Tag: Gene Chizik

Eli Drinkwitz thought coaching was ‘easy’ at Auburn

Not many coaches had an easier first year in the business that Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Not many coaches had as easy a start to their college coaching career as Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz.

Drinkwitz broke into the college scene in 2010 after a successful stint as offensive coordinator at Arkansas high school power, Springdale. His first job was to run offensive quality control under [autotag]Gene Chizik[/autotag] at Auburn, and it could not have been a sweeter gig.

During his weekly preview press conference, Drinkwitz described the 2010 season as “great” but says that it provided unrealistic expectations for what coaching college football is.

“When I went there, I thought coaching college football was easy,” Drinkwitz said. “We went 13-0, and you just get the two best players in college football, and you put them on your team and you win. That’s what (quarterback) Cam Newton and (defensive tackle) Nick Fairley did for us. But outside of those two, there was a really strong team spirit.”

Drinkwitz mentioned Newton’s leadership as an important reason for the team’s success that season despite the adversity he faced throughout the season. He also says that he uses what he learned from Chizik, as well as former Auburn offensive coordinator turned head coach Gus Malzahn, and applies it to his program today.

“As far as building a team, I thought coach Chizik, (Ted) Roof, Malzahn, as coordinators, really did a nice job working together — low ego, high output approach, and a lot of the foundational stuff that we do in our program now, I learned from coach Chizik and coach Malzahn, that was a great season.”

Drinkwitz spent two seasons at Auburn before joining Malzahn’s staff at Arkansas State as running backs coach in 2012. He has also spent time at Boise State and NC State as offensive coordinator before taking his first head coaching job at Appalachian State in 2019.

Since becoming a head coach, Drinkwitz has built a 45-23 record over five seasons, with the 2023 season being his best to date. He led the Tigers to an impressive 11-2 campaign and a Cotton Bowl win over Ohio State after three straight seasons of winning six or fewer games.

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Travis Shaw sends cryptic tweet following Gene Chizik and Tim Cross’s dismissal

Travis Shaw sent a cryptic tweet following Gene Chizik and Tim Cross’s dismissal, causing speculation that trouble is brewing for the UNC.

Trouble could be brewing for the UNC football program, with 5-star defensive lineman [autotag]Travis Shaw[/autotag] sending a cryptic tweet following the announcement of parted ways with DC Gene Chizik and defensive lineman coach Tim Cross.

Shaw posted on the X platform (formerly known as Twitter) with two words “Of course”. The words itself doesn’t amount to much, but when you account for the facepalm emoji that was a part of the tweet and the fact that Cross was responsible for recruiting Shaw, as well as the timing calls for concern.

As of now, it’s simply speculation on what the tweet means, but some have alluded to it being Cross dismissal and it taking place the morning of the transfer portal closing, preventing Shaw from entering. Shaw leaving would be a big blow to UNC’s plans, as they hope to see their investment pan out.

Finding the right defensive coordinator is crucial for UNC, to bring in new talent and keep them. In two seasons for UNC, Shaw has 29 tackles, and three pass deflections.

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Social media reacts to UNC Football parting ways Gene Chizik

Social media reacts to the news of the UNC Football parting ways with defensive coach Gene Chizik, a week after the Nightmare Bowl loss.

The day many Tar Heel fans had hoped for came, as it was announced Wednesday morning that the UNC football program and [autotag]Gene Chizik[/autotag] had agreed to part ways.

The news shot out to social media like a cannon, with some satisfied by the staff changes, and others feeling like it was a little too late. Despite fans clamoring for Chizik’s departure for quite some time, the defensive coach era at UNC didn’t last long, only spending two seasons in Chapel Hill.

UNC did improve on the defensive end from Chizik’s first season to his second, allowing 30.8 points in year one to 27.3 in year two. Still, UNC’s struggles on the defensive end remained a liability, and the play calling was abysmal, resulting in the eventual parted ways.

The Tar Heels will now be in search of their third defensive coordinator since [autotag]Mack Brown[/autotag] returned as the Head Coach in 2018. Brown whose support from fans has begun to waver, finds himself in a spot to bring in a defensive coordinator who can bring the excitement and promise back to the UNC football program.

It was quite a sight on social media as opinions began to circulate. From the good to the bad, here are the social media reactions to UNC Football parting ways with Gene Chizik.

UNC Football parts ways with Gene Chizik and Tim Cross

UNC part ways with Defensive coaches Gene Chizik and Tim Cross a week after Bowl game nightmare.

The UNC football program has parted ways with assistant Head Coach for defense [autotag]Gene Chizik[/autotag], and defensive line Coach [autotag]Tim Cross[/autotag] per the University.

The news comes a week after UNC’s nightmare bowl loss to WVU, with staff changes expected to follow. Chizik lasted two seasons in Chapel Hill, meanwhile Cross had been on the staff since 2018. [autotag]Mack Brown[/autotag] who made the staff changes, expressed his gratitude for both coaches in the press release.

Brown on Chizik and Cross departure.

“Gene Chizik is one of the best football coaches I’ve shared the sideline with during my 46 years of coaching,” Brown said. “He’s a man of faith who worked tirelessly to provide the best coaching and mentorship he could to the young men he coached. We met extensively following the season, and despite the improvements from last season to this season, we mutually agreed that parting ways would be in the best interest of both he and the program. I want to thank Gene and his family for all they’ve done for our program and wish them nothing but the best.”

“I want to thank Coach Cross and his family for all they’ve done for our program,” added Brown. “He is a wonderful man and an outstanding football coach. Tim really cares about the young men he coaches, and you can see that in the relationships he’s built with them. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

The staff changes are a welcoming change for fans who encouraged the move. A national search will begin immediately for the program’s next defensive coordinator.

In the meantime, Co-Defensive Coordinator Charlton Warren’s role will still be the same, while adding the oversee of UNC defensive backs. Senior Defensive Analyst Ted Monachino’s role will also expand, taking over for Tim Cross as defensive line coach.

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UNC football fans are fed up with Gene Chizik and social media posts prove that

UNC football fans took to social media to bash defensive coordinator Gene Chizik for the team’s play against NC State.

Saturday night’s game in Raleigh was all too familiar for the UNC football program. Despite an impressive showing in the first few weeks of the season, North Carolina’s defense regressed as the year went on and by the time the regular season came to a close, they were what we are used to.

A bad unit.

It’s not all on the players. The Tar Heels suffered some big losses in the portal and were thin at key positions this season. Most of this falls on coaching as they do not have the players prepared before the game or in the best position to succeed. That’s a problem.

During the loss to the Wolfpack, North Carolina fans took to social media once again to vent their frustrations with the coaching staff. It wasn’t just Mack Brown getting the blame but instead, defensive coordinator Gene Chizik.

The defense allowed 26 first-half points and over 300 total yards of offense in the first two quarters. They allowed a struggling quarterback in Brennan Armstrong to find a groove and they also couldn’t stop Kevin Concepcion, a former UNC recruit as he had over 180 total yards in the game.

Here is what UNC fans were saying on social media about Chizik’s performance.

Gene Chizik has ‘tough’ and ‘honest’ conversations with UNC’s defense

UNC football defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has had tough conversations with his defense after the loss to Georgia Tech.

After a 6-0 start to the season, the North Carolina Tar Heels football program has suffered a setback with losses to Virginia and Georgia Tech as two-score favorites in back-to-back weeks.

As we get set to go into Week 10, the Tar Heels have a lot of questions with most of them on the defensive side of the football.

The losses to the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets saw the Tar Heels’ defense struggle, giving up 228 rushing yards to Virginia and 348 rushing yards to Georgia Tech. They flat out couldn’t stop the run and it’s caused some serious problems.

It’s also led to defensive coordinator Gene Chizik having conversations with his defense that he revealed were “tough” and “honest” as he stated Monday afternoon:

Honestly, that was needed. This defense needs a wakeup call heading into the month of November where they will host Campbell this Saturday before a tough three-game stretch against Duke, and then Clemson and NC State. The games against the Tigers and Wolfpack are both on the road to close out the year.

If UNC wants to finish off positive, they are going to need the defense to step up in a big way.

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Remebering the bizarre end to Tony Franklin’s tenure at Auburn

Franklin’s brief history as Auburn’s offensive coordinator was eventful to say the least.

The 2008 season is one that Auburn fans never want to remember.

The Tigers ended the season with a 5-7 record. Several noteworthy games from that season include the infamous 3-2 win over Mississippi State, a blown game at Vanderbilt, and a 36-0 drubbing by Alabama to end a six-game winning streak in the series.

The season ended with the firing of head coach [autotag]Tommy Tuberville[/autotag], but it was another firing during that season that became the most noteworthy.

Tuberville replaced offensive coordinator [autotag]Al Borges[/autotag] with air raid guru [autotag]Tony Franklin[/autotag] ahead of the 2008 season, and it was a disaster from the very beginning.

There was a four-game stretch where Auburn failed to score more than 21 points, which led to the early dismissal of Franklin. However, the story leading up to his demise is far from normal.

According to a report by The Athletic, Franklin came up with a plan to revamp his image following the loss to Vanderbilt, which included using lyrics to a popular song by rapper Eminem.

“He was tired of walking on eggshells and wanted to express to his players that from that day forward, they’d be dealing with a whole new man. He started Monday’s team meeting by walking into the room with a stack of books and quoting lines from Eminem’s song “Without Me,” telling his athletes “Guess who’s back, back again. Franklin’s back. Tell a friend.

Franklin’s approach seemingly worked too, as Tuberville had offered his support to Franklin both privately and publicly to local reporters.”

The “new image” lasted just one day, however, as he would be dismissed from his position just one day later. The firing of Franklin tops USA TODAY Sports’ 10 most cringeworthy college football departures list. Joining Franklin on the list is Lane Kiffin’s infamous “tarmac” firing, Todd Graham’s resignation from Pitt via text, and George O’Leary’s questionable resume.

Auburn finished the 2008 season with a 1-5 record following Franklin’s firing. Two seasons later under head coach [autotag]Gene Chizik[/autotag], Auburn would win the program’s second national championship.

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Where Auburn football has finished in every AP poll since 2000

How many weeks has the Associated Press included Auburn in its poll since 2000?

Since the year 2000, Auburn football has had its share of highs and lows.

The [autotag]Tommy Tuberville[/autotag] era began the millennium for Auburn football and ended with a higher ranking in the Associated Press poll than its initial spot. Tuberville would go on to lead the Tigers to several high finishes during his tenure that lasted nine seasons.

[autotag]Gene Chizik[/autotag] spent a few seasons at Auburn but would lead Auburn to its highest-ever ranking in the polls in 2010. Following Chizik, [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] would take Auburn to the top ten on several occasions.

Will the same trend continue with [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] as he begins his tenure in 2023?

Here’s a look at how Auburn’s history in the AP poll since 2000.

Former SEC quarterback believes Hugh Freeze can win national title at Auburn

Freeze’s recent success in recruiting, as well as his experience in the SEC, could push him to his first national championship.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has not stopped working since being hired to take over the position in late November.

He has hauled in the nation’s No. 17 recruiting class according to 247Sports and has snagged the No. 3 transfer portal class, behind only LSU and Florida State.

The recent improvements to the program have many Auburn fans excited for the future, and college football analysts believing that he can lead Auburn to the top within a few seasons. One of those analysts is ESPN’s Aaron Murray.

In a recent episode of Snaps, a podcast hosted by the former Georgia quarterback and former LSU lineman T-Bob Hebert, the duo ranked their top five coaches who could win a title, with the only criteria being that said coaches have not won a title before. Murray included Freeze at No. 3 on the list.

LSU has won titles under Nick Saban, Les Miles, and Ed Orgeron over the last 20 years. Auburn has also seen that success by winning a title under [autotag]Gene Chizik[/autotag] and playing for another under [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]. Murray uses that point to share why he added Freeze to his list.

“You look at Auburn, two of their past three head coaches have either won a national championship or have been to a national championship,” Murray said. “At least it has been shown in the last 13 years that you can win a national championship at Auburn, you can win the SEC at Auburn, and you can get to a national championship.”

Murray also believes that Freeze has come into Auburn at a good time, citing that Nick Saban could retire from Alabama at some point in the near future, which could make way for Freeze to reach the top of the mountain. Freeze has also shown signs of regret for his past faults during his time at Ole Miss, which can also be a sign of great things to come.

“Ever since he has set foot on campus at Auburn, he as recruited at a high clip, he also has a top transfer portal class as well. They have plenty of money at Auburn, they are doing a great job when it comes to NIL as well,” Murray said. “Hugh Freeze, the offense, the connections, the fact that he has had success in this league, the fact that Auburn has won championships in the past gives me confidence that he can get that thing going again in the next four years.”

The first time that Auburn fans can see a Hugh Freeze-led team on the field will be on April 8 for the annual A-Day spring game. The official opening day for spring practice has yet to be determined.

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The Last Ten: Auburn Football’s recent history with the Arkansas Razorbacks

Auburn looks to continue its impressive winning streak over the Razorbacks on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

The Auburn Tigers return to Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time since Oct. 1 on Saturday when they welcome the Arkansas Razorbacks to town for an 11 a.m. CT kickoff.

Auburn holds a 19-11 overall record over Arkansas and has won six straight games, which is the longest streak for either team in the series. These two teams have played every season since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992, and played just one previous time in the 1984 Liberty Bowl, a game that Auburn won, 21-15 in Memphis, Tenn.

Over the six-game stretch, Auburn has won nearly every game in convincing fashion. The only close game played between these two teams over the last six seasons took place at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2020. Auburn won the game on a controversial call that appeared to be a fumble but instead was ruled an incomplete pass as the result of Auburn quarterback [autotag]Bo Nix[/autotag] spiking the football to stop the clock. The call bounced Auburn’s way and allowed [autotag]Anders Carlson[/autotag] to kick a game-winning field goal with 0:08 seconds remaining in the contest.

Here is a look back at Auburn Football’s recent history with the Arkansas Razorbacks.