Auburn Assistants Told to Find New Jobs

This is definitely the green light for Chizik to go after Searels and Garner. I guess we'll see what they want to do. I can't fault the guys either way. It's a chance to go to your alma mater, but it's also at best a horizontal move. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

about 3 years ago AuditDawg 3 comments 0 recs |

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My guess . . .

is that both stay. Neither has ever actually worked with Chizik (Searels was at LSU when he was at Auburn and Garner was obviously in Athens). It would be a lateral move, and one to a far shakier place at that, if they were considered for position coach jobs. I’d venture that Gene Chizik is more firmly planted on the proverbial “hot seat” than Mark Richt, and he hasn’t even coached a game on the Plains yet. No coach in his right mind is taking that job unless they back up the truck to pay him. I’m willing to bet that Coach Richt finds the coin to keep either or both if he’s so inclined, which I assume he would be.

Chizik really needs a couple of “Wow” hires for his coordinators. As much as we all like Coaches Garner and Searels, neither is a splashy name if picked for a coordinator position. Neither has filled those positions previously, and I can’t imagine the Auburn administration supporting Chizik in doing anything crazy at this point. I put the chances of either coaching in Auburn next season at less than 20%.

But I salute your coaching poaching paranoia. It’s the kind of thinking that makes December bearable until the totally irrelevant bowls start. Who you got in the St. Petersburg.com Bowl?

by MaconDawg on Dec 15, 2008 3:09 PM EST reply actions

Not necessarily paranoid

I just don’t see how a move to Auburn at this point for Garner makes sense, considering he’d be going to work for the man that was hired over him. For Searels, it could be a pay raise and a new title, but do you really want to be the O-coordinator at Auburn next year? I forgot where I read, but Mark Richt made the comment about how many resumes he gets when a coaching position opens up on his staff. That has to do with his stability, loyalty, and unwillingness to throw his assistants under the bus. Overall, UGA is a more attractive job for an assistant coach right now. Will that be the case next year? Only time can tell whether Chizik is a bust or the next coming of Pat Dye. As far as the St. Petersburg Bowl, I’m taking Memphis. South Florida is too inconsistent for my liking this year.

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by AuditDawg on Dec 16, 2008 2:17 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed, MaconDawg

I can’t imagine that there’s any chance of Rodney Garner returning to Auburn, even if he is offered the post of defensive coordinator. He’s turned down opportunities to leave Athens before, and it’s hard to believe a guy who interviewed for the head coaching position would agree to accept a lesser position working for the guy who got the job he wanted.

I suppose it’s possible Stacy Searels could make a move, but I can’t see an offensive line coach being made the offensive coordinator in anything but name only, in which case it’s a lateral move at best, and arguably a step down, given the relative health of both programs.

I’m not worried about losing either assistant. I have no evidence to indicate that Gene Chizik would be smart enough to go after either and I have every confidence that Mark Richt would be smart enough to keep them if he did.

Go 'Dawgs!

by T Kyle King on Dec 16, 2008 7:42 AM EST reply actions