Gus Malzahn

[lukethedrifter]

Bad news for Vols fans if true.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Right or wrong, after hiring assistants two straight hires in Coker and Shannon, both ending disastrously, the next Miami coach will have HC experience.

If they did go the assistant route, which I doubt they would, it would probably Brent Venables from Oklahoma. The Miami AD, Kirby Hocutt, was at Oklahoma for several years with Venables, Kevin Sumlin, and Mike Stoops.

It is much different being the CEO of a major university than it is a coordinator. You are in control of the whole operation as the face of the program. Much of what must be done is outside of the football field. At a large state school, that stuff is mitigated some by a large alumni base, natural fan ownership of the program, and of course, state funding.

At Miami, it's much different. Enrollment under 10,000 means a small alumni base, and no state funding means they rely on boosters and endowments much more heavily. At just over $500 million per year, Miami Oscar behind the larger state schools. Miami needs the right guy to excite that base of boosters, and definitely to get butts in seats. Perhaps no other major program can benefit from a big time hire than Miami. Averaging under 30k fans perfume is costing money. If a new coach's excitement can get that to just 45k, he pays for himself.

I'm not saying Malzahn can't do the job, but given all that goes with the Miami hire this time, I don't think he'll be under consideration.

I'm not denying one thing you said. I just said that Gus Malzahn would be a perfect fit for Miami. If Miami doesn't think he can handle it or doesn't want to take the shot, that's their prerogative, wrong as I feel it may be.

Everything the guy touches turns to gold. High School football, blah doesn't really matter. But, he dominated there.

3 years he's been a coordinator in the SEC West. He's won the West twice, has 1 conference championship and 1 BCS National Championship berth. (Small sample size and all, and he's only a coordinator, but the only guy I can think of with that kind of success is the guy that just retired from Florida) You can say he had the players, which he did, but the year after he left Arkansas, Arkansas still had DMad/Jones/Hillis and didn't win the west which wasn't a coincidence to anyone watching.

He's an excellent recruiter and just as good at designing formations/schemes/plays etc. Like the Wildcat. His only downfall, possibly would be getting a defensive coordinator.

If he goes to Vandy, it might take a couple years to get going, but he'll eventually turn them into at minimum a middle of the pack team....which is saying something. Conversely if he went somewhere that had talent pouring in, or at least that opportunity...like Miami, he'd get them in BCS games year after year. Bo Pelini or Leach or whoever may be able to do that as well. For Miami's sake, I hope they pick the right guy.

[phins]

Fwiw, and I know I'm only picking out a small part of your reply, but David Lee designed the Wild Hog at Arkansas, then brought it to Miami and named it Wildcat.

Malzahn is an awesome offensive mind, but questions with his personality, being burned twice before by top assistants, and no familiarity with Gus meant he had no shot. It looks like Al Golden will get the job, and he's been my guy I hoped from the beginning, but if they give it to Marc Trestman, I'll be wishing it went to Gus w/o a doubt.

Trestman failed at NC St as an OC with freaking Phillip Rivers.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

Fwiw, and I know I'm only picking out a small part of your reply, but David Lee designed the Wild Hog at Arkansas, then brought it to Miami and named it Wildcat.

That's not really factual.

The wildhog was created by Malzahn in his year there as co-offensive coordinator or whatever he was. David Lee gets credit for it, but Malzahn was the brain behind it. I believe Malzahn called it the wildcat; when he left they changed the name to wildhog for legal or egotistical purposes. So, while Lee officially started the 'Wild Hog' he did little but change the name that Malzahn gave him.

The media gives Lee credit because he brought it to the NFL and because, well, they're too lazy to go back and watch game tapes from 2006/7 to see that it was in place then and appeared about the same time as Malzahn.

[phins]

I guess if we both want to be factual, neither came up with it, as it's z simple variation of the single wing, but Lee gets credit for it, so I'd say he has to have some input to it.

[AWvsCBsteeeerike3]

I guess if we both want to be factual, neither came up with it, as it's z simple variation of the single wing, but Lee gets credit for it, so I'd say he has to have some input to it.

Like I said, Lee gets credit for it for no other reason than the media is too lazy to see that Malzahn implemented it before Lee got there.

The system ahd been used at KState previously. Then, Malzahn took it a step farther and used it with DMac and called it the wildcat. Then, Malzahn left because he couldn't stand Houston Nutt. Lee came in and saw that it worked and changed the name to the Wild Hog in 2007 and rumors abound that it was because Houston Nutt couldn't stand to be reminded of Malzahn with the Wildcat*. Regardless, Lee saw that it worked in 2006, somewhat successfully used it in 2007, and took it to the NFL in 2008 where he caused fits for New England with Cadillac Williams I believe and because the media had to talk about it, they said Lee invented it at Arkansas and he was brilliant and brought it to the NFL.

The point remains, even if neither invented it. Malzahn started it at Arkansas where Lee picked it up and has enjoyed the accolades.

*Because most if not all success in 2006 was given to Malzahn. Hence the following video

[/youtube]

[lukethedrifter]

What are the alleged personality issues with Malzahn?

[phins]

What are the alleged personality issues with Malzahn?

Stuff at Arkansas with Houston Nutt...funny all of that is only attributed to Nutt, when usually there are three sides to any story.

Looks like Malzahn is going to Vanderbilt. I'm not sure that's the best place for him since he'll have more trouble getting his athletes at a school like that. He's probably getting while the getting is good from Auburn though. That team will look a lot different next year, and that doesn't include the possibility of sanctions.

Strike while the iron is hot, and remember, five years ago this guy was coaching high school.

[clevername]

there haven't been any big clashes personality wise at Auburn (there's more than one "unique" personality on that staff), but the talk from the athletic department even before all this stuff came up about him leaving was that he was a bit odd and some weren't sure how he'd handle and come across being in charge.

Vandy's a good situation for him. They're paying him well (more than his boss' salary right now, if the reports are true) and it's a low pressure situation, at least as far was wins go. His goal there is to get to a bowl game, not win the SEC. Long term it may be a better place for him to start than somewhere where the expectations by the fanbase are much higher, and he's getting paid well even though it is a "lesser" job.

[phins]

They're paying him well (more than his boss' salary right now, if the reports are true) and it's a low pressure situation, at least as far was wins go. His goal there is to get to a bowl game, not win the SEC. Long term it may be a better place for him to start than somewhere where the expectations by the fanbase are much higher, and he's getting paid well even though it is a "lesser" job.

True.