I'm in meetings most of the day, but here are my quick thoughts on the contrived Searels and Garner rumors.
1. Georgia has more money than Auburn. We're posting profits north of $20 million per year. The only wildly unwanted staff defection was Brian Van Gorder to the Jacksonville Jags as LB coach, and how do you stop a guy from taking a *worse* job? It's hard to argue with someone who is doing something irrational. If we want someone, we usually keep them.
2. Georgia has more stability than Auburn because of Mark Richt. An assistant coach was privately asked by one of my parents, "Why did you come to Georgia?" His answer, "Mark Richt's 8 year contract. This is the most stable place in America because of who Mark is and because of that contract."
3. Rodney Garner recently interviewed for the head coaching job at Auburn. Rodney Garner didn't lose 19 games over the past two seasons, and it's hard to imagine him not being insulted by the hire of Chizik. Several people in the media that I've heard pontificate about the situation think Rodney would likely be offended by an offer to work for Chizik.
4. To quote the Birmingham News...."Angry Auburn fans want to know how [Chizik] is now going to lure a top-notch staff to Auburn. By promising them he'll prepare them for future jobs on Mack Brown's staff?"
5. Chizik has no prior history with Garner or Searels.
6. Chizik's LB, DB and DL coach at Iowa State are all likely coming with him to Auburn. Two are Auburn grads and the other guy played for Pat Dye at East Carolina. Why would Rodney Garner go to Auburn and be his defensive coordinator if he can't pick his own assistant coaches? And he has no prior history of working with those assistants.
7. Gene Chizik needs a spectacular hire at offensive coordinator to settle the Auburn people down and to fill his own resume gaps. Does he really want Searels for that role given that Stacy has never called plays before? Why would Searels leave if it weren't for a coordinator-level position?
This is a hire that's getting universally panned as desperate, confusing and non-sensical. ESPN says it the best. It's simply a downgrade from Tuberville. When the hire goes predictably poorly over the first two years, Chizik will have to sacrafice cooridinators and other assistants to save himself. That's the Auburn way, and that's what Chizik had already done at Iowa State.
Auburn would be stupid to not call on Rodney and Stacy. They have to. But to think that they're just going to jump up and leave because they are alums is a very limited view of the situation. They've been alums for a long time, and neither has coached there yet.
That's not to say they won't leave. It's just that it's very far from a no brainer or a lock that they would like Aubies want you to think.
See Also:
-- Auburn's back and forth - Get the Picture
PWD
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19 comments:
It should be noted that Van Gorder is now the defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
I do not see a move of DC in college to a pro position coach as a step down necessarily. The pay might be close if not better and there is no recruiting.
Now BVG has made some strange career choices, but a few years as DC of the Falcons and doing well would get him noticed by college and NFL teams as a head coach. That seems to be a positive thing.
I do not see Garner or Searels leaving for a lateral move. Give Searals a few more years proving himself and he will have opportunities to be a coordinator; he might even get the chance at UGA. Despite what we may think of Bobo, if UGA continues to be successful, head coach jobs will come his way. I gotta think he wants to be a head coach.
Agree. Moving to the plains wouldn't make sense for Searels or Garner. However, I fully endorse Patrix Nix. He's already an offensive coordinator and has one of the brightest minds in college football - however counting past 2 has been known to vex him from time to time.
PWD = Mark Schlabach
skidawg, after the way he left Ga Southern, I can't imagine a college team taking a chance on him. I think he's a career DC personally, and that position suits him just fine. Maybe he becomes an NFL HC with continued success in Atlanta, but I don't see BVG returning to the college game soon.
Paul,
In the article below this one you mentioned the gala. Any info on that would be really cool. Ive been to a few of them and had a blast. Any stories would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
we'd best be hoping our present DC can devise a way to stop javon ringer or he will ring our asses up bigtime.
i certainly don't want to see reshad as the last man between him and the endzone
The only reason I could see them take the job is thinking that they believe in 2-3 years, Chizik is gone and one of them could be HC. However, I think that is a bit of a slap in the face of Garner, since he interviewed for the job already.
IMHO, I don't know if Searels is HC material. Policies like not talking to the media don't exactly go over well with the media. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I see Searels as a OC or position coach that is really good rather than a HC.
You remember my comment about the taboo concerning Charlie Strong?
Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag...white wife.
Garner has coached at Auburn I believe, under Tater Tot, no?
skidawg.... BVG left to become a linebackers coach in Jacksonville.
it was a step down
Crane...
I am not sure. If your goal is to be an NFL head coach, the path to do so is far better coming up through the rank of an NFL team. Look at how many coaches in the NFL were assistant coaches in the NFL.
The money might well have been better. My question was why did he ever go to GSU? That seemed like a strange move. Maybe Jax was just not what he thought it was going to be. I bet many folks here have taken a job and found out it was not really what he/she wanted.
I can see the lure of coaching in the NFL. No recruiting to begin with. No 20 hour limit on practice. Sounds enticing. (Recruiting has to suck--going into homes and blowing smoke up the ass of some 17 year old kid. Parents making demands. Ugh).
Too many people think UGA is the dream job for everyone. I got news for you: It is not.
Great article. The hallmark of any great program is stability within the coaching staff!
Skidawg, at the time he stated his goal was to be a head coach, not necessarily a coach in the NFL.
He got tired of waiting, and thought having some NFL experience would help.
He then got the Job at Georgia Southern and realized this wasn't for him. (at least head coach in college football), I wouldn't want to the rubber chicken circuit either.
Searles is going to stay safe, right here in Athens.
Nice job on this, PWD.
Great comments.
According to this article, Searels already makes the same salary as both the OC and DC on Georgia's staff. I don't think there's any way he leaves for Auburn at this point.
Oddly, that same article says that Garner hasn't even signed the contract that he's working under right now.
When Van Gorder left the UGA for the job in Jacksonville, the NFL job paid about 2.5 more than the DC position. NFL assistant coaches make insane money and most coaching jobs in the NFL, except for entry-level position like video coordinators or jobs in the Oakland Raider organization, are better than coordinator/position coaches at the collegiate level.
As much as we hate it, Van Gorder made the right move to Jax as it was that relationship with CMS that got him the DC job with Falcons.
And didn't Searels move to Athens partly to be closer to his mother who is in the area?
They've been alums for a long time, and neither has coached there yet.
actually both of them have coached there before, and at the same time -- searels as a grad assistant and rodney as recruiting coordinator under bowden.
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