precarious place. Recruiting has suffered. A slide toward the bottom of the league, if it happens, might take years to reverse. Auburn people are not happy, and that will eventually show up on the bottom line if it hasn’t already.

Auburn has been pretty good most seasons since Malzahn arrived. It was great in 2013, but that season is fading into history. It seemed to have earned that label in 2017 but lost a lopsided game to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and then lost to Central Florida in the Peach Bowl. Malzahn was rewarded for that season, essentially for wins over Alabama and Georgia when they were ranked No. 1, with a seven-year contract worth $49 million. Former president Steven Leath and trustee Raymond Harbert led that effort. They will be long remembered for it, and not in a good way. With all that money came more demands for instant success, more pressure.

Meanwhile, Malzahn has lost four or more games in seven consecutive seasons, going 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 10-4, 8-5, 9-4 and, so far this season, 5-4.

41COMMENTS

The decision Auburn power-brokers have to make is whether that is enough and, if it’s not, if Malzahn is the man to get the program to where Auburn people so desperately want it to be. After that, the question will be if they are willing to make the same commitment to success that their rivals have made. The outcome of Saturday’s game at Mississippi State should have no impact either way.

Auburn administrators seem to want to simply ignore the angst and the frustration and say nothing. That is the worst option of all.

">247Sports

[aucom96 1,652]

Saban had won three rings by the time Malzahn took over the program. His seven years have included LSU fading under Miles, declines at State, Ole Miss and Arkansas, a mostly mediocre A&M program trying to get back on its feet and a one-sided SEC east until the last year or so. 

Malzahn thrived on no huddle advantages that are now gone. His star has faded. He's an average at best SEC coach and probably a good Sunbelt level coach but he will never be a program builder and at this point that's what Auburn needs. Auburn has no identity and they have no edge. They're a boring team to watch. Meanwhile, Alabama is still peaking, Georgia remains strong, LSU won't stay down long, A&M, Ole Miss, State and Arkansas all seem to be heading in a better direction. If we're going to remain a top SEC program, Malzahn needs to be gone after this year. The financials may not support that, but we'll pay for it when the annual losses go from 4 to 5 and 6...and we're at that point now. 

[fredst 9,070]

Man, Marshall is really dialed into the program and Auburn fan base. Who else could deliver such insightful commentary? Lol....at least he didn’t blame the fan base for the problems in this piece

[johnnyAU 3,745]

Thank goodness we aren't ending the season against Mizzou.  As they are resurrecting a dead program, I think they'd beat us by double digits. 

[aubiefifty 18,231]

3 minutes ago, johnnyAU said:

Thank goodness we aren't ending the season against Mizzou.  As they are resurrecting a dead program, I think they'd beat us by double digits. 

i think gus has lost the team so i do not see us beating anyone to be honest.

[JBiGGiE 2,488]

1 hour ago, fredst said:

Man, Marshall is really dialed into the program and Auburn fan base. Who else could deliver such insightful commentary? Lol....at least he didn’t blame the fan base for the problems in this piece

I noticed back toward the end days of Chizik that PM was very conservative in his writings until the change became imminent. 

[weagl1 1,809]

I think the majority of the Auburn fan base has lost confidence in Gus and it’s time for him to make a graceful exit so he doesn’t get forced out and totally tank the program in the process.  

 

 

[AUGoo 2,703]

Some of us reached that breaking point a couple of years back.

[beagle34 72]

Gus’s time to go.Mark Richt at UGA had a superior record compared to Gus and it was his time to go. 

[jAUSon 2,836]

I don't read Marshall. Including today. 

[gr82be 14,910]

3 hours ago, johnnyAU said:

Thank goodness we aren't ending the season against Mizzou.  As they are resurrecting a dead program, I think they'd beat us by double digits. 

They're a tad better than solid at 5-3. I think they'd beat us at their place for sure.

It's disheartening to see programs all around us getting better as the season goes along and not be one of them. 

 

[DAG 34,754]

Isn’t this the same guy blaming the fans like two months ago?! Now we need a jolt huh ?

[woodford 3,732]

"Malzahn has faced a massively difficult challenge at Auburn. He has played more regular-season games against No. 1 teams and against top-5 teams than anybody in college football. He arrived as head coach just as Nick Saban was hitting his stride at Alabama. Soon, Kirby Smart was winning big at Georgia, LSU was winning a national championship,"

 

And no one like to remind us more than CGM. He even mentioned it yesterday in the post game presser. You play success programs year in and year out? No s***, you're at Auburn. That's a given. You don't have to remind people.

[gr82be 14,910]

3 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

#PMARSHONAU: Have Auburn, Malzahn reached a breaking point?

ByPhillip Marshall

5-6 minutes

AUBURN, Alabama - I am not in the business of evaluating coaches. I don’t know why a play works or doesn’t.  I don’t blame coaches when a quarterback makes a bad throw, a receiver drops a pass, a running back puts the ball on the ground, a defensive lineman gets blocked or a defensive back blows a coverage.

I don’t know why – other than in 2017 when Auburn coach Gus Malzahn really did turn things over to offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey after a loss at LSU – offense has been such a struggle since 2013 and 2014. But I’ve been around Auburn football for a long time. Things just don’t feel right, and things have to be right for Auburn to keep up - or maybe I should say catch up - with very committed rivals.

Contending for championships is a collaborative venture. It starts with the coach being able to say to the masses “Follow me and I’ll get you where you want to go.” And then there has to be belief in what he says and buy-in from administrators, players, donors, ordinary fans and the students who are the real substance of the university.

Auburn’s football family is in turmoil, and not because of Saturday’s 31-20 loss to Texas A&M. Auburn people – at least the ones to whom I talk – are convinced things can be better, and they are growing increasingly impatient and frustrated. They are convinced that losing four or more games a season and watching their rivals pull away is not something that should be normalized. Even winning by 50 at Mississippi State next Saturday won’t change that.

Maybe that’s not fair, but it is reality. And I’m not talking only about social media warriors. It goes much deeper than that. As things stand today, energy and optimism among those who care so deeply are rapidly evaporating.

Has the Malzahn-Auburn marriage reached a breaking point? Would both sides be better off with an amicable parting? Malzahn could get his money and maybe move on to a more comfortable environment. Auburn’s program could have an opportunity to be energized.

Malzahn has faced a massively difficult challenge at Auburn. He has played more regular-season games against No. 1 teams and against top-5 teams than anybody in college football. He arrived as head coach just as Nick Saban was hitting his stride at Alabama. Soon, Kirby Smart was winning big at Georgia, LSU was winning a national championship, Texas A&M was rising out of the ashes and Florida was becoming like the Gators of old. But then there are those maddening losses - at South Carolina this season, to Tennessee in 2018, in numerous bowl games.

Over his eight seasons, Malzahn has done some great things. Turning Auburn from a 3-9 disaster in 2012 into an SEC champion and national runnerup in 2013 was one of the great coaching feats I have witnessed. In 2017, he beat two No. 1 teams in three weeks. For those things, he should always be loved at Auburn.

But sometimes, programs need to have a jolt of energy. Sometimes, hanging on to avoid a buyout can cost more in the long run than paying the buyout would cost. Sometimes, the only answer that will work is to move on.

Has Auburn reached that point? That is for others to decide, but Auburn football is in a precarious place. Recruiting has suffered. A slide toward the bottom of the league, if it happens, might take years to reverse. Auburn people are not happy, and that will eventually show up on the bottom line if it hasn’t already.

Auburn has been pretty good most seasons since Malzahn arrived. It was great in 2013, but that season is fading into history. It seemed to have earned that label in 2017 but lost a lopsided game to Georgia in the SEC Championship Game and then lost to Central Florida in the Peach Bowl. Malzahn was rewarded for that season, essentially for wins over Alabama and Georgia when they were ranked No. 1, with a seven-year contract worth $49 million. Former president Steven Leath and trustee Raymond Harbert led that effort. They will be long remembered for it, and not in a good way. With all that money came more demands for instant success, more pressure.

Meanwhile, Malzahn has lost four or more games in seven consecutive seasons, going 8-5, 7-6, 8-5, 10-4, 8-5, 9-4 and, so far this season, 5-4.

41COMMENTS

The decision Auburn power-brokers have to make is whether that is enough and, if it’s not, if Malzahn is the man to get the program to where Auburn people so desperately want it to be. After that, the question will be if they are willing to make the same commitment to success that their rivals have made. The outcome of Saturday’s game at Mississippi State should have no impact either way.

Auburn administrators seem to want to simply ignore the angst and the frustration and say nothing. That is the worst option of all.

">247Sports

Thanks for posting. I don't want to give him clicks. I wouldn't even look him up honestly but since you did I read it. He doesn't even get it though. Still making a case for the Auburn vs No. 1's woe is me angle, when the issue is deeper than that. 

[gr82be 14,910]

2 minutes ago, woodford said:

"Malzahn has faced a massively difficult challenge at Auburn. He has played more regular-season games against No. 1 teams and against top-5 teams than anybody in college football. He arrived as head coach just as Nick Saban was hitting his stride at Alabama. Soon, Kirby Smart was winning big at Georgia, LSU was winning a national championship,"

 

And no one like to remind us more than CGM. He even mentioned it yesterday in the post game presser. You play success programs year in and year out? No s***, you're at Auburn. That's a given. You don't have to remind people.

Exactly, Auburn used to be one of those teams on their schedule each year that they didn't look forward to playing. They don't mind it anymore. It's a win for them in most cases. 

[JDUBB4AU 5,287]

3 hours ago, fredst said:

Man, Marshall is really dialed into the program and Auburn fan base. Who else could deliver such insightful commentary? Lol....at least he didn’t blame the fan base for the problems in this piece

Yeah he typically says that us expecting to win is too much and we should be ashamed of ourselves. 

[JDUBB4AU 5,287]

12 minutes ago, gr82be said:

Thanks for posting. I don't want to give him clicks. I wouldn't even look him up honestly but since you did I read it. He doesn't even get it though. Still making a case for the Auburn vs No. 1's woe is me angle, when the issue is deeper than that. 

Phillip tends to be loyal to a fault and just blind . AU and it’s fans deserve a competitive team year in and out 

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Gus doesn't give a flying fig about "his" team.

[Beaker 2,457]

There are few on the team who play with real heart, but the D yesterday showed me very little heart.  This is a team going through the motions and contemplating their futures. 

 

Maybe Gus and Allen can work a deal where we don't have to wait until Jan to make a change ( I think I read from Big Bird the deal drops down to 14 in Jan).   

 

This is painful to watch.

[CR 2,463]

4 hours ago, JBiGGiE said:

I noticed back toward the end days of Chizik that PM was very conservative in his writings until the change became imminent. 

PM will defend coaches to the death until he doesn't think it's in his own best interest anymore. Sounds like Gus is nearing that point.

[twilli13 600]

To me the time to make the change is whenever a really quality candidate lines up that we believe checks all the boxes. We need people who actually understand the modern day landscape of college football to make the decision, not our damn administration and not a damn search committee. Due to the insane buyouts these days (which have completely screwed coaches accountability and schools ability to make continual program improvements) we cannot cannot CANNOTT get this one wrong if we fire Gus. I definitely want him gone...but we cant fire him and then go hire some other spread 'genius' or ole Joe Bob over at UAB because hes an 'up and comer' or some flavor of the month who took a s*** program and had one good season so  hes garnering coach of the year nominations. We need a proven winner with a track record of exceptional recruiting and an understanding of how to hire a staff who can coherently and efficiently implement a modern day offense and defense with few fundamental weaknesses and the ability adapt to changing trends. 

[I_M4_AU 8,935]

1 hour ago, Beaker said:

There are few on the team who play with real heart, but the D yesterday showed me very little heart.  This is a team going through the motions and contemplating their futures. 

 

Maybe Gus and Allen can work a deal where we don't have to wait until Jan to make a change ( I think I read from Big Bird the deal drops down to 14 in Jan).   

 

This is painful to watch.

Just don’t let Gus or his agent dictate the terms.  Greene needs to be pro-active in this situation. 

[Eagle Eye 7 2,535]

I agree with what PM says. Folks including Green need to remember AU football  is a $150 million a year business . And brings in many million to the local businesses that depend on it .  While 20 million is a lot it’s not all that much compared to what we stand to lose. Remember we would actually pay maybe 5 to 7 this year and the other at a rate of 4 million a year . We really have no idea what the buy out is but I truly believe it dropped significantly last year. Gus swore it didn’t and Greene backed that I think to save face. At this point especially with the loss to SC who have fired their coach even though they beat us and what should have been losses to OM and ARK to new brand new coaches taking over programs that were complete disasters last year. There is just no way Alan can keep Gus nor would the board agree to anything less than replacing Gus. 

[CleCoTiger 1,957]

#PMarsh is typically a mouthpiece for what's going on behind the scenes with the power brokers at AU. This article may be mostly couched to read "expectations of the fan base" but when #PMarsh talks about "Auburn people" in this context, I don't think he's talking about the average fan on the message boards or in the stands. He's talking "people with money who have some influence."  I take it that this article is a shot across the bow of the admin and power brokers who pull the strings at AU saying that something had to change or the purse strings that AU depends on may get a lot tighter.

Up until now I felt pretty sure that Malzahn was secure for at least another season at AU. As of this moment I won't say that the ice is so thin that it's gonna break but folks that know wouldn't bet their lives on that ice holding for another walk across.

Personally, I'm not ready to give up on Malzahn. A few years back he hired Kevin Steele and brought Rodney Garner home. Yes, this year's defense has been nothing special, but it's a young defense in an odd year and I think next season will be better. As far as the offense, he brought in Chad Morris and it seems pretty apparent that Morris really is running the show and calling plays. But again, it's an odd year. It would be nice to see what things look like on offense after they get a full spring with Morris under their belt. So what I'm saying is that unless AU has a sure thing of a great hire ready to go, say...Hugh Freeze at a minimum...I'd hope that they stand pat and give it all one more season to see what things look like now that Malzahn is becoming more of a head coach and less of a play caller/coordinator. But if not...if the rumble turns into an earthquake and things get shaken up...well, I'm an Auburn fan, not a Malzahn fan. I'll be here and I'll be pulling for the orange and blue regardless.

War Eagle!

[eaglenest 332]

7 hours ago, aucom96 said:

Saban had won three rings by the time Malzahn took over the program. His seven years have included LSU fading under Miles, declines at State, Ole Miss and Arkansas, a mostly mediocre A&M program trying to get back on its feet and a one-sided SEC east until the last year or so. 

Malzahn thrived on no huddle advantages that are now gone. His star has faded. He's an average at best SEC coach and probably a good Sunbelt level coach but he will never be a program builder and at this point that's what Auburn needs. Auburn has no identity and they have no edge. They're a boring team to watch. Meanwhile, Alabama is still peaking, Georgia remains strong, LSU won't stay down long, A&M, Ole Miss, State and Arkansas all seem to be heading in a better direction. If we're going to remain a top SEC program, Malzahn needs to be gone after this year. The financials may not support that, but we'll pay for it when the annual losses go from 4 to 5 and 6...and we're at that point now. 

plus1000 Auburn is in need of an over all program builder with sustain success, not another guy who fans feel can out recruit Saban and kirby.It takes more than 5* players to win, we need a coach that is good with x/o, never stop trying to be successful, and is a tireless worker, (plays no favorites) and is a bulldog that the player and his staff will respect and fear, and, without a doubt very DEMANDING.. Auburn is in need of a culture change from top to bottom.