Charles Barkley

[eagles_victory]

Former Auburn and NBA star Charles Barkley ripped the school he attended on Monday, saying the only reason the Tigers did not hire Buffalo's Turner Gill as the school's new football coach is because Gill is black.



Auburn on Saturday hired Iowa State's Gene Chizik, who had a 5-19 record in two seasons with the Cyclones. Chizik was the defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2004, when the Tigers finished 13-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country.


Chizik replaces former Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville, who won 85 games in 10 seasons but was forced to resign earlier this month.

"I think race was the No. 1 factor," said Barkley, who played basketball for three seasons at Auburn during the early 1980s. "You can say it's not about race, but you can't compare the two resumes and say [Chizik] deserved the job. Out of all the coaches they interviewed, Chizik probably had the worst resume."

Gill, a former Nebraska quarterback, took over one of the country's worst programs at Buffalo three years ago. He guided the Bulls to an 8-5 record and their first MAC championship this season, upsetting previously unbeaten Ball State 42-24 in the Dec. 5 conference championship game.



You can say it's not about race, but you can't compare the two resumes and say [Chizik] deserved the job. Out of all the coaches they interviewed, Chizik probably had the worst resume.
-- Charles Barkley

The Bulls won 10 games in their first seven seasons at the Division I-A level. Gill guided Buffalo to 13 victories during the last two seasons combined.


"I'm just very disappointed," Barkley said. "I just thought Turner Gill would be the perfect choice for two reasons: He's a terrific coach and we needed to make a splash. I thought we had to do something spectacular to bring attention to the program. Clearly, if we'd hired a black coach, it would have created a buzz."

Barkley, who works as an NBA analyst for Turner Network Television, said he spoke with Gill before Gill interviewed with Auburn officials last week.

"We talked about the whole race thing in Alabama," Barkley said. "I told him it's there and it's going to be anywhere you go. I told him you can't not take the job because of racism. He was worried about being nothing more than a token interview. He was concerned about having a white wife. It's just very disappointing to me."

Chizik said Monday he understands the expectations as he takes over at Auburn and that there's only one way to quiet fans upset by his hiring.

"You gotta win," Chizik said during a news conference. A half-dozen or so times, Chizik confidently said he was the "right guy" for the job.

"Nobody's expectation that is a fan of Auburn University is higher than mine," Chizik said. "That sums it up. My expectations are very high. I understand that the people of this place, including myself, they want championships. That's my expectation of myself. That's what I take with me to sleep with every night."

The results at Iowa State weren't spectacular, yet Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said Chizik's plan for turning around the Cyclones was part of what got him the job.

"He was on path there at Iowa State to turn that program around in a positive way," said Jacobs. He called Chizik a "tireless recruiter" with a solid plan.

Five wins in two years got Chizik an offer of a two-year contract extension at Iowa State. He reportedly will receive a five-year contract worth about $2 million a year from Auburn, about double his former deal which included a $750,000 buyout.

Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard sounded upset to lose Chizik. He said Monday during a news conference in Ames that twice last week, Chizik assured him that he wouldn't dump the Cyclones for Auburn.

Pollard said that Iowa State's fans, staff and players "deserved better."

"He's got to reconcile in himself what he told all these players and what he told our administration and what he's doing now," Pollard said. "And if he can live with that, more power to him. I know Jamie Pollard couldn't have done that to this place."

Asked about Barkley's comments to ESPN, Jacobs said: "Well, my reaction is I was picking the best fit for Auburn."



Barkley, an 11-time NBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medal winner, said he served on Auburn's search committee for a new basketball coach after the 2003-04 season. Barkley said he told Auburn officials he would serve on the committee only if the school was ready to hire a black coach.

Barkley said he presented three African-American candidates for consideration: former Indiana coach Mike Davis, then-Virginia Commonwealth coach Jeff Capel and then-UAB coach Mike Anderson.

More from ESPN.com
Auburn needed to think outside the box in its coaching search. But hiring Gene Chizik, 5-19 in two years at Iowa State, isn't the answer, Mark Schlabach writes. Story


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Appearing on the Scott Van Pelt Show, Chizik said he looks forward to the challenge of trying to get Auburn back to being a premier football program.
Listen


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Gene Chizik faces some serious challenges from a recruiting standpoint, JC Shurburtt writes. Story

Barkley said all three candidates wanted to coach at Auburn. Instead, the Tigers hired then-Chattanooga coach Jeff Lebo, a white candidate. Lebo has a 61-68 record in his fifth season at Auburn.

Barkley said he was removed from Auburn's search committee before Lebo was hired.

"Out of all the basketball coaches they interviewed, they picked the only one who hadn't been to the NCAA tournament," Barkley said.

There are only four African-American coaches among 119 programs in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision. Illinois offensive coordinator Mike Locksley was hired as New Mexico's coach last week; the others are Gill, Miami's Randy Shannon and Houston's Kevin Sumlin.

Two African-American coaches, Washington's Tyrone Willingham and Kansas State's Ron Prince, were fired during the 2008 season, and Mississippi State's Sylvester Croom resigned.

Barkley said he wanted Gill to become Auburn's coach because Auburn is a school where an African-American coach could be successful.

"My biggest problem with the black coaches is they're not getting jobs and they're getting [expletive] jobs when they are hired," Barkley said. "They're not getting good jobs. They're not getting jobs where they can be successful. That's why I wanted Turner to get the Auburn job. He could win consistently at Auburn. You can't win consistently at New Mexico. You can't win consistently at Kansas State. He could have won at Auburn."

I think Chuck is going a little too far.

[JasperDog94]

To some people race is everything. Was Chizik the right guy? I don't know. He was awesome as the defensive coordinator while he was at Auburn, but Iowa State is the red-headed step child of the Big 12. You but Gill at Iowa State and he probably doesn't do much better if any at all.

Barkley is just doing what Barkley does best...and that is run his mouth.

[IHStangFan]

that's just tuuurrrible Kenny....tuuurrrible.

[eagles_victory]

I really feel the thing he said about Lebron disrespecting his team when he talked about the chance of going to New York at first I kind of agreed with Chuck when he said Lebron should just down play it. But when you think about it when you have all these guys like Saban saying they arent leaving and they leave like in Miami all Lebron is being is honest and Charles critcized him for that. Can we really critcize Lebron for being honest? I think this is similar where Chuck is talking without really thinking.

[Gobbla2001]

I think Chizik was a stupid hire... but I guess time will tell... decision based on race? I dunno...

Chizik was a defensive coordinator at Auburn...

the other guy Auburn really wanted was Muschamp... he was a defensive coordinator at Auburn...

something tells me this was an "insider" hire, a "people you know" type hire... I think they wanted someone who had been in the family and was familiar with the program and the way it operates... it's easier to have faith in people you know rather than people you don't...

I think this is an example of blind stupidity, not a decision based on race...

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
I think Chizik was a stupid hire...

you know what, I'm going to stick with this comment, since I've just made it and have thought that since hearing of the hire, but I will say this: MAYBE, just MAYBE he went 5-19 the first two seasons as a the HC at Iowa State because it's, well, Iowa State... Auburn may have said "You know what, it was Iowa State, that shouldn't count against him"...

[JR2004]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
I really feel the thing he said about Lebron disrespecting his team when he talked about the chance of going to New York at first I kind of agreed with Chuck when he said Lebron should just down play it. But when you think about it when you have all these guys like Saban saying they arent leaving and they leave like in Miami all Lebron is being is honest and Charles critcized him for that. Can we really critcize Lebron for being honest? I think this is similar where Chuck is talking without really thinking.

In that case Chuck was right...He made a good example of saying how would TNT like it if he made it known that in two years he would like to work for ESPN? (It was funny though when Kenny started celebrating that he would leave...lol.)

This hire for Auburn is just not good in my opinion. Iowa State looked absolutely horrible when I saw them play against Baylor. They looked like they belonged in the Southland Conference. Heck Kendall Wright made Sportscenter's Top 10 that night for the screen pass he caught for a TD against them where everyone on the Cyclones defense missed him as he ran from one side of the field to the other for a 50 yard TD.

Auburn shouldn't have even interviewed Gill if this is the hire they're going to make.

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by JR2004


Auburn shouldn't have even interviewed Gill if this is the hire they're going to make.

Well, it was one of those "damned if you do, damned if you don't" things for Auburn... you don't consider a black coach, someone's on your ass... you interview but don't hire a black coach, someone's on your ass...

moral of the story is: don't ever put yourself into a position where you have to interview and hire a head coach

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by Ernest T Bass
It's just hard to convince an 18 yr old kid that Ames, Iowa is better than.....well, anywhere.

Like I said after driving through Iowa once (actually went by Ames), "If I owned Iowa and Hell I'd rent-out Iowa and live in Hell"

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by JR2004
In that case Chuck was right...He made a good example of saying how would TNT like it if he made it known that in two years he would like to work for ESPN? (It was funny though when Kenny started celebrating that he would leave...lol.)
I mean everyone already knows he is considering it and they asked him and he was honest about it I really dont have a problem with that sure he could down play it a little more but at least hes honest about the future.


Originally posted by JR2004


This hire for Auburn is just not good in my opinion. Iowa State looked absolutely horrible when I saw them play against Baylor. They looked like they belonged in the Southland Conference. Heck Kendall Wright made Sportscenter's Top 10 that night for the screen pass he caught for a TD against them where everyone on the Cyclones defense missed him as he ran from one side of the field to the other for a 50 yard TD.

Auburn shouldn't have even interviewed Gill if this is the hire they're going to make. Disagree totally if Gill is the best candiate and gets the job that is fine. But by no means is he entitled to the job because he is black like Chuck is saying.

[sinton66]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
Like I said after driving through Iowa once (actually went by Ames), "If I owned Iowa and Hell I'd rent-out Iowa and live in Hell"

Radar would be SHOCKED to hear you say that.:D

[JR2004]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
I mean everyone already knows he is considering it and they asked him and he was honest about it I really dont have a problem with that sure he could down play it a little more but at least hes honest about the future.

All he has to say is I'm a Cavalier and all I care about is winning a title as a Cavalier. Then again he's still a young guy who will probably learn as he gets older that it's not always wise to say everything you think.

Personally I'm turned off by his attitude, but I'm also turned off by our own superstar's attitude as well so it's not just him. I hope both go overseas and play in Europe soon!

[JR2004]

Originally posted by sinton66
Radar would be SHOCKED to hear you say that.:D

+1 on working that one in!

[Gobbla2001]

yah... my head musta been sittin' low on that one...

[JR2004]

Originally posted by eagles_victory
Disagree totally if Gill is the best candiate and gets the job that is fine. But by no means is he entitled to the job because he is black like Chuck is saying.

Out of the two I think Gill was a better candidate to be honest. Seriously how many of us even knew Buffalo had a football team before he showed up?

I liked Chizik when he was in Austin. He helped get the Longhorns a national title and I'm glad he did, but his two years at Iowa State were a disaster. Heck if Auburn was going to hire a DC that was a disaster as a head coach they should've just brought in Greg Robinson too for an interview after how badly he screwed up Syracuse.

On the flipside I think Ron Prince was in over his head at K-State. Then again I think that guy would've been in over his head at Sul Ross too. I have a friend who coaches at a school here in Dallas that's black who thought guys like Prince make it hard for other black coaches to get head coaching jobs at the D1 level.

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by JR2004
Out of the two I think Gill was a better candidate to be honest. Seriously how many of us even knew Buffalo had a football team before he showed up?

I liked Chizik when he was in Austin. He helped get the Longhorns a national title and I'm glad he did, but his two years at Iowa State were a disaster. Heck if Auburn was going to hire a DC that was a disaster as a head coach they should've just brought in Greg Robinson too for an interview after how badly he screwed up Syracuse.

On the flipside I think Ron Prince was in over his head at K-State. Then again I think that guy would've been in over his head at Sul Ross too. I have a friend who coaches at a school here in Dallas that's black who thought guys like Prince make it hard for other black coaches to get head coaching jobs at the D1 level. I agree about Chizik i was like WTH when I saw that was who they hired but I mean for Chuck to say they should hire Gill because he is black and the only reason they didnt hire him because he was black is kind of stupid to me.

[JR2004]

Originally posted by Ernest T Bass
I agree 100%, but when you start making interviews mandatory and put pressure on schools to hire black coaches, this is what you get. Be carefull what you wish for.
Im pretty sure the main color college athletic departments see is green, and they'll hire the guy they think will bring them most of that green. The fact of the matter is there are alot fewer black coaches than white coaches, period. That's not racism, it's the law of statistics.

Yes and no.

Now this is obviously on a FAR SMALLER level, but this is one experience that happened to a coach of mine when I was in college. I was playing at SAGU and our head coach, Paul Burgard, announced he was stepping down to head back home to Louisiana to coach.

Our defensive coordinator, Ricky Sargent, applied to get the head coaching job. He's from Waxahachie, brought in several players from Waxahachie to the school and was about as well respected in the community as a man could be. His brother Broderick (the former Cowboy) used to come by and volunteer as our RB's coach just because his brother was coaching there. So what happens? He gets passed over by a guy who had never so much as coached above the junior high level (Somewhere KAOrder is laughing about this!) and didn't get the job. To his credit he stuck it out one more year as the DC before he left for Jasper to coach with some of his old friends from Waxahachie.

[coach]

Originally posted by JR2004
In that case Chuck was right...He made a good example of saying how would TNT like it if he made it known that in two years he would like to work for ESPN? (It was funny though when Kenny started celebrating that he would leave...lol.)

This hire for Auburn is just not good in my opinion. Iowa State looked absolutely horrible when I saw them play against Baylor. They looked like they belonged in the Southland Conference. Heck Kendall Wright made Sportscenter's Top 10 that night for the screen pass he caught for a TD against them where everyone on the Cyclones defense missed him as he ran from one side of the field to the other for a 50 yard TD.

Auburn shouldn't have even interviewed Gill if this is the hire they're going to make.

there is nothing wrong with the southland..thats a very strong conference....ax'em jacks lol

[kaorder1999]

People would have been fine with the hiring of Muschamp. Look at what he has done....he was the DC at Auburn then the DC at Texas. Chizic was the DC at Auburn and was even selected as assistant coach of the year and became DC at Texas and won a National Title as the DC at Texas. Then took a job as a head coach in the Big 12. Iowa State wouldn't have been any better with freaking Bobby Bowden as the head coach.

Why is the hiring of Chizic so much worse then the possible hiring of Muschamp, who has never had his own team?

Im so freaking sick of the race issues in hiring of coaches. Its absolutly ridiculous.

[Phil C]

Now remember Charles Barkley said that - not me. :)

[truebluestang]

Until a black coach is really successful at that level programs will hesitate about hiring them Ty Willingham was the HC at Notre Dame so you can't say that none of them have been at a premier program.

[coach]

Originally posted by kaorder1999
People would have been fine with the hiring of Muschamp. Look at what he has done....he was the DC at Auburn then the DC at Texas. Chizic was the DC at Auburn and was even selected as assistant coach of the year and became DC at Texas and won a National Title as the DC at Texas. Then took a job as a head coach in the Big 12. Iowa State wouldn't have been any better with freaking Bobby Bowden as the head coach.

Why is the hiring of Chizic so much worse then the possible hiring of Muschamp, who has never had his own team?

Im so freaking sick of the race issues in hiring of coaches. Its absolutly ridiculous.

good point not to mention he was the d coordinator when auburn was undefeated

[Bullaholic]

Almost everyone in America, black and white, would like to see race become a non-issue in our country. Persons like Charles Barkley do nothing but perpetuate the racial barriers of the past when using the race issue for a crutch in issues like the hiring of coaches. I wish Sir Charles would just shut up and go away and spare us his wisdom on most matters, or at least stick to something that he knows a litttle about, such as how to lose at gambling.

Gene Chizik may not have had the strongest resume of the available coaches out there for the Auburn job, but what of the man himself? I am not biased for Gene Chizik in any way, but I do have a great deal of sympathy for this man and his family having to hear nothing but a steady stream of comments by the media about him not being the best, or even a worthy candidate for the Auburn job . What did he do other than accept a job that was offered? Why not give him the chance to prove himself instead of discussing what a weak hire he was? IMO, the questioning of his W-L record and leadership abilities is fair game and every other negative shot is just piling on.

[cshscougar08]

I don't know if Chizik was a good or bad hire. I'll just call it an INTERESTING hire. If we go off head coaching performance, yes you would think Gill should have been the man for the job, but he's at Buffalo in the MAC and Chizik has been at Iowa St. Now honestly, the talent at those two schools is probably pretty close. Lol. But still, Chizik has had the coaching experience at the highest level for several years, and remember, Iowa St. was his first head coaching job. I think it may take a few years for Chizik to kinda find a groove in Auburn, but I think if the Auburn faithful are patient enough, it will turn out just fine for them.

[pirate4state]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Almost everyone in America, black and white, would like to see race become a non-issue in our country. Persons like Charles Barkley do nothing but perpetuate the racial barriers of the past when using the race issue for a crutch in issues like the hiring of coaches. I wish Sir Charles would just shut up and go away and spare us his wisdom on most matters, or at least stick to something that he knows a litttle about, such as how to lose at gambling.

Gene Chizik may not have had the strongest resume of the available coaches out there for the Auburn job, but what of the man himself? I am not biased for Gene Chizik in any way, but I do have a great deal of sympathy for this man and his family having to hear nothing but a steady stream of comments by the media about him not being the best, or even a worthy candidate for the Auburn job . What did he do other than accept a job that was offered? Why not give him the chance to prove himself instead of discussing what a weak hire he was? IMO, the questioning of his W-L record and leadership abilities is fair game and every other negative shot is just piling on.

If only it were that simple & we could apply this thinking to so many other new hires. :thinking: :thinking:

[RanchRadio]

Originally posted by IHStangFan
that's just tuuurrrible Kenny....tuuurrrible.

I Knew someone was going to say it haha

[Gobbla2001]

Leach was just as qualified as Gill, why wasn't he hired? A southern university doesn't like white guys that read history books on pirates or something?

Auburn could have matched or beaten any offer Tech threw out... but they don't like pirates or guys who do...

[Texasfootball2]

I think Auburn wishes they could turn back the clock about a month or so, and that Tuberville was still their coach. I think they laid a big egg here. They settled for hiring a coach that has lost 10 consecutives games at Iowa State, and who's only victories this year were against South Dakota State:doh: and Kent State:thinking: . I think they thought that there would be some big name coaches lineup for this job and that didn't happen. I personally think they should have hired Turner Gill for a couple of reasons. 1. He has done an unbelievable job at Buffalo and deserves the opportunity. 2. If Gill didn't work out after a couple of years then they could probably go out and get the big name they were looking for this round. Hiring Chizik just because he was good former DC their was a desperate choice in my opinion. Even if he is a good football coach I can see any big time recruits jumping at the opportunity to go play for a coach who just came from a program where they lost 10 straight games.

I would be willing to bet you that one month ago, every coach at Iowa State was updating their resume's and contacting everyone they knew in the coaching business for fear of knowing that they were all fixing to get fired. But NO, Hold on:hand: are you serious! We are going to get a raise and move on to a much more big time program:cheerl: Wow! what a reward for losing 10 straight:foul:

This is a bad mark on the Auburn administration and their football program and will probably send them to the absolute bottom of the SEC. It will take the next coach 4 or 5 years to get it back to where it should be. JMO

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by Texasfootball2
2. If Gill didn't work out after a couple of years then they could probably go out and get the big name they were looking for this round.

I thought about this a lot today... why couldn't they have done that with someone?

Though most everyone believes Auburn wanted Tubbs to go but didn't want to fire him (I tend to lean this way myself), it is possible they weren't trying to get rid of him but made it uncomfortable enough for him that he left... it may not have been expected by Auburn and they were unprepared for getting a new coach, which may answer everyone's question as to why you'd get rid of Tubbs without knowing the direction you wanted to go with your next coach... it's possible they freaked in the situation and went with someone who knew Tubb and the program and would make them feel comfotable knowing Tubb isn't "fully" absent...

[Texasfootball2]

Originally posted by Gobbla2001
I thought about this a lot today... why couldn't they have done that with someone?

Though most everyone believes Auburn wanted Tubbs to go but didn't want to fire him (I tend to lean this way myself), it is possible they weren't trying to get rid of him but made it uncomfortable enough for him that he left... it may not have been expected by Auburn and they were unprepared for getting a new coach, which may answer everyone's question as to why you'd get rid of Tubbs without knowing the direction you wanted to go with your next coach... it's possible they freaked in the situation and went with someone who knew Tubb and the program and would make them feel comfotable knowing Tubb isn't "fully" absent...

Oh they freaked out all right:vrycnfsd: I saw an interview that had some of Tubervilles mothers comments on it. She evidently said Point Blank, "My son did not just resign on his own accord". She made it very clear that he was forced out. I think they pull the chain thinking that getting a big name to replace him was just a formality, WRONG! And then they snubbed their nose at guys like Leach and a few others. Like I said, I bet they wish they could turn the clock back. This didn't turn out the way they thought it would. Even if they didn't want Tommy, I bet they wish they would have thrown a bucket load of $$$$$$$$ at Mike Leach and lured him away from Tech while there was a window of opportunity.

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by Texasfootball2
I think they pull the chain thinking that getting a big name to replace him was just a formality, WRONG!

bingo

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by Bullaholic
Almost everyone in America, black and white, would like to see race become a non-issue in our country. I disagree with that if most people wanted it to become a non issue we wouldnt here about not enough black coaches everytime you turned around. The only way race becomes a non issue is when we have people out there who are no longer racist which will never happen and I think with that being the case knowing racism is out there people look to it as a crutch when it isnt there.

[Texasfootball2]

I will have to say this and Charles Barkley ( and Bill Cosby). Both are african american men, and both are great ambassadors and spokesmen. It is rare that either of these two ever pull the race card, in fact they usually will point the finger at lack of leadership from african american men in their own communities as the root of many of the problems. I know that Charles can be somewhat flambouyant (sp?) at times, but I do not think of Charles as a racist. Don't know if race play any role at all in Turner Gill not getting the Auburn job, but I tend to side with Charles Barlkley on a lot of issues where the race card is being played because he is usually on the other side of the fence on this issue.

[N4SIR]

Originally posted by Texasfootball2
I will have to say this and Charles Barkley ( and Bill Cosby). Both are african american men, and both are great ambassadors and spokesmen. It is rare that either of these two ever pull the race card, in fact they usually will point the finger at lack of leadership from african american men in their own communities as the root of many of the problems. I know that Charles can be somewhat flambouyant (sp?) at times, but I do not think of Charles as a racist. Don't know if race play any role at all in Turner Gill not getting the Auburn job, but I tend to side with Charles Barlkley on a lot of issues where the race card is being played because he is usually on the other side of the fence on this issue.
I use to think that about Barkley too. But the more I have listened to him lately the more I am starting to become a Barkley hater. And as for Auburn hiring Muschamp instead -- he's white too. So Barkley still wouldn't be happy. People should be hired based upon their capability to do the job. Skin color should have absolutley nothing to do with it. Shut up Barkley.

[Gobbla2001]

I've enjoyed Charles Barkley over the years for the most part, I just think no one but the ones behind those closed doors at Auburn know for sure why this decision was made...

I will never say racism doesn't exist, and that people, even in sports do not make personel/coaching decisions based on race, but to me, looking at all of the facts, I have to say race has the least to do with Auburn's decision...

Todd Graham interviewed for the job but didn't get it - won a lot of games at Tulsa this year ...

Derek Dooley of Louisianna Tech interviewed for the job but didn't get it - won more games LAST year than Chizik did the past TWO years...

Gary Patterson interviewed for the job - has done a great job at TCU and has them in the top 15 of the BCS

Depending on which sources you believe, Leach may have infact been locked out of even getting an interview at Auburn...

These are all guys who from the surface seem a lot more qualified then Chizik, and guys I'd probably hire over Chizik... and they're all white...


Personally, with th e names above, I would have hired either Gary Patterson or Turner Gill... I'd have to actually sit down with the two and chat a bit before knowing which one...

[big daddy russ]

As one of the two or three Auburn fans on the board, I'll put in my two cents and then leave this issue alone...

I.) Pulling the rug out from under Tubbs was stupid. Tons of politics went into that decision. From what I've read, Tubbs really did resign on his own accord, but it was because he lost all support from the administration. They didn't want to give him the money to go out and hire a big-time OC, so he pulled Franklin from that little school 90 minutes down the road to come up, and that didn't work out. Tubbs knew that he was on the outs and that the Administration was setting him up for failure. At that point, there's only one logical thing to do. Stay there to die or resign. And I'll bet Tubbs had something on them, too. There's no other reason for them to cough up $5-freakin'-million for nothing.

II.) Chizik was a political hire. Notice a pattern in Auburn's coach recruiting? Five years ago, they were after Tubbs' former OC, Bobby Petrino. Now, it's his former DC, Gene Chizik. Always coaches with inroads at Auburn. Now I'm not saying that Tubbs didn't have a say in this hire--he may have been looking out for an old friend. I just know that Chizik didn't have the resume to coach a team looking to go from perennial SEC contender to perennial NC contender.

III.) But that's over and done with. I didn't agree with the decision, but it's time to move. So here was my personal list of coaches, in order. This list is in no way racist. Scout's honor.
1. MIKE LEACH, TEXAS TECH--Tubbs was open about wanting to install the spread because their recruiting efforts for offensive skill kids had become near-impossible with Al Borges' offense. In my talks with tx_challenge (another Auburn fan), I've always said that Tech woul be great with an Auburn-like defense... one that was small and fast and worried more about hitting the offense in the mouth than holding them to zero first downs... although the zero first downs is important to them, too. Enter Leach. Mike Leach is a spread coach who has an eye for offensive skill kids and can get them in the doors. Heck, the closest major recruiting hub to Lubbock is over 300 miles away, and he turned them into national championship material. Who else could've seen Heisman potential in a two-star HS quarterback who wasn't fit to play QB in the college ranks? That's how he got Michael Crabtree to the South Plains.

2. GARY PATTERSON, TCU-- I know, I know, people are gonna rip me for not putting Turner friggin' Gill at number two. But I could give a crap about race, I just want to win, baby. What more does one man have to do to get a major gig? Has there been a more successful head coach in mid-major college football the past decade? Most (including me) thought that Patterson inherited an already-good squad from Dennis Franchione and rode Franchione's coattails to success. After eight years at the helm and eight years as college football's preeminent mid-major program (sorry Boise and Utah. BCS Bowl berths... and wins... are nice, but consistently-tough nonconference games and five ten-win seasons trump everything you've done), Patterson's established himself year-in, year-out, as the best coach in mid-major football. He's a defensive genius (our specialty) who likes small, quick defenses (sound familiar?) and doesn't ignore the other side of the ball. Furthermore, I've always thought that there are three different types of college coaches. I'll get more into that in a bit.... Until then, I see Patterson as a Les Miles type. Great defense, will contend in the SEC year-in and year-out, and would get into the NC picture every couple of years. He's a sure bet, and I'll take a sure bet to win several SEC Titles and (more importantly) severl Iron Bowls over a 20% shot at a homerun with a less-proven commodity.

3. BUTCH DAVIS, UNC-- It was tough for me to put him below Patterson considering what he did with all the sanctions at Miami and what he's currently doing with the Tar Heels, but in the end I just kept looking at his age. Sure, he can recruit and he can coach, but for how long? Still, quite possibly the best all-around hire on this list save the whole age thing.

4. JIM GROBE, WAKE FOREST-- Quite possibly my favorite college coach. He gets more out of his players than anyone else and has turned a doormat of a program into the most successful program in the ACC over the past three years. And all at a school with an enrollment of barely 4,000, smallest in Division I-A. Two things that bug me, though, and knocked him down a bit. First, he's older than anyone else on the list save Butch Davis (and Davis only has three months on Grobe). Second, he's been unable to lure top-notch talent to Wake even though there's been a power vacuum in the talent-rich area of the mid-Atlantic seaboard. UNC, NC State, and Duke (all of Wake's major in-state rivals) have been down recently, along with South Carolina, Clemson, Virginia, Tennessee, and (to an extent) Virginia Tech in the neighboring states. I know Wake has extremely strict academic standards, but is that or is it not the reason Wake's had such a tough time recruiting? It never seemed to get in the way of other high-end private schools like Notre Dame or USC.

5. TURNER GILL, BUFFALO-- I know, he's due. That's what everyone says. In my opinion, if a major contender plans on hiring a small-school coach, then that small-school coach must have had his team play at a championship level for at least one year. Some examples: Jim Tressel at Youngstown State, Urban Meyer's undefeated 2004 Utah Utes, and Paul Johnson at Georgia Southern. Turner Gill's best season was 7-5. This year. Granted, it was with Buffalo, but I'd still wait another year before putting him in the driver's seat of a major program. While his record makes him more qualified than Chizik, it doesn't put him on Leach's or even Grobe's level just yet.

6. BRIAN KELLY, CINCINATTI-- Would be a great fit, but would he be the guy to turn us into NC material?


IV.) More about the three types of coaches. These are the three categories...
1. Those who elevate a program. Whether they take over for a great coach or a crummy coach, the program improves when they come on board. Sometimes it takes a while to see marked results (see Frank Beamer, Bill Snyder, Bobby Bowden and Mike Leach), and sometimes they hit the gates running (see Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops, and old-school Steve Spurrier), but if you look at their body of work, you see steady progress one way or the other. Typically hard workers who excel in most parts of their job and find people to complement their weaknesses.
2. Those who keep the status quo. Solid choices, no doubt, but rarely national championship material. Typically hard workers who just miss out on one thing or another. Whether it's that little bit of crazy that makes them absolute geniuses or their ability to recruit, there's always something that keeps them as mid-level coaches, but not much else. Always just one step away from greatness. See Houston Nutt, Lloyd Carr (sorry, Michigan fans), Larry Coker (turned Miami from a perennial contender into just a solid ACC contender), and new-school Steve Spurrier.
3. Those coaches who drop the ball. They can't even keep a good thing going when it's handed to them on a silver platter. The Ron Princes and Mike Shulas of the world.

I think that all six coaches on my list are "type ones." The type of coaches who elevate their programs. Patterson, Leach, and Grobe are slow builders who start with a solid foundation while Gill, Kelly, and Davis are firecrackers who blow up within seconds and get off to a fast start. That doesn't in any way mean that slow builders are worse (I actually prefer them), it just means they're different.
Chizik, on the other hand, is a "type three" from what I've seen so far. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy and genuinely hope he does well. He did amazing things with our defense, but he also took Dan McCarney's baby and ran it into the ground. Iowa State hasn't improved in any way, shape or form.


V.) I agree with most people's comments that Barkley may be turning this into more of a race thing than it should be, but I also see where he's coming from. My dad's side of the family is from the Mobile, AL area (though they're across the Mississippi border, about 30 miles outside Mobile) and I've seen firsthand the type of racism that exists in that part of the country. While there is some racism here in Texas, it's pretty well-contained and tends to sometimes simply be a clash of cultures. On the other hand, it's blatant in the Deep South even to this day. Chuck came from that atmosphere, and he's seen and met the Auburn Trustees. While this hire may not have been racist, something tells me that his past history with the people involved in the decision-making process led Chuck to make those comments.




There's my two cents... and I put in another four or five cents for good measure. While I don't think Chizik is the right man for the job, I'd love nothing more than to be dead wrong.

[Phil C]

Originally posted by Texasfootball2
I will have to say this and Charles Barkley ( and Bill Cosby). Both are african american men, and both are great ambassadors and spokesmen. It is rare that either of these two ever pull the race card, in fact they usually will point the finger at lack of leadership from african american men in their own communities as the root of many of the problems. I know that Charles can be somewhat flambouyant (sp?) at times, but I do not think of Charles as a racist. Don't know if race play any role at all in Turner Gill not getting the Auburn job, but I tend to side with Charles Barlkley on a lot of issues where the race card is being played because he is usually on the other side of the fence on this issue.

And it would have been worse if there was criticism from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Remember - Charles Barkley started all this - not me. :)

[kaorder1999]

Originally posted by Phil C
And it would have been worse if there was criticism from Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson.

Remember - Charles Barkley started all this - not me. :)

im sure it will happen soon enough!

[eagles_victory]

People act like Turner Gill is some kind of coaching God he went 7-5 in the MAC and lost to Kent State and had to have some fluke Hail Mary to beat Temple. They played in the East that was by far the weakest division had they played in the West they would of tied for fourth with their record probably even worse playing a tougher schedule they were 0-2 vs the West before beating Ball State. It is not like he did it with no talent he had a pro prospect at Qb and RB not something you see everyday in the MAC. Yea they beat Ball State by 18 but had it non been for a blown call and Ball State blowing their foots off with those 2 fumbles which Buffalo took back it would of been a different game.

The way people are talking you would think Turner Gill took an 0-12 team and made them 12-0. Brady Hoke went 12-1 in the MAC and took the San Diego St job noone is griping because he didnt get a big time job he applied for.

[NastySlot]

so why don't some of you do your homework on Gill. He may be as qualified as any coach they interviewed....he has more then paid his dues.......he was a long time assistant at nebraska and i believe part of three national titles.......his committment to Buffalo has helped build that program.

why shouldn't charles barkley be able to have an opinion on the matter he did attend auburn........he probably has more right to comment on the matter more so then most of the poster on here when they talk about schools(college teams) they pull for and they didn't even attend that school.

Can anyone prove race wasn't a factor.....who knows? and if it was would any of us really be surprised?........i think they still may call it a "Good Ol Boy Network?"


and someone posted the MAC isn't the SEC...that is true....so would you consider the MAC the Big XII........Pinkel has done a great job in building up Missouri....and I believe he came from Toledo......and some of the posters of the beloved texas longhorns can't seem to remember they hired a coach from a basketball school in a basketball conference......what if mack hadn't been given a chance?

and finally in my opinion Gill is going to come out ahead some day....and if any of you have ever heard him speak he is a very good presenter.....and he was gracious in his interview the other day about the opportunity given to him to interview by auburn.

and posters are always talking up players and coaches from the state of texas.........heck half of you couldn't have told us what texas high school gill played at................................................ .................................................. .................................................. .....Ftw. Arlington Hts...................why not give this Texan a chance.

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by NastySlot
why shouldn't charles barkley be able to have an opinion on the matter he did attend auburn........he probably has more right to comment on the matter more so then most of the poster on here when they talk about schools(college teams) they pull for and they didn't even attend that school.
I don't remember anybody saying that Barkley wasn't entitled to his opinion. Most of us on here just disagree with his opinion and are expressing our opinion about his opinion. That's all this is...opinion.

[Txbroadcaster]

We dont know how the interview went with Gill( he did interview right?)


Tony Dungy admits he stayed a DC longer than he should because he had TERRIBLE interviews and he felt THAT hurt him more than his race ever did.

For all we know Gill simply did not present his model of a program that the Auburn officials felt matched what they wanted.

It is not always oh he is young and great coach so he should succeed here or there, it depends on what he is able to convey in the interview

Chizik kknows Auburn and I bet knew the right words and phrases to say to make the impression that got him the job

[Gobbla2001]

Originally posted by Txbroadcaster

Chizik kknows Auburn

I still believe this is the only reason we're having this conversation right now... this is why he was hired at Auburn IMO...

[Big Papa]

Originally posted by NastySlot
.

i think they still may call it a "Good Ol Boy Network?"



you watch PTI today too?

[Gobbla2001]

[i]and some of the posters of the beloved texas longhorns can't seem to remember they hired a coach from a basketball school in a basketball conference......what if mack hadn't been given a chance?

[/B]

I think most people do remember, because what Mack Brown was able to do at UNC was remarkable... that's why he was given the job...

What Gill has done is remarkable, that's why I wouldn't mind giving that guy a job...

What Patterson has done is remarkable, still being able to pull out good recruits from an area that gets dredged by OU, UT, A&M, OK State etc... I'd hire him as well...

like I've said... it was an inside hire... they're both familiar with each other... they were in a pickle, and they went for the immediate comfort...

[eagles_victory]

Originally posted by NastySlot
so why don't some of you do your homework on Gill. He may be as qualified as any coach they interviewed....he has more then paid his dues.......he was a long time assistant at nebraska and i believe part of three national titles.......his committment to Buffalo has helped build that program.

why shouldn't charles barkley be able to have an opinion on the matter he did attend auburn........he probably has more right to comment on the matter more so then most of the poster on here when they talk about schools(college teams) they pull for and they didn't even attend that school.

Can anyone prove race wasn't a factor.....who knows? and if it was would any of us really be surprised?........i think they still may call it a "Good Ol Boy Network?"


and someone posted the MAC isn't the SEC...that is true....so would you consider the MAC the Big XII........Pinkel has done a great job in building up Missouri....and I believe he came from Toledo......and some of the posters of the beloved texas longhorns can't seem to remember they hired a coach from a basketball school in a basketball conference......what if mack hadn't been given a chance?

and finally in my opinion Gill is going to come out ahead some day....and if any of you have ever heard him speak he is a very good presenter.....and he was gracious in his interview the other day about the opportunity given to him to interview by auburn.

and posters are always talking up players and coaches from the state of texas.........heck half of you couldn't have told us what texas high school gill played at................................................ .................................................. .................................................. .....Ftw. Arlington Hts...................why not give this Texan a chance. Gill said himself he was given a chance in the interview by Auburn and it was fair it just wasnt a good fit and they went in a different direction if he can accept why cant other people?

[scrub c]

barkley is an idiot...

getting his fat mug on tv saying he "it is not about race..."

hello, then what is it about???