Malzahn Hiring at Auburn Is What You Think-Mediocre

So at least Auburn didn't go and hire a head coach with a 5-19 record.  Instead, they hired a guy who has only been a head coach for 12 games.  "Gus Malzahn is a proven winner," Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacobs said.  One winning season in the Sun Belt seems to be an interesting definition of a proven winner.  Gus Malzahn is coming off a 9-3 season as the head man at Arkansas State.  Of course Tigers fans have fond memories of Malzahn as the offensive coordinator when Auburn won the national title in 2010.  He's also directed some pretty high powered offenses at Tulsa and Arkansas.  However, those stints were as an assistant coach.  Keep in mind Gene Chizik won 29 straight games during a stretch at Auburn and Texas as an assistant coach.  With Auburn officials hiring Malzahn to replace his former boss at Auburn you would think the search committee knows something the public doesn't.  "We got the right man," search committee member Bo Jackson said.  Bo knows football, but I'm not sold on the idea that Auburn got this one right.

Gus Malzahn may be an offensive guru but running a program is an entirely different animal.  The success hinges on recruiting and he will be going toe-to-toe with one of the most ferocious animals on the recruiting trail in Alabama Coach Nick Saban.  Whether or not Malzahn can land top recruits on a consistent basis remains to be seen.  What is clear is that Auburn went for the safe choice.  After swinging and missing on a couple of other big time coaches maybe this was the best available option.  What you have in Malzahn is a coach who will likely provide consistency to the program but probably not championships.  According to reports Malzahn agreed to a five-year contract worth $2.3 million annually.  I would expect him to guide Auburn to a few 8-5 seasons, maybe even a 10-3 season.  But a three loss season will not deliver championships.  As it turns out Gene Chizik was the head coach we all thought he was.  In time Malzahn will turn out to be the hire people think he is.  A great guy, offensive guru, but not of championship caliber.