Malzahn Will Struggle to Win Big

quote:

---

Expectations have never been higher for college football coaches, particularly in the SEC. There is immense pressure on coaches to win and to do so immediately.

A lot of that has to do with the fact that the SEC has won six consecutive BCS National Championships. Alabama has a chance to make that seven in a row if it takes down Notre Dame in the BCS National Championship Game on January 7.

There is a strong positive correlation between that high amount of pressure and expectation levels. Expectations at Auburn and the SEC are higher than ever. The combination of high pressure and expectations have yielded positive results for many new coaches that have come into the SEC in the BCS era. A lot of the success has happened in the first two years.

Auburn's new head coach, Gus Malzahn, along with three other new SEC coaches (Butch Jones, Bret Bielema and Mark Stoops) will try to keep that trend going. The SEC has never been more competitive, and it does not look like it will slow down anytime soon.

Can Malzahn come in and win big immediately like other newcomers to the SEC have?

Being realistic and having a dismal 2012 season freshly engrained in the memory, the answer is no. At least not in the first two years.

Here is a look at current SEC head coaches (excluding new hires and Missouri*) and how they fared in their first two years at their respective programs:

---

quote:

---

Nick Saban (Alabama) — 2007: 7-6; 2008: 12-2, SEC West Champions

Will Muschamp (Florida) — 2011: 7-6; 2012: 11-1, Sugar Bowl berth

Mark Richt (Georgia) — 2001: 8-4; 2002: 13-1, SEC and Sugar Bowl Champions

Les Miles (LSU) — 2005: 11-2, SEC West champions; 2006: 11-2

Hugh Freeze (Ole Miss) — 2012: 6-6 in first year with bowl game pending.

Dan Mullen (Mississippi State) — 2009: 4-5; 2010: 9-4

Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) — 2005: 7-5; 2006: 8-5

Kevin Sumlin (Texas A&M) — 2012: 10-2 in first year

James Franklin (Vanderbilt) — 2011: 6-7, 2012: 8-4 with bowl game pending

*note: Missouri is not included because Gary Pinkel became coach while the Tigers were a member of the Big 12 conference.

---

quote:

---

Even though Malzahn is a familiar face to most of the players, he has a total rebuilding job to do with the Auburn football program.

---

quote:

---

He has taken the first step by completely changing the coaching staff, which will be a much-needed culture shock to the returning players. But as the old saying goes, "You can't turn a ship around on a dime."

---

quote:

---

Even though the offense that Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee are bringing back to Auburn has been successful everywhere it has been, Auburn's SEC opponents will know exactly what to expect from Auburn's hurry-up, no-huddle style of play after seeing it in 2009 and 2010.

---