OT: SEC hot seat: Is Gus Malzahn in trouble at Auburn?

[akaukswoosh]

Greg Ostendorf ‏@GregO_ESPN 8m8 minutes ago


SEC hot seat: Is Gus Malzahn in trouble at Auburn? http://es.pn/1TyNmEm



The season is still six months away, but as spring practice kicks off across the SEC, there are a handful of coaches already feeling the heat. In a three-part series running Wednesday, we will examine three of those coaches and what it would take for each to get the axe after next season.

We begin with Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Greg Ostendorf ‏@GregO_ESPN 8m8 minutes ago


SEC hot seat: Is Gus Malzahn in trouble at Auburn? http://es.pn/1TyNmEm



The season is still six months away, but as spring practice kicks off across the SEC, there are a handful of coaches already feeling the heat. In a three-part series running Wednesday, we will examine three of those coaches and what it would take for each to get the axe after next season.

We begin with Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.

Without a doubt, AU has struggled the last 2 seasons and another 6-7 win season, or less and Gus is gone. Auburn pays good money for their recruits and expects much more than what they are getting.

 

[Mr Schwump]

Add Sumlin to that list. He better win and win big in '16 or he could be on the way out.

 

[College#19]

I feel like Sumlin's seat is a lot hotter. Just think two years ago he could of gotten almost any job in the country.

 

[un4getables]

Without a doubt, AU has struggled the last 2 seasons and another 6-7 win season, or less and Gus is gone. Auburn pays good money for their recruits and expects much more than what they are getting.

I read your post about Petrino being on the short list if that happens. I just can't see how even remotely Auburn would even consider hiring Petrino... I am sorry but he is not as good as he was a few years ago, I guess all his great moral decisions have dampened his football acumen.

 

[billoliver40]

Auburn doesn't have rebuilding patience. A losing season will likely be it. The Aggies boosters are likely wondering what in the world is going on with highly rated kids bailing....from a winning team, no less.
Kirby Smart will have to hit the ground running....your seat is already hot when the coach you replaced had 9 wins.....after losing a Heismann quality running back.
Vanderbilt fans are on the edge....another slow start and the search committee will be burning the road.
Sadly, I would say that coach Mark Stoops will have to show a way that shows improvement ...not necessarily in number of wins, but definitely in quality of play AND in game decisions.
If not, he will likely be a lame duck the final season of his contract.

 

[JasonS.]

Don't forget Les Miles.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I feel like Sumlin's seat is a lot hotter. Just think two years ago he could of gotten almost any job in the country.

No doubt Sumlin will be feeling some heat, I was reading their board and they were saying it might be tough to raise his buyout, because of the drop in oil prices. They were really whining and cursing Iraq and Saudi Arabia for flooding the oil market and dropping the price. When I read that I hope they are stuck with him for the term of the contract, keep pumping that crude Iraq and Saudi.

 

[BlueRaider22]

Bill is right about Auburn's lack of patience. Chizik won a NC and was fired 2 yrs later. So, I would tend to think that if Malzahn plays for a NC that he could be fired 3 yrs later. Both Chizik and Malzahn had only been a HC for 4-5 yrs.....so it's not like they know all there is to know about being a HC. Auburn has just been impatient.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Auburn doesn't have rebuilding patience. A losing season will likely be it. The Aggies boosters are likely wondering what in the world is going on with highly rated kids bailing....from a winning team, no less.
Kirby Smart will have to hit the ground running....your seat is already hot when the coach you replaced had 9 wins.....after losing a Heismann quality running back.
Vanderbilt fans are on the edge....another slow start and the search committee will be burning the road.
Sadly, I would say that coach Mark Stoops will have to show a way that shows improvement ...not necessarily in number of wins, but definitely in quality of play AND in game decisions.
If not, he will likely be a lame duck the final season of his contract.

Kirby's seat won't be hot this year, unless we win 4-5 games then it would. But we are going to be starting a true frosh at qb, I hope it isn't the returning starter, return 1 WR with more than 10 catches, replacing 2 starting OTs and don't really have anyone to replace them with. Defense could be good, very good in fact, but if they are on the field 75% of the time they won't hold up. And we are replacing the kicker, probably punter too. But I think the biggest thing is for us to look like we practiced everyday and didn't take the week off before a game. Richt teams were famous for no showing 1-3 games a year. The UF game got him fired last year, it was almost an I dare you move by Richt, started the 3rd team qb who is a running qb, we used the same scheme we did every game, no read options for the qb to take advantage of his biggest skill, and he threw 4 int. Richt was all but gone the Sunday after that game, nothing he could have done to save his job, winning out wasn't enough.

 

[KYCAT78]

My AU friends say he is gone with another season next year like this year and another loss to Bama. AU would never go after Petrino, ever who started that rumor does not know crap.

 

[katwest]

You wouldn't think they would, but if they hired Bruce Pearl to coach their basketball team, Petrino for their football coach isn't that far fetched.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

My AU friends say he is gone with another season next year like this year and another loss to Bama. AU would never go after Petrino, ever who started that rumor does not know crap.

Dang man, they already have, don't kid yourself about what AU will and won't do. They have been on probation more than any other team in the NCAA, almost had their accreditation revoked because of independent study classes only athletes were taking. They would and will take him in a minute, they wanted him when Gus was hired. Them having the highest COA in the country should tell you something about them. They even had a HS kid's transcript changed so he would qualify, unless you believe the school councilor ended her career by doing it on her own, an AU grad by the way. They are an embarrassment to the SEC.

 

[K_TIME]

Honestly...I don't know why Malzahn would even be approaching a hot seat. He played for a title 3 years ago for pete sake. The reality is Jeremy Johnson laid a big egg is most of Malzahn's problem right now...the likelihood of Malzahn not being able to improve the next QB is very slim...the guy is a QB maker.

But if Auburn wants to run him off....I'd love for UK to be sitting there with an opportunity if Stoops can't get 6 wins this year.

 

[Oldtrainer_rivals]

Auburn doesn't have rebuilding patience. A losing season will likely be it. The Aggies boosters are likely wondering what in the world is going on with highly rated kids bailing....from a winning team, no less.
Kirby Smart will have to hit the ground running....your seat is already hot when the coach you replaced had 9 wins.....after losing a Heismann quality running back.
Vanderbilt fans are on the edge....another slow start and the search committee will be burning the road.
Sadly, I would say that coach Mark Stoops will have to show a way that shows improvement ...not necessarily in number of wins, but definitely in quality of play AND in game decisions.
If not, he will likely be a lame duck the final season of his contract.

^^^Much truth!"

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

You wouldn't think they would, but if they hired Bruce Pearl to coach their basketball team, Petrino for their football coach isn't that far fetched.

Very good point.

 

[jauk11]

I read your post about Petrino being on the short list if that happens. I just can't see how even remotely Auburn would even consider hiring Petrino... I am sorry but he is not as good as he was a few years ago, I guess all his great moral decisions have dampened his football acumen.

You guys are forgetting one huge factor here.

Having a propensity to break the law and cheat are very attractive at programs like Auburn-----although it is hard to imagine anywhere that could match Transfer U in that regard. And while his ceiling at a city college is definitely limited BP has an abundance of advantages with jurich as his boss, they think alike. Being able to recruit any reject from other colleges or high school, whether criminal, sex offenses, academic, or drug related is a huge advantage, and UL is very attractive to those type of athletes.

And it also helps to have an AD that keeps inventing reasons to throw more money at you, even on top of the huge contract that jurich awarded him to beat out -----well, so far I am not aware of anyone else bidding for his services, of course jurich probably did have to up the amount he got at WKU-----but wasn't that less than a million a year? And didn't his year at WKU MAKE their athletic department money, wasn't his buyout more than his salary? So maybe that came out of his salary at UL like it should have-----LOL

You have to wonder if hurtt's $100 handshakes haven't been expanded from coach to recruit to include coach to-----nah, we all know that people in athletics already making a million or more a year never get even more greedy (have you seen Tom Brady's house, what a wasteof resources), some of them are barely making it, although Saban is making just under $8,000,000 a year and still has to get on TV to lecture his daughter about buying a dress. I never did figure out the purpose of that ad, waste my time, public service message, make more money, or what-----but then I never really pay attention to any ad, obviously including that one, even if from one of the greatest minds on earth (based on his salary), that will soon come up with a cure for cancer, ads usually just mean the product will cost a little more than it should-----or in the case of some companies that saturate the airwaves, a lot more, LOL at Geico etc.

 

[KYCAT78]

Dang man, they already have, don't kid yourself about what AU will and won't do. They have been on probation more than any other team in the NCAA, almost had their accreditation revoked because of independent study classes only athletes were taking. They would tually I acnd will take him in a minute, they wanted him when Gus was hired. Them having the highest COA in the country should tell you something about them. They even had a HS kid's transcript changed so he would qualify, unless you believe the school councilor ended her career by doing it on her own, an AU grad by the way. They are an embarrassment to the SEC.

You are completely wrong on this one, I have lived here in Alabama since 1978 and I can guarantee AU would never hire Petrino. The Board of Trustees would never hire him not because of what happened with Tubberville but because of what transpired at Arkansas. I actually know some connected people at AU and I guarantee Petrino to AU is not going to happen.

 

[chuckster.sixpack]

Greg Ostendorf ‏@GregO_ESPN 8m8 minutes ago


SEC hot seat: Is Gus Malzahn in trouble at Auburn? http://es.pn/1TyNmEm



The season is still six months away, but as spring practice kicks off across the SEC, there are a handful of coaches already feeling the heat. In a three-part series running Wednesday, we will examine three of those coaches and what it would take for each to get the axe after next season.

We begin with Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.

Yes. Auburn was awful last year and only mediocre the year before. Not a good trend if you are the Auburn AD.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Dang man, they already have, don't kid yourself about what AU will and won't do. They have been on probation more than any other team in the NCAA, almost had their accreditation revoked because of independent study classes only athletes were taking. They would and will take him in a minute, they wanted him when Gus was hired. Them having the highest COA in the country should tell you something about them. They even had a HS kid's transcript changed so he would qualify, unless you believe the school councilor ended her career by doing it on her own, an AU grad by the way. They are an embarrassment to the SEC.

They fired Chiznek, or ever how his name is spelled 2 years after winning the championship.

You are completely wrong on this one, I have lived here in Alabama since 1978 and I can guarantee AU would never hire Petrino. The Board of Trustees would never hire him not because of what happened with Tubberville but because of what transpired at Arkansas. I actually know some connected people at AU and I guarantee Petrino to AU is not going to happen.

If they thought it would help them beat Bama they would have hired Bin Laden. Dirtiest program in the NCAA and have been for years. AU didn't have a board a few years ago except in name, it was run by one person, today if Pay Dye told them Petrino would turn this thing around and beat Bama on a regular basis they would hire him today. AU's board is basically neutered, otherwise they would not have allowed their accreditation to be put in jeopardy to win football games by allowing independent studies for players only that were optional to attend.

Bobby beats Bama 2 years in a row that incident in Arkansas becomes a setup by the girl and her boyfriend according to the AU people. AU may not be able to afford the buyout but he the many of them want.

 

[chuckster.sixpack]

Don't forget Les Miles.

They just delayed the inevitable by bringing him back.

 

[KYCAT78]

They fired Chiznek, or ever how his name is spelled 2 years after winning the championship.


If they thought it would help them beat Bama they would have hired Bin Laden. Dirtiest program in the NCAA and have been for years. AU didn't have a board a few years ago except in name, it was run by one person, today if Pay Dye told them Petrino would turn this thing around and beat Bama on a regular basis they would hire him today. AU's board is basically neutered, otherwise they would not have allowed their accreditation to be put in jeopardy to win football games by allowing independent studies for players only that were optional to attend.

Bobby beats Bama 2 years in a row that incident in Arkansas becomes a setup by the girl and her boyfriend according to the AU people. AU may not be able to afford the buyout but he the many of them want.

I can tell you nobody that matters wants him and Pat Dye is nothing more than a PR person now. Does not matter anyway because AU will be better next year, not beat Bama better but probably 2nd or 3rd in West better.

 

[DACats86]

The NCAA is a paper tiger. Teams like AU and Ole Miss are taking full advantage of that situation. Even if they get caught, the benefits of winning far outweigh the punishment.

 

[jauk11]

The NCAA is a paper tiger. Teams like AU and Ole Miss are taking full advantage of that situation. Even if they get caught, the benefits of winning far outweigh the punishment.

Uh, didn't you forget Transfer U?

It was a HUGE break for jurich when the NCAA screwed the pooch in the U investigation and just wanted to go and hide for a couple of years.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I can tell you nobody that matters wants him and Pat Dye is nothing more than a PR person now. Does not matter anyway because AU will be better next year, not beat Bama better but probably 2nd or 3rd in West better.

How do you think they will be better next year? Lost 3 of their defensive staff, 1 off the offense, still don't have a qb who can pass effectively, losing their best OL. I see 4 losses in the West for them, fighting A&M and State for 5th place.

Pat Dye is much more than the PR guy, he knows too much and has proof of how AU operates. His hunting farm is used on official visits for recruits, especially late in the process. Its secure and secluded. Before Lowder become old and ill he was on the board of AU and was the dirtiest player in Alabama. He ran it basically solo because everyone else owed him and his bank money. Its run like a little rural town, not a major university.

 

[KYCAT78]

How do you think they will be better next year? Lost 3 of their defensive staff, 1 off the offense, still don't have a qb who can pass effectively, losing their best OL. I see 4 losses in the West for them, fighting A&M and State for 5th place.

Pat Dye is much more than the PR guy, he knows too much and has proof of how AU operates. His hunting farm is used on official visits for recruits, especially late in the process. Its secure and secluded. Before Lowder become old and ill he was on the board of AU and was the dirtiest player in Alabama. He ran it basically solo because everyone else owed him and his bank money. Its run like a little rural town, not a major university.

I can see you do not like AU, I guess we will see next year where they finish. I could care less since I am a UK fan with lots of AU and Bama friends.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

I can see you do not like AU, I guess we will see next year where they finish. I could care less since I am a UK fan with lots of AU and Bama friends.

Nope can't stand the cheaters. They turned the fire hoses on UGA fans in the stands several years back because we beat them. Its a cess pool of corruption athletically and academically. It wouldn't even exist if it weren't a fallback school for 3 states for kids who couldn't get into their first 3 choices.

 

[KYCAT78]

Nope can't stand the cheaters. They turned the fire hoses on UGA fans in the stands several years back because we beat them. Its a cess pool of corruption athletically and academically. It wouldn't even exist if it weren't a fallback school for 3 states for kids who couldn't get into their first 3 choices.

Sounds like your describing UL, I would be confused if I did not know you were talking about AU.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

Sounds like your describing UL, I would be confused if I did not know you were talking about AU.

We are surrounded, Auburn to the west, UT to the north, Clemson to the east and FSU to the south. Auburn started out as East Alabama Male Collefge about 15 years later was changed to Alabama school of Agriculture and Mechanical College, then become Alabama Polytechnic Institute about 25 years after that and wasn't officially Auburn University until 1960. So much like their mascot being Tigers, Plainsmen or War Eagles, they are even more confused about their name. But with an close to a 90% acceptance rate lots of things confuse barners

 

[hmt5000]

We are surrounded, Auburn to the west, UT to the north, Clemson to the east and FSU to the south. Auburn started out as East Alabama Male Collefge about 15 years later was changed to Alabama school of Agriculture and Mechanical College, then become Alabama Polytechnic Institute about 25 years after that and wasn't officially Auburn University until 1960. So much like their mascot being Tigers, Plainsmen or War Eagles, they are even more confused about their name. But with an close to a 90% acceptance rate lots of things confuse barners

where does the "barner" tag come from? the ag college days?

 

[The_Oak]

Auburn doesn't have rebuilding patience. A losing season will likely be it. The Aggies boosters are likely wondering what in the world is going on with highly rated kids bailing....from a winning team, no less.
Kirby Smart will have to hit the ground running....your seat is already hot when the coach you replaced had 9 wins.....after losing a Heismann quality running back.
Vanderbilt fans are on the edge....another slow start and the search committee will be burning the road.
Sadly, I would say that coach Mark Stoops will have to show a way that shows improvement ...not necessarily in number of wins, but definitely in quality of play AND in game decisions.
If not, he will likely be a lame duck the final season of his contract.

Pretty much this except for Kirby Smart, no way he is on the hot seat in his first season. Now if he goes 2-10 or something like that then yeah he's gone, but otherwise no way he's gone in less then 3 years. I think Sumlin has the hottest seat followed by Malzahn and then Mason.

 

[billoliver40]

Perino is a wild card, but I would almost bet (almost) that he heads out west. The man left Arkansas with so many potential legal problems and with the hire of his girlfriend that getting the Western job and was a godsend to him. Louisville is getting a rep brewing as a Miami wanna be....success but a cost. I really would be surprised if Petrino ended up in the SEC again. I do expect him to leave the Cards in about two years though....the Cards are in a position where they will continually be behind FSU, Clemson, likely struggling with the trio of Georgia Tech, Duke, and North Carolina.
I think Bobby P heads toward the PAC or perhaps even watch out Charlie Strong.

 

[RammerJammer91_rivals23256]

They just delayed the inevitable by bringing him back.

I hope not. I want Les around as long as possible. If he loses more than 2 games this year he deserves to be fired, though. No more excuses for him this year. He has almost every junior returning (for once) and an elite recruiting class coming in.

 

[Grumpyolddawg]

where does the "barner" tag come from? the ag college days?

From Bama, and yeah I would guess that is where it comes from.

 

[Mr Schwump]

How do you think they will be better next year? Lost 3 of their defensive staff, 1 off the offense, still don't have a qb who can pass effectively, losing their best OL. I see 4 losses in the West for them, fighting A&M and State for 5th place.

Pat Dye is much more than the PR guy, he knows too much and has proof of how AU operates. His hunting farm is used on official visits for recruits, especially late in the process. Its secure and secluded. Before Lowder become old and ill he was on the board of AU and was the dirtiest player in Alabama. He ran it basically solo because everyone else owed him and his bank money. Its run like a little rural town, not a major university.

Very true re Dye, this guy truly knows where the bodies are buried.

 

[cardstud1]

Perino is a wild card, but I would almost bet (almost) that he heads out west. The man left Arkansas with so many potential legal problems and with the hire of his girlfriend that getting the Western job and was a godsend to him. Louisville is getting a rep brewing as a Miami wanna be....success but a cost. I really would be surprised if Petrino ended up in the SEC again. I do expect him to leave the Cards in about two years though....the Cards are in a position where they will continually be behind FSU, Clemson, likely struggling with the trio of Georgia Tech, Duke, and North Carolina.
I think Bobby P heads toward the PAC or perhaps even watch out Charlie Strong.

I disagree! Bobby will stay put at UL..wife guarantees that. He just hired his son NICK Petrino as WR's coach at UL too. And son-in-law is the Line coach at UL. Bobby is also highly involved with Louisville's Chosairs Children's Charitees Foundation with his daughter. His wife Becky has a lot to say now about where he goes or not, Jurich assured that with Becky! But who really knows...!

 

[BlueRaider22]

^lol. Bobby just hired his "sin!" That's a great Freudian slip. Lol.

 

[gobigblue812_rivals29381]

Butch Jones???

 

[jauk11]

I disagree! Bobby will stay put at UL..wife guarantees that. He just hired his son NICK Petrino as WR's coach at UL too. And son-in-law is the Line coach at UL. Bobby is also highly involved with Louisville's Chosairs Children's Charitees Foundation with his daughter. His wife Becky has a lot to say now about where he goes or not, Jurich assured that with Becky! But who really knows...!

So, do you think she had to give her approval for the shenanigans at Arkansas? Do you think she thought him getting kicked out there was the only way he would return to UL, because no other major program would hire him except one with jurich in charge?

Aren't there laws against hiring family members for public jobs? Would you like to enumerate the qualifications for the highly coveted jobs these two family members landed, his son's qualifications must be particularly impressive considering his age, but with his background he should fit in well with the players on the team.

But hey, if he got away free and clear for his misuse of public funds at Arkansas you can rest assured there will be no problems with this with jurich in charge.

 

[Oldtrainer_rivals]

Been in Gulf Shores since first of February and per local nightly sports Auburn's Gus is on a extremely hot seat!
Far as lil Bobby P, isn't there a gentlemen agreement by SEC a.ds. not to hire him?