Texas Hires Auburn DC

[ILS1]

AUSTIN, Texas - Gene Chizik, the defensive coordinator for an Auburn squad that was one of the nation's premier defenses a year ago, has been named co-defensive coordinator and assistant head coach at Texas, head coach Mack Brown announced on Monday. Chizik will join Duane Akina as co-defensive coordinator and coach UT's linebackers. He replaces Greg Robinson, who was named head coach at Syracuse University on January 11.

Chizik spent three seasons at Auburn (2002-04) and was recently named the 2004 Broyles Award winner, honoring the nation's top assistant coach. Auburn finished the 2004 season ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' polls. The Tigers finished the season 13-0, defeating four AP top 10 teams along the way.

"We're thrilled that we were able to add one of the nation's top defensive coordinators in Gene Chizik to our staff," Brown said. "He's coming off of a season where he won the Broyles Award and his defense played a key role in Auburn's undefeated season. What the Auburn defense has accomplished during his time there is matched by few programs around the country. He is someone that brings a lot of energy, the experience of 10 seasons as a defensive coordinator and a whole lot of success with him. We're really excited to get him started.

"I think adding Gene alongside Duane (Akina), Tolley (Mike Tolleson) and Oscar Giles on our defensive staff will be a great fit. Duane did an outstanding job in his first year as co-defensive coordinator last year and will continue in that roll, as well as being one of the nations top defensive backfield coaches. Tolley has been a key part of our defensive success from the day our staff arrived in 1998 and does a great job with our special teams, as well. Oscar adds a bright and energetic young coach to the mix who has experience as both a player and coach at Texas. I'm really excited about how the staff rounded out once again."

Under Chizik's guidance in 2004, Auburn led the nation in scoring defense (11.3 ppg) and ranked fifth in total defense (277.6 ypg). The Tigers also finished the season ranked 10th in passing defense (173.5 ypg), and 12th in rushing defense (104.2 ypg), and did not allow a rushing touchdown until the eighth game of the season, giving up only four all year. Additionally, Auburn allowed just one player to rush for more than 100 yards in a game all season.

"I spent six years of my life in Texas and know what a football crazy state it is so I'm really excited to get back," Chizik said. "Knowing how important football is there, coaching at a place like The University of Texas is something that I've always dreamed of. It's what I consider the best job in the country. I've been asked to consider a lot of other jobs during my time here, but there was only one I would leave Auburn for and that was Texas.

"When Coach Brown gave me a call, I was flattered and thrilled that he was interested in me. When we got talking and the position became a reality, I jumped all over it. I'm just thrilled to death to be working with Coach Brown and the staff at The University of Texas."

Chizik helped guide a number of Tigers to individual awards in 2004. All-America CB Carlos Rogers was named the 2004 Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation's top defensive back, while S Junior Rosegreen also earned consensus All-America honors, and defensive ends Quentin Groves and Stanley McClover both were named freshman All-America. In 2002, Chizik led Auburn to a No. 13 ranking in scoring defense, and followed in 2003 with a No. 5 national ranking in total defense, a No. 7 ranking in rushing defense and a No. 9 ranking in scoring defense.

Prior to Auburn, Chizik spent four seasons as defensive coordinator at the University of Central Florida where he turned around a defense that ranked 81st in total defense prior to his arrival to one that ranked 16th in 2001. He also served as the Golden Knights secondary coach from 1999-2001 and inside linebackers coach in 1998.

This will not be Chizik's first coaching assignment in the state of Texas. From 1992-97, he coached at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where he was defensive coordinator from 1996-97, secondary coach from 1995-97 and linebackers coach from 1992-94.

He began his coaching career as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Seminole High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., from 1986-88, before serving as a graduate assistant at Clemson University from 1988-89 where he coached outside linebackers. He then coached defensive ends at Middle Tennessee State University before joining Stephen F. Austin.

A native of Clearwater, Fla., Chizik earned his bachelor's degree in 1985 from the University of Florida, where he played one year at linebacker (1981).

Chizik and his wife, Jonna, have two daughters, identical twins Landry Grace and Kennedy Danielle, 7, and one son, Cally, 4.

The Chizik File
Hometown: Clearwater, Fla.
High School: Clearwater HS
College: Florida '85
Graduate Degree: Clemson '91
Years in Coaching: 20
Wife: Jonna
Children: Landry, Kennedy and Cally

Coaching Assignments
2005 Co-Defensive Coordinator/Asst. Head Coach/LBs Texas
2002-04 Defensive Coordinator/Secondary Auburn
1998-2001 Defensive Coordinator Central Florida
1999-2001 Assistant Coach/Secondary Central Florida
1998 Assistant Coach/Inside Linebackers Central Florida
1996-97 Defensive Coordinator Stephen F. Austin
1995-97 Assistant Coach/Secondary Stephen F. Austin
1992-1994 Assistant Coach/Linebackers Stephen F. Austin
1990-91 Assistant Coach/Defensive Ends Middle Tennessee State
1988-89 Graduate Assistant/Outside Linebackers Clemson
1986-88 Defensive Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Seminole (St. Petersburg, Fla.) HS

College Bowl Experience
2005 Sugar Bowl Auburn
2003 Music City Bowl Auburn
2003 Capital One Bowl Auburn
1989 Gator Bowl Clemson
1988 Citrus Bowl Clemson
1981 Peach Bowl Florida*
*as a player



Gene Chizik

[Holmes_Fans]

Sweet

[PhiI C]

Horay!

[JasperDog94]

[Astrosdawg07]

Brown seems to be a good recruiter of players and coaches.

[big daddy russ]

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This only makes me hate UT that much more.

[KTJ]

Why Russ?


This is great news and we are really excited here in Austin and on the 40 Acres.

[PhiI C]

Russ doesn't seem to have grasphed the significance of this great news!!

[89JDAWG]

they held ok to 12 this year maybe the D can score twice and win this year and the O wont have to take the field!!!

[big daddy russ]

Originally posted by KTJ
Why Russ?


This is great news and we are really excited here in Austin and on the 40 Acres.

Why would you do it, Gene?

[Phil C]

Originally posted by big daddy russ
Why would you do it, Gene?

Big Daddy still doesn't seem to have realized the importance of this good news.

[Panther Ross]

The Aggies are still going to roll over the shorthorns.

[KTJ]

Originally posted by Panther Ross
The Aggies are still going to roll over the shorthorns.

Didn't you say this exact quote this past season?

[JasperDog94]

Originally posted by Panther Ross
The Aggies are still going to roll over the shorthorns.

Uhhhh....yeah.....whatever dude...

[jason]

Originally posted by JasperDog94
Uhhhh....yeah.....whatever dude...

the aggie men wont beat UT in anything until possibly next basketball season, but even then its not likely...