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That 1970’s hit song concludes with the phrase, “And get yourself free!”
Long-time Auburn’s head football coach, Gus Malzahn, was terminated on Sunday. His Auburn Tigers finished the year with a disappointing (to some) 6-4 record.
As part of a coaching purge at Auburn, the former head football coach gets one of the sweetest parting packages this side of Wall Street. According to reports, Gus Malzahn is owed $21.45 million for the remaining four years of his seven year deal worth a total of $49 million.
But wait, there’s more! The coach’s contract calls for half of the remaining money to be paid within 30 days of his departure. That’s $10,725,000 due from Auburn by mid-January. Cha-ching!
For that kind of payout, Gus can hop onto his own bus and begin enjoying an unexpected vacation soon!
Auburn’s athletic director Allen Greene announced the dismissal of the head football coach on Sunday after Alabama’s Tigers finished the regular season (which featured only games played against other SEC teams this year) with a 6-4 record.
“After evaluating the state of the Auburn football program, we’ve decided that it was time to make a change in leadership”, Green said.
In 2020, Auburn lost to three top ten teams (#1 Alabama, #5 Texas A&M, and #10 Georgia). There are no slouches among that group. And, yes, their other loss was to 2-8 South Carolina (who, by the way, fired their coach Will Muschamp earlier this fall).
Gus Malzahn was considered an offensive coaching genius while Auburn’s offensive coordinator in 2010 as his group led the Plainsmen to a national championship. After being promoted to the head coaching position in 2012, Malzahn led Auburn to the BCS national title game in 2013 but his team lost to Florida State.
Overall, Gus Malzahn’s Auburn Tigers went 68-35 during his tenure. His teams won two out of every three games. For most college programs, that certainly wouldn’t qualify as a failure.
In the state of Alabama, though, the Auburn football program must compete with the best college football power in America – the Alabama Crimson Tide. Ironically, Malzahn went 3-5 in the annual “Iron Bowl” game against that beast called Alabama and their legendary coach, Nick Saban. Malzahn’s three wins against Bama is more than any other head SEC coach during the past eight seasons.
Even Nick Saban was scratching his head as to why his intrastate rival was sent packing over the weekend.
“Sometimes you wonder why people do what they do,” Saban said. “I don’t know what the reasons are. But I certainly think he’s an outstanding coach and has been a tough adversary for us to have to play against in the Iron Bowl every year. I just have a lot of respect for Gus and the job that he’s done.”
Many Auburn fans will interpret Saban’s comments as meaning, “Drat! There goes another easy win for us every season!”
I disagree. Nick Saban isn’t known for his witty sarcasm. He generally says what he thinks. After all, why should he sugar-coat anything after winning five national championships at Alabama over the past thirteen seasons?
Year after year, Auburn has been a reliably “good” football team, but Alabama’s perpetual run of championship caliber teams has given the Auburn faithful a never-ending case of heartburn in trying to deal with that undeniable fact.
Other than crying about being not as good as Alabama, why would the Auburn Tigers dismiss their head coach after a decent 6-4 year and be willing to pay him more than $21 million to just simply go away?
Were other issues lurking below the surface at Auburn which may have led to Malzahn’s dismissal? The football talent level at Auburn has accurately reflected their recent records on the field of play. Auburn’s teams have been good but not great.
The more surprising element for Auburn during the Gus Malzahn era has been the continued degradation of the team’s offensive output. For a coach once heralded as an offensive guru, the Tigers’ recent years have been defined more by their tough defenses instead of high-scoring offenses.
In 2020, Auburn’s offense ranks a pitiful 86th in the nation in scoring. Gus Malzahn’s formerly prolific passing game has withered to #80 this year with only 213 yards per game via the air.
Every football coach has a specialty (offense/defense/special teams) before rising to the top spot as a team’s head coach. Alabama’s Nick Saban was a defensive back in college who eventually became a defensive coordinator for many years prior to taking over his first head coaching job.
Gus Malzahn’s resume was built on innovative offenses prior to becoming the head coach at Auburn. Fans are still trying to figure out what became of the Tigers’ former offensive prowess after Malzahn became the team’s head football coach eight years ago.
It is possible that the so-called “Peter Principle” may be in play, too. According to Dr. Laurence Peter in his 1969 best-selling management book, employees tend to rise in the hierarchy (in this case, coaching ranks) through promotion until they reach a level of respective incompetence.
Look around, and you’ll see this at work in everyday life. Some people seem to get promoted to one level higher than they are comfortable performing at. Some of these promoted workers will adapt to their new job responsibilities and do well at the next level. Others do not.
Though Gus Malzahn won 2/3 of his games while Auburn’s head football coach, legions of War Eagle fans and the school’s Athletic Director were unwilling to remain patient and allow this coach to evolve after eight years at the helm.
Fair enough. Gus Malzahn’s contract buyout provisions will cost Auburn’s wealthy alumni and athletics benefactors a lot of money soon. Perhaps they have already have their “next great coach” on the hook and are ready to reel him into this school located on the lovely plains of eastern Alabama.
You better look out, Nick Saban! Ha ha – yeah, right! I doubt that ol’ St. Nick will lose any sleep over the next Auburn football coach – no matter who is chosen.
Gus Malzahn was a good college football coach, but, apparently, he was just not good enough for Auburn anymore.
So, hop on your own bus, Gus (paid for by Auburn)! You don’t need to discuss much. Just drop-off your keys, please and get yourself free!
Remember, Coach Malzahn! You must wait “30 days to claim your payday! “