SEC Media Days: Malzahn Staking Reputation On Auburn’s 2016
By Dutch Dixon
Over the last several months and heading into SEC Media Days, there has been a lot of speculation by a lot of people regarding the subject of Gus Malzahn’s coaching seat — and, more precisely, what exactly its temperature is.
All conjecture aside, one thing is certain, in 2016, Malzahn is putting his regard as an offensive mind and his viability as a head coach at the SEC level of college football on the line.
What they’re saying nationally about Auburn at SEC Media Days 2016
While it’s true that Malzahn’s star has already lost more than a small amount of shine since he led Auburn to the 2013 SEC Championship, there are many who still hold him in high esteem. This season will determine whether that faith was warranted or misplaced.
Why? Besides the obvious, that this is yet another season to evaluate him on, because at SEC Media Days on Monday, Malzahn officially doubled down:
“At the end of the day, I’m a football coach. That’s my strength, being on the field and coaching an offense. . . . One thing that really hit me pretty hard is that I [have] to be more active with the daily X’s and O’s and coaching that goes with that. And that’s what I look at as my strength. . . . I’m looking forward to getting back in the middle of things and enjoying the actual coaching on the field.”
Sure, Malzahn has made similar comments since 2015’s disappointing season came to a close, but we’re less than two months away from opening kick, and he hasn’t walked it back. This will be, without a shadow of a doubt, his offense.
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Some may be confused – hasn’t this always been his offense? Well, that depends on which side of the equation you fall on.
If you strongly believe in Malzahn, you likely trust what has been reported and what his own comments at SEC Media Days intimated — that he was more hands-off offensively in 2015 than he has ever been in his career. And, thus, he can fix the offense.
If you do not strongly believe in Malzahn, you likely trust what has somehow also been reported — the opposite. That he was so hands-on offensively in 2015 that, for example, Dameyune Craig wasn’t even truly allowed to coach his own position group.
What to believe? Senior wide receiver Marcus Davis stated at Media Days that he’s noticed a change in Malzahn:
“I most definitely see a difference. Being the head coach, sometimes head coaches sit back and watch things happening, but now I think he’s taking more charge and being more involved and more vocal — not just to the players, but to the coaches as well. I’m pretty excited to see how everything goes. I’m used to him sitting back, but now that I see something different, I’m excited to see where it goes.”
What we know: Craig is gone, replaced by Kodi Burns, who played in Malzahn’s offense. J.B. Grimes is gone, replaced by Herb Hand, who coached with Malzahn and was deeply involved with his record-setting offenses at Tulsa.
Everybody has known since last season that 2016 would be important for Malzahn’s career — at Auburn and overall. But — considering those staffing moves and taking he and Davis at face value about his ramped-up involvement in the Tigers offense — nobody knows it better than Malzahn.
After watching him double-down, it’s obvious he’s betting on himself. And, because of that — because of him virtually proclaiming the 2016 offense will have his stamp all over it — his ability will be even more scrutinized than it already would have been.
At SEC Media Days, Malzahn said that the 2016 Auburn Tigers have a new theme, “Earn it.”
Next: SEC Media Days: Gus Says This Could be Best Defense in 4 Years
If Malzahn is to recapture his once-sparkling reputation as an offensive mind and as a football coach, that’s exactly what he’s going to have to do.