Why did AU hate Malzhan so much
- Thread starter jethreauxdawg
- Start date
Malzhan and Freeze are not similar in their ability to coach quarterbacks or in their passing offense.
I think Freeze did a great job with Bo Wallace, Chad Kelly and Malik Willis. All played above their heads in college and 2 were drafted.
Because other than one season, he did just enough to hang around. AU expects to beat AL and compete for a championship, even if it's a little unrealistic. At least they try.
I mean he was the OC on their only National Championship (technically) and he led them to another championship game. I guess he’s glass half empty and Freeze is glass half full because of some fluke bounces.
I guess so. Bo was serviceable at best. Kelly was good but was he developed by Freeze? Tons of natural talent and could sling it, but was he better because of Freeze? Was he able to analyze defenses and run an offense or just run the play signaled in to him? I don’t remember Willis at all. I’m not saying Freeze isn’t a good offensive coach, but I don’t give him a ton of credit for developing QB’s.
Bo was a very limited JUCO transfer, both physically and between the ears, and I think Freeze maximized his talent.
Kelly came with the right physical tools and questionable judgment. Keeping him from imploding was a decent enough job.
He may not have developed them much, but I don't know that he had a QB that had a lot there to develop.
Freeze didn’t develop Kelly?
I present Exhibit A.
https://syndication.bleacherreport....olding-cell-after-trespassing-arrest.amp.html
Setting aside off the field stuff, no one in their right mind would take Malzahn over Freeze.
I said one season. They don't count that OC season. He wasn't building off that one big season. It was basically the same thing over and over. Eventually that gets old anywhere, but especially at AU.
Should be obvious, Freeze is better in every way**
Freeze
39-25 record at UM (61%)
19-21 SEC record at UM (48%)
2-3 vs saban (40%)
no SEC Championship
no SECW titles
44-17 record at other schools (72%)
Malzhan
68-35 record at AU (66%)
39-27 SEC record at AU (59%)
3-5 vs saban (37.5%)
1 SEC Championship
2 SECW titles
27-10 record at other schools (73%)
Freeze
39-25 record at UM (61%)
19-21 SEC record at UM (48%)
2-3 vs saban (40%)
no SEC Championship
no SECW titles
44-17 record at other schools (72%)
Malzhan
68-35 record at AU (66%)
39-27 SEC record at AU (59%)
3-5 vs saban (37.5%)
1 SEC Championship
2 SECW titles
27-10 record at other schools (73%)
They are very similar, as noted. But in the minds of Auburn fans, Auburn is supposed to beat Alabama more than they lose to them, so Malzahn's 3-5 record was atrocious, but Ole Miss is never supposed to beat Bama, so Freeze's 2-3 record was incredible.
If you look at it objectively, Auburn has paid a **** ton of money to basically switch out seemingly equivalent coaches (excluding the baggage). Obviously Auburn has more resources than and advantages over Ole Miss, but Malzhan managed that 39-27 SEC record while playing UGA as their permanent and Ole Miss had Vandy, so hard to say Malzahn didn't out perform Freeze there. Also, Ole Miss was going all out in cheating when Freeze was there, so that negated a lot of the resource advantages between the schools, so the level of difficulty to win at each school wasn't that different at that time.
That said, Freeze is a good coach (as is Malzhan). He's going to win there just like Malzhan did. Just a question of whether he wins enough for boosters. It will help him a lot if Saban looks mortal now that NIL is leveling the playing field some.
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