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Gus Malzahn to Arkansas State

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by The Big Ragu, Dec 14, 2011.

  1. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7350900/sources-arkansas-state-red-wolves-hire-gus-malzahn-auburn-tigers-football-coach

    I don't mean to disparage Arkansas State, but what is up with Gus Malzahn? His name has been in the conversation for a lot of high-profile coaching openings the last few years. He thumbed his nose at Vandy, which seemed to want him badly.

    Now he is willing to take a big pay cut to coach Arkansas State? What am I missing?
     
  2. The spin is that he is from Arkansas and is more of a low profile guy.

    My guess is his wife being a loose cannon hurt him more than people are letting on.
     
  3. Football_Bat

    Football_Bat Well-Known Member

    If you've read other threads on here, the appearance is Gus and others are getting out while the getting is good. Major NCAA hammerage on Auburn forthcoming on the Newton mess.
     
  4. So now Auburn has lost both of its coordinators. Defensive boss Ted Roof fled the Plains for Central Florida last week.
     
  5. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Wow, if that's true about Malzahn being a low-profile guy, more power to him...

    I figured he would be at a BCS conference school, but if this is what he wants, good for him and great for Arkansas State.

    I hope the sanctions for Auburn are USC-level. Because the way the NCAA handled things last year was a complete travesty.
     
  6. TheSportsPredictor

    TheSportsPredictor Well-Known Member

    Who and where?
     
  7. Malzahn was a finalist for the Kansas job and really wanted the UNC job, so it's not like he passed on those opportunities to take Arkansas State. I think the "low profile" stuff is after-the-fact spin. He clearly wanted out and this was the best job he could get this year.

    As for the NCAA hammer, perhaps you missed the announcement by the NCAA a few months ago that the investigation into Auburn's role in Cam Newton's recruitment was closed?
     
  8. Steak Snabler

    Steak Snabler Well-Known Member

    I don't know that Malzahn wanted to flee Auburn because of the NCAA as much as he wanted to flee Auburn because everyone on that staff was going to get fired after a couple of more fourth-place finishes in the SEC West.
     
  9. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    Right, but a year ago, he either passed on, or held out for too much from Vandy and Maryland. Now this year comes around and his name is in the mix for Kansas and UNC. After holding out that long for a BCS HC job, while you name is still in the mix for everything that comes up, you don't flee your job as an OC that pays you more than most HCs to take a 30 percent pay cut to coach in the Sun Belt conference, Not unless you are trying to get out of town in a hurry.
     
  10. Mizzougrad96

    Mizzougrad96 Active Member

    Was he really in the mix at Maryland? I seem to remember that going pretty quickly from Leach to the epic fail hire that the Terps wound up with.

    He was smart to turn down Vandy. I wonder if UNC steered clear because after what they dealt with with Butch Davis they didn't want someone who had been around a program that was on the verge of major sanctions.
     
  11. young-gun11

    young-gun11 Member

    Malzahn would have loved to be at UNC or Kansas, but he will be very happy at ASU. The product the Red Wolves put out is much akin to his offensive style. He will be able to win quickly at ASU (as did Hugh Freeze). Once he's able to win at ASU, the bigger names will come calling.

    Although, Freeze's success at stAte may hurt Malzahn. Simply because ASU is no longer "Spurrier's Duke" and winning there can't be considered a miracle thanks to Freeze.
     
  12. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I can't say for sure that he passed on Maryland. But what I got last year from a couple of people is that they asked him to come to College Park to interview and he declined. It might have been because Auburn was preparing for the National Championship game at the time, and they weren't guaranteeing him a job.
     
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