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By all accounts, Gene Chizik is one of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet.

He has an engaging personality and people genuinely seem to like him.

But he's not the answer for what ails Auburn Football—he's the problem.

Since winning the National Championship with Cam Newton under center in 2010, Chizik has a .500 record, nine wins and nine losses.

Auburn has lost it's last five SEC games by a combined score of 151-48, and they have failed to put more than 14 points on the board in any of those losses. When you are losing to John L. Smith, who has become the punchline for a number of jokes, things are not going well for you.

Or your program.

Their lone win on the season came in Week 3 against Louisiana-Monroe, and while the Warhawks have an excellent offense and are in first place in the Sun Belt conference, they are the Lousiana-Monroe Warhawks.

What's More Costly: Chizik's $7.5 million buyout or the damage he's doing to the program?
His $7.5 million buyout. The damage he's doing to the program. Submit Vote vote to see results

The Auburn Tigers don't play close games against the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks, they chew them up and spit them out like tasteless chewing gum.

Exactly how far down the rabbit hole does the program have to sink before the university will stand up and take action?

In less than two years, Chizik has taken the program from first to worst.

A change of direction is desperately needed, and that can only come with a change in leadership.

While Chizik has a hefty $7.5 million payment due to him if the school buys out the remaining years on his deal,

That's chump change compared to the damage that keeping Chizik around will cost.

We saw the beginning of it yesterday, with fans streaming out of Jordan-Hare Stadium well before the game reached it's conclusion.

That National Championship was won two years ago.

To a new generation of potential recruits, that's a lifetime.

Must Auburn be tagged with the "once-mighty" or "former National powerhouse" tags before Chizik is shown the door?

The 2012 season is lost, so replacing him now makes little sense.

But for 2013, for the future of the program, retaining his services is not something that the university need do.

Unless, of course, the ultimate goal is to dismantle a program that was once synonymous with excellence, brick-by-brick.
 
http://bleacherreport.com/arti...ram-than-keeping-him
 
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I know a few Auburn people and I don't think they are ready to toss in the towel yet but if they don't go to a bowl game this year I think it gets more serious.  Right now though they are embarrassing the conference. Upcoming they have Ole Miss, Vandy, Texas A&M, New Mexico State, Georgia, Alabama A&M and Alabama.  We are probably talking about 4 more losses in those 7 so realistically 4-8, no bowl.

If there's one reason why Chizik won't be gone this year, it's that he's brought in top 10 recruiting classes (Rivals.com) for three years in a row and is on track for another great class in 2013, assuming they don't all bail after watching this season (very possible!). But of course, the quality of athletes we have on the field is the main reason why it's so unacceptable that we're such a bad football team right now, and you can only chalk that up to coaching failure. My guess is that Scot Loeffler doesn't last the season and Chizik gets put on notice that another bad season means he's out. Meanwhile, Ole Miss and Vandy unfortunately aren't complete pushovers this year, and with Auburn's offense so non-existent, I think we're probably the underdogs in those two games. 3-9 is a real possibility.

Originally Posted by Chuck Farley:

I know a few Auburn people and I don't think they are ready to toss in the towel yet but if they don't go to a bowl game this year I think it gets more serious.  Right now though they are embarrassing the conference. Upcoming they have Ole Miss, Vandy, Texas A&M, New Mexico State, Georgia, Alabama A&M and Alabama.  We are probably talking about 4 more losses in those 7 so realistically 4-8, no bowl.

Embarrassing the conference? By losing conference games? Only outside loss is to one of the top ACC teams, and that was a close one.

I am not an Auburn fan by any stretch, so please let them keep him.  But, I will say that he has brought in several top ten recruiting classes, and has yet to develop them. Being a good coach is more than just recruiting.  Player development is essential and from what I have seen he is not the type of person to do that. he may be a nice guy, so was Shula, but being a nice guy is what gets you in trouble. But, he is not the only problem. The AD and his cohorts, like Pat Dye, pull the strings down at West Georgia Tech, and until people like Bobbie Lowder and Pat Dye stop pulling those strings it will not get better.  You have Pat Dye making a fool of himself every week on the radio and TV saying how even if CheeseNip loses every game, he will not lose his job.  If I were a paying fan of that program I would be livid.  He is basically saying there is no accountability. BTW, CheeseNip has a $7.5M buyout if he is fired.  If I were him I would not even say anything, just wait for them to fire me and head out to the Islands to live out my last days.

I attended the Auburn game Saturday.  It was my first big college game and I had a blast! The stadium is beautiful, the Auburn Band was AWESOME, and it was a great day all around! Alas, the game, not so much. The Defense was doing a pretty good job, but the offense just could not get it together. 

 

Now I need to get to a Bama game!

Yes, you are right, the SEC should be embarassed of Alabama.  They are the only team in the state of Alabama that ever plays a smaller division school.  BTW, who are the two cupcake teams left on Auburn's schedule this year?  Exactly why did Auburn get left off of the BC Championship game in 2004?  Could have been anything to do with their strength of schedule?

These schedules are made up years in advance.  This year Alabama was supposed to play Georgia, but the SEC office changed the schedule so that Alabama would play both of the new expansion teams, MO and TAMU. On top of that almost every SEC team that Alabama plays takes the week off prior to scheduling them, just as Auburn has tried to do.

Don't try and refocus the poor performance down on the plains by throwing off on Alabama, or any other school for that matter.  Get the log out of your own eye before you do so.  BTW, I bet Brooks High School could be the Aubies this year, I would steer clear of them if I was CheeseNip.

Originally Posted by daybeggar:

What is embarrassing to the conference is Alabama's  annual habit of playing as many cupcake teams as they can schedule. Western Carolina, Western Kentucky, Kent State...the list goes on.  I get the impression Mal Moore would really like to schedule Brooks High School if he could get away with it.

We do have a few cupcake teams but we can't drop Auburn off our schedule now can we?  It's time for Auburn to focus on it's fundamentals - buying Jr. College talent.

 

Another terrible performance against Ole Miss today. I don't know if I'll be able to do it, but Auburn fans should really be rooting for Vandy next week, because it's our best chance to get rid of Chizik this year rather than dragging out the misery for another season before he finally gets fired. If you go 1-6 with losses to Ole Miss and Vandy after bringing in three top-ten recruiting classes in a row, it has to be obvious to everyone that you don't know how to coach college football.

Originally Posted by TheMeInTeam:

Another terrible performance against Ole Miss today. I don't know if I'll be able to do it, but Auburn fans should really be rooting for Vandy next week, because it's our best chance to get rid of Chizik this year rather than dragging out the misery for another season before he finally gets fired. If you go 1-6 with losses to Ole Miss and Vandy after bringing in three top-ten recruiting classes in a row, it has to be obvious to everyone that you don't know how to coach college football.

_____________

 

very well put, nice post!

Well, like I said last week, it should be obvious to everyone now that Gene Chizik doesn't know how to coach college football. You can try to put all the blame on Loeffler, but Chizik hired Loeffler, and it's under Chizik that Auburn has gone from a national championship team to the worst Auburn team in generations in just two seasons. Auburn needs a fresh start, no matter what it takes to buy out the rest of Chizik's contract.

It is just insane to give these failed coaches contracts that enable them to construct a crummy won-lost record and then bail out, pocketing millions of dollars as compensation for the miserable job they have done.  Same goes for CEOs who inflict big damage a corporation and then leave via a "golden parachute."  These arrangements are a form of economic perversion.

 Same goes for CEOs who inflict big damage a corporation and then leave via a "golden parachute."  These arrangements are a form of economic perversion.


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Gee, after all this time of trying to make us think you're so smart, you decide to act "stupid". Oh hey, is he a Mormon too??? You could attack him for that as well. I'm a Bama fan so I say, "keep him". LOL

Originally Posted by Bestworking:

 Same goes for CEOs who inflict big damage a corporation and then leave via a "golden parachute."  These arrangements are a form of economic perversion.


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Gee, after all this time of trying to make us think you're so smart, you decide to act "stupid". Oh hey, is he a Mormon too??? You could attack him for that as well. I'm a Bama fan so I say, "keep him". LOL

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Congratulations!  With that last post, you have accomplished the near-impossible.  You have exceeded in blithering silliness even your own prior irrelevant posts.

I couldn't care less about the amount of money involved to buy out Chizik's contract, since it's not like any of it is mine. In fact, good for him for getting such a favorable contract while he still could. All I know is that no one has any confidence that Gene Chizik has the ability to turn this program around, let alone get it all the way back to the level it's expected to be, after such an epic collapse this year. Keeping him around just isn't a possibility anymore.

Originally Posted by Contendah:
Originally Posted by Bestworking:

 Same goes for CEOs who inflict big damage a corporation and then leave via a "golden parachute."  These arrangements are a form of economic perversion.


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Gee, after all this time of trying to make us think you're so smart, you decide to act "stupid". Oh hey, is he a Mormon too??? You could attack him for that as well. I'm a Bama fan so I say, "keep him". LOL

___

Congratulations!  With that last post, you have accomplished the near-impossible.  You have exceeded in blithering silliness even your own prior irrelevant posts.

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Poor tender, a republican, atheist, woman is gettin' uppity with him.

Originally Posted by Contendah:

It is just insane to give these failed coaches contracts that enable them to construct a crummy won-lost record and then bail out, pocketing millions of dollars as compensation for the miserable job they have done.  Same goes for CEOs who inflict big damage a corporation and then leave via a "golden parachute."  These arrangements are a form of economic perversion.

That's why the idiot Athletic Director that gave him the buy out will be terminated as well.

While I consider myself an Alabama fan primarily I do hope Auburn wins and does well as an SEC team as i am for the SEC as a whole but my first desire is for Alabama to win.  That said I do like Coach Chizik and like Coach Richt I think he is a good man, morally, and liked by his players.  I did though, when he was chosen, think he had slim resume.  Actually I liked Tommy Tuberville and think it was a bad mistake to fire him as coach.  I think he's been justified as a good coach in the way he's performed at Texas Tech.  I also think that he competed against Alabama better than most Auburn coaches and quite possibly was just a victim of Saban's effect at Alabama.  

 

Auburn and Tennessee have something in common other than this year's record.  Tennessee fired or got rid of a good coach in Fulmer (or so it seemed he was) and when in for Kiffen who stiffed them to go back to his favorite choice where he was an assistant.  Who can blame him for taking that position for that was his dream job but Tennessee suffered in his doing that.  I think Dooley is a great coach also but much of coaching is also in the Assistants that the Head Coach chooses.  Thus Chizik's problem because he replaced his offensive coach and lost his defensive coach.  I think it's certainly a very limited time that Chizik has, if that, but I think both he and Dooley deserve one more season to try and start something.   Heck look at Georgia and when they went down last year.  There was talk about getting rid of Richt but this year has restored faith that Richt is among the elite coaches in the SEC and deserves a second chance.  Maybe Chizik or Dooley will also get that Second chance.  Even more so lets just hope that Saban has a sincere desire to retire as Alabama's head coach and plans on a very long tenor at Alabama. 

 

I think one thing Saban has accomplished is what Bear Bryant accomplished at Alabama other than a team record of success.  He has respect of his entire team and people want to come play for Alabama and play for Coach Saban and buy into the program.  To his credit he makes no deals, or so it seems, for people to play but they each have to win their positions and hold those positions by their performance.  Saban also seems to have the interest of his players and assistant coaches in mind because he doesn't fail to encourage them to go to the NFL draft if he believes they have the chance to go in the first round draft and it's beneficial for them to do so, all knowing that it means Alabama's depth and talent reservoir will be replenished in the process.  I think that each college student/player recognizes this and is one reason they want to come to Alabama.  Interesting that Saban is one of Colleges most feared coaches as far as recruiting is concerned.  Most new recruits say that of all the coaches that they deal with they fear Saban the most yet year after year he seems to entice the best of the best and comes up with one of the highest classes in the nation. 

 

In short Chizik is no Saban nor can he be but he can be a great coach.  Sure it's not as difficult if you get a Cam Newton on your team but in order to evaluate a program you have to consider all aspects of it including the quality of the assistants.  Case in point just look at LSU's defensive Coordinator for he performed just as successfully at Tennessee under Fulmer and is just a quality man, same as with Alabama's assistants and yes that's part of the Head Coaches responsibility and recruiting ability .. to recruit and choose the best Assistants that are out there.  Chizik may or may not can do that.

Gbrk

I appreciate your comments but as an Auburn fan I think its time to let Chizik go. He is in the fourth year of his contract and still the tackling fundamentals are weak, the offense has no consistency and there have been more than few off the field issues. I think Chizik is a good man. I don't know of an Auburn fan that doesn't but it appears that he is out of his depth as a head coach in the SEC. 

Auburn making plans to fire Gene Chizik, report says:

A report from 247Sports.com (pay link) said that Auburn president Jay Gogue has informed members of the board of trustees they are ‘preparing to possibly’ dismiss head coach Gene Chizik after the season.

The report also stated that Athletic Director Jay Jacobs would be retained.

Gogue has contacted board members about forming a committee of ‘possibly’ removing Chizik and naming a new head coach ‘within days the season is over should Chizik not be retained’.

Gogue issued a statement on October 25th asking fans to support the program despite the horrible season.

Gogue issued another statement Thursday saying he’s been contacted by many fans in the past few weeks. The Tigers are 1-6 under Coach Gene Chizik for the team’s worst start in 60 years.

Gogue says he shares many of the fans’ concerns about football. He says the program will be evaluated as it is each year in an “objective, thorough and professional process.”

Chizik’s contract runs through the 2015 season, but if he’s dismissed early, AU would owe him $7.5 million buyout that would be payable over the remainder of his career.

Look, I think it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion now barring a victory over Georgia or Alabama that Chizik will be gone at the end of the season.

Auburn’s 247Sports’ site also says that Louisville offensive coordinator Shawn Watson has been named as a potential candidate.

Who would I hire? I would target the head coach at Louisville, Charlie Strong, and then let him bring Watson along with him. All kidding aside, Strong has an SEC pedigree with head coaching experience, and he’s a dynamite recruiter who could haul talent into Auburn every year, not that that has been a problem during Chizik’s tenure. However, he has shown he can develop players once on campus, something Chizik’s tenure hasn’t proven.

Who do you think Auburn will hire?

 

 

 

http://www.saturdaydownsouth.c...gene-chizik-removal/

They are most likely debating whether or not to jump early and try and beat Tennessee to the punch.  Rumor is that the folks at Tennessee are looking at Dooley's replacement and Petrino is also on the list there as well.

 

The one who is laughing hardest is most likely Tommy Tuberville.   Seriously where else could you get 7 + million for doing bad

Originally Posted by Red Baron:

Gbrk

I appreciate your comments but as an Auburn fan I think its time to let Chizik go. He is in the fourth year of his contract and still the tackling fundamentals are weak, the offense has no consistency and there have been more than few off the field issues. I think Chizik is a good man. I don't know of an Auburn fan that doesn't but it appears that he is out of his depth as a head coach in the SEC. 

I'm not trying to say they should keep him but it's difficult to see someone one year removed from taking the school to a National Championship, all be it, with the help of Alabama of all Teams when they allowed them to come back on them in that years game.  Actually I was pulling for Auburn and wasn't so upset because Alabama had no chance at a National Championship if they had beat Auburn and Auburn did, as they continued on to do.  Granted a Cam Newton comes along with the other players once maybe in a lifetime but then my reply is more a question than statement.

 

Which is playing more into a demand for Chizik to go, his performance the last two years or Saban's performance with Alabama the last three?

Releasing Chizit and retaining Jay Jacobs and his side clown jackson is not solving Auburns problem. the buck stops at Jacobs desk, he is the one who hired Chizik as well as all the other underachiving coachs under his watch. Clean house in the athletic department and hire someone from the outside with no previous ties to Auburn.

Originally Posted by gbrk:

I'm not trying to say they should keep him but it's difficult to see someone one year removed from taking the school to a National Championship, all be it, with the help of Alabama of all Teams when they allowed them to come back on them in that years game.  Actually I was pulling for Auburn and wasn't so upset because Alabama had no chance at a National Championship if they had beat Auburn and Auburn did, as they continued on to do.  Granted a Cam Newton comes along with the other players once maybe in a lifetime but then my reply is more a question than statement.

 

Which is playing more into a demand for Chizik to go, his performance the last two years or Saban's performance with Alabama the last three?

To me it's really all about Chizik's performance this year. Last year Auburn had a mediocre but still perfectly respectable 8-5 season and a bowl win, which was understandable and maybe even a little surprising given the youth of that team and how much talent they had just lost from the year before. A similar season or a slightly worse performance this year would have brought grumbles about the team not improving, but Chizik's job wouldn't have been in immediate danger only two years from winning a national championship. The thing to remember is that we're not just talking about a typical down year that all programs have from time to time. This is one of the worst teams in FBS football this year and possibly the worst Auburn team ever, and there's no good reason for it based on the level of talent that Chizik had brought in. The only explanation for Auburn's historic collapse is poor coaching, and that's why literally no one has any confidence that Chizik is the guy to turn things around. He has to go, generous contract or not.

 

This has nothing to do with Alabama; Alabama didn't make Auburn go 2-7 with losses to Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. And while we're at it, Alabama didn't help Auburn by allowing them to come back in the Iron Bowl two years ago. Auburn did that themselves and Alabama couldn't stop them. 

Don't get me wrong there is nothing I can think of that would make me think that any Alabama team would LET Auburn come back from that far down and win, believe that.  I do know Auburn did that on their own with a breakdown on Alabama's part.  There was no gift given though and I'm not indicating I believe that.  None the less though the breakdown of Alabama translated into a gift for Auburn whether or not they won it on their own.  In truth it was a combination of Auburn getting better and Alabama getting worse that ended up going in Auburn's favor. 


Now back to Chizik.  I do think he's a good coach and has potential although maybe not the Pertrino type potential.  Where Chizik failed and his great mistake was bringing in a totally new Offensive Coordinator and system and expecting the team to adapt to it with the talent pool they had.  I don't see that they would do any better next year either.  So I agree with the other person, even though I'm more an Alabama fan, that they should clean house if they are going to do so and the AD should pay the price also.  They had a decent or great coach in Tuberville but somehow weren't happy with him but Tuberville could have also won a national championship with the talent pool that Auburn had that year with Newton and team.  Granted they had magic and it gelled at the right times.  Alabama has yet to prove if they have that Magic this year but potentially they do time will tell. 


I wonder how many Auburn fans will do as I did in that year Auburn won the National Championship and grudgingly wish Alabama the best in the Ala/AU game this year IF Alabama enters that game undefeated and has a chance to win the National Championship again.  I pull for the SEC overall but yes of the SEC I favor Alabama team as a whole and in general. I'd love to see Auburn back in the National hunt and in the Elite.  I'd love to see a National Championship race that an Alabama team was close in the race for and in fact one of the final four when the new system gets here.  Fact is though that there will be ups and downs and either way I'll remain an Alabama fan thick or thin for I love their tradition but I also pull for Auburn in every game other than Alabama because I love the State as a whole and any SEC team after that.  Just my opinion mind you.

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