Chizik to Auburn???

[calibuff81]

That is a common misnomer.

McCartney did not recommend any one specific coach to become his successor. He recommended several different coaches, including both Neuheisel and Simmons. I believe he also recommended his DC Mike Hankwitz.

Simmons did have one pretty good year at OSU (1997, if I recall) where they went 8-4 or so.

Simmons recruited some very good players for us, he was able to land Kordell I beleive from Louisiana. I think we probably would have been ok with him because the foundation was already built. When he took the job at OSU it was doomed for failure to began with there was no foundation and he was building it from the bottom up.

Slick Rick, we all know what he did....

 

[MiamiBuffs]

That is a common misnomer.

McCartney did not recommend any one specific coach to become his successor. He recommended several different coaches, including both Neuheisel and Simmons. I believe he also recommended his DC Mike Hankwitz.

Simmons did have one pretty good year at OSU (1997, if I recall) where they went 8-4 or so.

Eliot Uzelac as well....

 

[Lt.Col.FrankSlade]

Simmons recruited some very good players for us, he was able to land Kordell I beleive from Louisiana. I think we probably would have been ok with him because the foundation was already built. When he took the job at OSU it was doomed for failure to began with there was no foundation and he was building it from the bottom up.

Slick Rick, we all know what he did....

Neuheisel's 1996 and 1997 recruiting classes were ranked in the top 5.

The 1997 class made up much of the 2001 Big 12 championship team.

 

[BehindEnemyLines]

That is a common misnomer.

McCartney did not recommend any one specific coach to become his successor. He recommended several different coaches, including both Neuheisel and Simmons. I believe he also recommended his DC Mike Hankwitz.

Simmons did have one pretty good year at OSU (1997, if I recall) where they went 8-4 or so.

I remember the interview with Mac during the Fiesta Bowl. The network/announcers made it sound like he was surprised that newkid was selected over Simmons. On the tape they asked as question like, what about Simmons, and Mac's response was, "Bob Simmons is qualified".

Interesting how it was presented.

 

[MiamiBuffs]

Neuheisel's 1996 and 1997 recruiting classes were ranked in the top 5.

The 1997 class made up much of the 2001 Big 12 championship team.

Recruiting was not his problem. Player development, discipline, and brain farts were another matter. Barney inherited a great team.

 

[canbuff]

Did anyone see PTI yesterday where Charles Barkley was saying the hiring of Chizik was racist and that Turner Gill was more qualified. I kinda believe him...

 

[Spider]

Did anyone see PTI yesterday where Charles Barkley was saying the hiring of Chizik was racist and that Turner Gill was more qualified. I kinda believe him...

Gill's response to a question about that was cool, though: "He's entitled to his opinion, but I didn't feel that was the case."

 

[BuffsRising]

I would say that the Chizik hire betrays a certain lack of appreciation of the talents of African Americans, but instead of Gill why didn't Auburn look at Charlie Strong, Florida's Defensive Coordinator? That guy would be perfect for them. Of course, maybe he's too smart to want to coach in a zoo.

 

[canbuff]

Gill's response to a question about that was cool, though: "He's entitled to his opinion, but I didn't feel that was the case."

I think Gill played it smart and didnt want to look like a poor sport or whiner about not being hired. Afraid of the stigma that might be attached to him.

 

[Spider]

I think Gill played it smart and didnt want to look like a poor sport or whiner about not being hired. Afraid of the stigma that might be attached to him.

If that "stigma" is still out there; assuming you mean black coaches being seen as poor sports for suggesting racial favoritism after getting turned down for a job a white coach won, then it's a nasty shame on our society still. It's not as bad as the actual fact of hiring a white coach over a black one all other things being equal except for their perceived impact on donations from white rich folks, but it does seem a bit like, "don't go away mad, just go away."

All hiring entities nowdays should be able to survive close scrutiny as to at the least their overt reasoning for their choices. But bigotry at its modern ugliest has at its core a rather "stealth" sort of engine: the black or woman or whatever had no chance from the beginning, but the pretence of that chance was out there for all to see.

I'm sure the Auburn financial backers are delighted to have black players now, but there was a time, as we all know, when that was not welcome one bit.

We might not know for sure ever about the true reasons for Chizik getting the nod, but I'm hoping Gill's right in his stated remarks about the racial issue not being there.

 

[leftybuff]

I think Gill played it smart and didnt want to look like a poor sport or whiner about not being hired. Afraid of the stigma that might be attached to him.

Me too. Whether there was a race issue involved or not, going Nolan Richardson on your employer, or potential employer, is not wise.

 

[Mick Ronson]

Seriously though, Gene Chizik had his greatest success, as a member of a college coaching staff, at Auburn when he was their defensive coordinator; they went to three bowls in those years.

To him it is a sweet return, I'm sure.

Chizik won the national championship at Texas in 05. i'd say that's his greatest success.

 

[Spider]

Chizik won the national championship at Texas in 05. i'd say that's his greatest success.

Perhaps his co-coordinator and assistant HC job there was especially satisfying when Texas traded blows and came out on top in that great game with USC.

But I still hold his three years as DC and secondary coach with the Tigers just a little bit higher, even though obviously the national championship is the Big Prize for all members of a coaching staff. He had enough time at Auburn, a much better football program than Iowa State obviously, to show a pattern.