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Why Do Former Auburn Football Coaches Seem To Flame Out So Quickly?

Posted on 10/14/24 at 7:30 pm
Posted by Hussss
Helena, AL
Member since Oct 2016
7777 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 7:30 pm
This has always been a head scratcher for me.

Does the pressure cooker at Auburn just flat out wear them down?

Is it the pile of buyout cash?

Once they leave they just seem to not have any fire left inside of them whatsoever.
This post was edited on 10/14/24 at 7:33 pm
Posted by BrounHaller
Mtn Brook
Member since Aug 2023
1842 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 7:35 pm to
They mostly sucked to begin with… and caught lightning in a bottle or had a couple of magical bounces go their way…. and the cash… the cash.
Posted by makersmark1
earth
Member since Oct 2011
20428 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 7:37 pm to
In an alternate universe, Dye would have been here through about 2006 or so.

He would have got us on track for the 1990s and 2000s.

Posted by AUCE05
Member since Dec 2009
44931 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 7:42 pm to
How many HC's from the big 6 move on to have more success?
Posted by beatbammer
Member since Sep 2010
38766 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 8:38 pm to
The strong program Pat Dye built made mediocre coaches look good in the short term. In the longer term their mediocrity finally showed through, they fizzled out at AU, then imploded at their subsequent stop(s).

The program that Pat Dye built has been utterly destroyed at this point, the final death stroke being the Tater Man.

This program needs a program-builder which means, yes, recruiter but also COACH and CULTURE CHANGER. Auburn’s current head coach possesses only one of these qualities.
This post was edited on 10/15/24 at 3:11 pm
Posted by Auburn1968
NYC
Member since Mar 2019
25161 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 8:41 pm to
There are very few real gamers and many coaches who are driven by ambition lose their way once they have big bucks in the bank and they become more complacent. The real gamers don't suffer that kind of loss of drive.

Maybe someone could develop a "real gamer" analysis tool for future coaches. It could be Auburn's secret weapon.
Posted by auburnnyc94
Member since Nov 2017
9939 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 8:47 pm to
Tater is Terry Bowden
Posted by SamGinn Cam
Ventura, CA
Member since Jul 2013
2985 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 8:50 pm to
Assuming head coaches here, but there's some former assistants doing well. Lashlee and Dillingham have their teams 5-1.
Posted by threedog79
Member since Sep 2013
3785 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 9:09 pm to
Man if I got the money they do to fail at my job do you EVER think I would leave my hunting land again?

If my sons say they want to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, etc. I’m going to slap them. They should be college football coaches…the only profession where it pays outrageous money to suck.
Posted by LRB1967
Tennessee
Member since Dec 2020
22931 posts
Posted on 10/14/24 at 10:13 pm to
I don't see this as a flame out. It is more like a very slow rebuild
Posted by AUCom96
Alabama
Member since May 2020
6589 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 4:59 am to
quote:

Tater is Terry Bowden


Only the tot portion.
Posted by jangalang
Member since Dec 2014
50479 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 6:09 am to
Deion Sanders broke Gus Malzahn
Posted by awestruck
Member since Jan 2015
13324 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 6:17 am to
That would be Dabo .
Posted by jangalang
Member since Dec 2014
50479 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 6:21 am to
you need to move long walks off short piers up your to-do list.
This post was edited on 10/15/24 at 9:01 am
Posted by Broadside Bob
Atlanta, GA
Member since Dec 2012
1625 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 6:31 am to
quote:

CULTURE CHANGER


Good luck with that in the era of NIL and the transfer portal with an entitled generation. Can it be done? Yeah, but it's going to be A LOT harder now.
Posted by Aubie Spr96
lolwut?
Member since Dec 2009
43952 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 6:42 am to
I’d love to have a 20+ year tenure on a football coach.
Posted by Auburntiger
BTR area
Member since Mar 2005
14495 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 9:22 am to
quote:

y Do Former Auburn Football Coaches Seem To Flame Out So Quickly?


lets look at some of our Rivals and their HC's and the success they have had after being at their respective schools:

UGA :
Ray Goff - never coached again
Jim Donnan - never coached again
Mark Richt - 26-13 record at Miami - not bad but also not outstanding

Bama:
Mike Dubose - nuff said
Dennis Franchione - was average at both Texas A&M and Texas State
Mike Price - coached at UTEP
Mike Shula - has not been a HC since


Guess my point is most coaches don't leave a major program (which yes I called Auburn a major program) and match that same success at another major program

I would say the outliers would be Nick Saban, Urban Myer, and Brian Kelly (off top of my head)



Posted by LanierSpots
Sarasota, Florida
Member since Sep 2010
69710 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 9:50 am to
quote:

Guess my point is most coaches don't leave a major program (which yes I called Auburn a major program) and match that same success at another major program



I mean, they were fired for a reason.

Posted by Leto II
Arrakis
Member since Dec 2018
22813 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 10:14 am to
All of that
Posted by PJinAtl
Atlanta
Member since Nov 2007
14044 posts
Posted on 10/15/24 at 12:33 pm to
quote:

I mean, they were fired for a reason.

Exactly.

They reach the pinnacle and as long as they are doing well enough, they stay there. Once they start to slip they are asked to move on. That slip is either because they have gotten complacent or whatever scheme/advantage they had no longer works because teams know how to defeat it.

Plus, how many former Auburn coaches end up at "major" programs? Bowden was at UNA, Akron and ULM; Tubbs went to Cincy and Texas Tech - a Big 12 program but a mid-tier one; Gus at UCF - again now part of a Power Conference but not really a top tier school.

But, it isn't Just Auburn. If a coach involuntarily leaves, he probably isn't going to tear the world up somewhere else. If he leaves on his own accord, that's a different thing. Saban of course going from LSU where he was successful, to the NFL and back to Bama. Also, look at John Robinson. Left USC after going 67–14–2 in 7 seasons with 3 Rose Bowls and one national title. Left to coach the Rams, then came back to USC and went 37–21–2 in five years before being fired and replaced with Pete Carroll.
This post was edited on 10/15/24 at 1:03 pm
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