More SEC Drama: Malzahn to Auburn
January 1st, 2009 ║ Posted By: MrSEC.com ║ Permalink
Content provided by The Slophouse.
If you thought the Houston Nutt vs. Arkansas, Bobby Petrino vs. Tommy Tuberville, Petrino vs. Kentucky and Gus Malzahn vs. Arkansas weeks during the football season were great fodder as a fan, then you’ll be happy to know that one of the rivalries will be continuing — on a new and intensified level.
Gus Malzahn, right, and Houston Nutt, left, were once on the same team, if not always the same page, at Arkansas in 2006. (TIMES Photo/Andy Shupe)
Malzahn, Arkansas’ former offensive coordinator, was hired as Auburn’s offensive playcaller yesterday after spending two seasons as Tulsa’s offensive mastermind. Head coach Gene Chizik, whose hiring by the Auburn administrators hasn’t been too popular with alumnus Charles Barkley on the Plains, made Malzahn his second assistant coaching hire since his arrival 15 days ago.
We all know about Malzahn’s offense. We’re also familiar with the Wildcat formation, the drama between him and Houston Nutt, and the forthcoming storylines with Ole Miss and the Hogs. All that aside, what do you think of Malzahn’s move to Auburn?
Here’s what they’re saying across the country:
“I like this hire very much. He’s young, extremely sharp and his offense is far more balanced and does not have as many gimmicks as other versions of the spread. Obviously, the challenge is still present because you’ve got to get the right players to run it.
“He’s also a guy who recruits very well.”
— Tom Luginbill, ESPN recruiting analyst via Birmingham News
“The Auburn family is clearly divided over the hiring of Chizik as the Tigers’ new head coach. So how do you bring the family back together? You hire assistants to get the family excited again. Chizik made a run at Georgia offensive line coach Stacy Searels, an Auburn grad and one of the best in the business. Searels decided to stay put. But Chizik scored with the hiring of Gus Malzahn as Auburn’s new offensive coordinator.”
— Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Why anyone would want to join Gene Chizik’s staff at Auburn remains somewhat unclear. However, Malzahn now will get to see if his offense, which tore up Conference USA, is capable of similar numbers in the defense-rich Southeastern Conference.
More importantly for Tulsa is how this plays out for the Golden Hurricane. The guess here is there will not be a noticeable dropoff in TU’s offense.”
— John Klein, Tulsa World
Discuss Malzahn’s prospects in the SEC below. Remember, we only got to see a glimpse of it when he was at Arkansas in 2006.
More importantly, what are the chances Malzahn’s offense scores a touchdown against Ole Miss in the Wildcat formation next season?
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