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Coaching Trees Matter

Posted on 11/4/25 at 12:31 pm
Posted by Hussss
Helena, AL
Member since Oct 2016
7672 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 12:31 pm
This is what worries me about Sumrall

The best coaches learned so much along the way from other great coaches they worked for

Durkin has worked for - alongside much better coaches than Sumrall

We already tried Gus and Freeze with no strong coaching tree / mentor

Posted by RandySavage
9 Time Natty Winner
Member since May 2012
34578 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 1:07 pm to
What about buster Faulkner? Worked with Kirby and Todd monken and now Brent key
This post was edited on 11/4/25 at 1:09 pm
Posted by AUtigR24
Happy Hour
Member since Apr 2011
20034 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 2:58 pm to
Thats why I don't want Dilly or Lashlee
Posted by Pettifogger
I don't really care, Margaret
Member since Feb 2012
85718 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 3:01 pm to
I agree to an extent. By way of example, Golesh isn't someone high on my list generally.

But I think him having worked with Campbell and Heupel are marks in his favor.
Posted by AU86
Member since Aug 2009
25963 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 3:07 pm to
Then what happened to Gene Chizik?
Posted by pdfield34
Member since Aug 2022
466 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 3:13 pm to
quote:

Then what happened to Gene Chizik?


Pretty much inconsistent much like Mack Brown and Tuberville.
Not sure about the confusion here.
Posted by metafour
Member since Feb 2007
4213 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 3:21 pm to
Being part of a "good coaching tree" is not going to make a bad coach good, nor will being part of an average coaching tree make a good coach bad.

What coaching tree is Urban Meyer from? His most notable experience coming up was ~4 years spent at Notre Dame, but it came under Bob Davie who was an overall failure. He was also under Sonny Lubick for a few seasons at Colorado State, but other than that its basically nothing.

Kenny Dillingham spent a lot of time under Mike Norvell and had one season under Dan Lanning. Norvell looks bad now, but prior to the last two seasons he was regarded as one of the better coaches in the country (to the degree that he was on the list at Bama as a candidate to replace Saban).

The irrational fear of Lashlee and Dillingham because they coached for a few seasons under Gus Malzahn is very overblown. Dillingham was literally under him for 1 season, and Lashlee has coached under several other good coaches (he spent 2 seasons under Sonny Dykes at while he was at SMU, and 2 seasons under Manny Diaz [who is a decent coach] at Miami). Malzahn himself was an overall successful head coach in this conference; certainly better than Will Muschamp who Durkin spent a lot of time under.

This post was edited on 11/4/25 at 3:23 pm
Posted by Rhymenoceros
Atlanta, Georgia
Member since Nov 2012
4633 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 3:58 pm to
quote:

What about buster Faulkner


I would absolutely keep Durkin, if we could bring in Faulkner as the OC.
Posted by pdfield34
Member since Aug 2022
466 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 5:25 pm to
quote:

What coaching tree is Urban Meyer from? His most notable experience coming up was ~4 years spent at Notre Dame, but it came under Bob Davie who was an overall failure.


At Notre Dame, Urban Meyer started from the tree of Lou Holtz, as Holtz hired him.

If nothing else he was able to be around Holtz and his recruiting, who did the expected and brought in great classes year after year at ND.

Also being a part of someone's tree is a nice vetting process when you'll never have a crystal ball. There is credibility in being part of a Lou Holtz staff in the fact that Holtz evaluated and thought Urban was good enough.

There are always outliers, but basically every modern consistent championship winning coach in the SEC has had appropriate heritage.
Terry Bowden had a blip but then imploded due to lack of experience.
Posted by Beachbum87
Niceville, FL
Member since Oct 2022
4018 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 5:31 pm to
And his current OC at Tulane was Chad Morris’s OC at SMU and Arky. A coaching tree I want no part of if he were to bring him along.
Posted by metafour
Member since Feb 2007
4213 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 5:34 pm to
quote:

At Notre Dame, Urban Meyer started from the tree of Lou Holtz, as Holtz hired him.



He spent one season with Lou Holtz, c'mon man. All of Urban's coaching success is the result of one season he spent learning under end-game Lou Holtz in 1996? That was Holtz's final season at Notre Dame, its not like he was even in his prime when Urban Meyer came in.

If all it takes is one season, then Dillingham should be cleared because he spent one season under Lanning at Oregon.

I'm not saying this doesn't matter, but at best it should be a tie-breaker between similar candidates. But that's not what is happening here. You have some people trying to argue that a proven GOOD head coach (eg: Lashlee) shouldn't be considered, but DJ Durkin who literally flopped as a HC once already should be considered because he spent a few years with "better" coaches?

Sorry bud, but that logic doesn't compute.
Posted by 88TIger
Member since Nov 2012
3188 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 8:37 pm to
quote:

This is what worries me about Sumrall


Which part of the tree don't you like? He is a Defensive guy and his D has been pretty good.
Posted by WarEagleWes
Eastaboga
Member since Oct 2014
618 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 9:22 pm to
He is his own tree. Hell, he is the roots. F a dang “coaching tree”

Sumrall is self made and young. Give the dude a shot. Someone will and if Auburn passes on him they will regret it.
Posted by AUIH1
Logan Martin Lake, Talladega, AL
Member since Oct 2012
98 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 9:57 pm to
We might. He is a risk, but so was Kirby and Lanning. I want AU to find our Kirby or Lanning.
Posted by TailbackU
ATL
Member since Oct 2005
12839 posts
Posted on 11/4/25 at 10:31 pm to
Kind of why I was thinking Glenn Schumann might get some play but I haven’t heard his name at all.
Posted by thirdlawson
Nashville
Member since Oct 2011
9398 posts
Posted on 11/5/25 at 12:17 am to
quote:

Kind of why I was thinking Glenn Schumann might get some play but I haven’t heard his name at all.


Schumann will get a job somewhere soon.
Posted by AUIH1
Logan Martin Lake, Talladega, AL
Member since Oct 2012
98 posts
Posted on 11/5/25 at 7:29 am to
Same. However; the Dogs D has regressed since Lanning left and Muschamp stepped back.
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