The Auburn Coaching Situation: My $0.02

Brief thought before posting Wednesday's Vickers picks and taking a nap:

Has anyone considered the possibility that Gene Chizik might actually turn out to be a great coach? I mean, just because he wasn't the most qualified candidate, and just because race may have been involved with Turner Gill being passed over doesn't mean Chizik wasn't the best guy for the job. Ok, so he was an unimpressive 5-19 in two seasons at Iowa State in the brutal Big 12, but is that the sole way to determine a coach's ability?

Frank Beamer started off his legendary career at Virginia Tech about as unlegendarily as possible. He finished 5-17 in his first two campaigns, seemingly got things on track the following two years with back-to-back six-win seasons and went right back into the stink in years five and six, posting a combined 7-14-1 record. After that, the rest was history; the Hokies have made sixteen straight bowl games, including a title-game appearance in 1999. Could Chizik have done the same thing at Iowa State, a similar program (read: relatively hopeless) to the one Beamer inherited twenty-plus years ago in Blacksburg, Virginia? Probably not. But maybe. Gene Chizik really might be a good coach.

And besides, were you in the interview room? Did you listen to all the candidates lay out their plans for the Auburn program moving forward? Of course you didn't. Listen, Auburn AD Jay Jacobs may only get one shot to hire a football coach before his time runs out, and call me crazy but I think he'd want to hire the guy who can save his ass, even if it's ultimately the one guy who can make him look foolish.

I have no idea if race was an issue with the Turner Gill situation (although my guess would be that it was, let's assume it wasn't), and it seems mighty peculiar that Auburn didn't have interest in an awfully flirtatious Mike Leach, but I applaud the balls of Jacobs. And I applaud me, for using the word balls.

Anyway, Wednesday's Vickers...

***NBA***

Hawks (+3.5) vs. Celtics

Timberwolfs (+10) vs. Cavs

***NCAAB***

Arkansas Little Rock (+21) at Memphis

Austin Peay (+6) at Arkansas

Siena (+17) at Levance Fields has the shortest arms in the history of arms

That's all for now, kiddies.

-Brad Spieser (Brad@TwinKilling.com)
12/17/08