Recruiting Just Part of the Ingredients for Success at Auburn

      Tommy Tuberville knows what Alabama head coach Nick Saban and his staff did inside the borders of Alabama concerning recruiting.  So does everyone else outside the state, how could you miss it, unless you were asleep in a cave. Alabama had the #1 class in the country according to most recruiting publications.  

Saban’s reputation as an unrelenting recruiter preceded him from his days at LSU, and like it or not Les Miles should give a nod to Saban for a job well done.  Not disrespecting what Les Miles has accomplished at LSU; by winning a national title last season. Just stating he should at least buy him a steak dinner for the few remaining players of Saban's that helped insure the successes of LSU’s season. Dont get me wrong, Miles has performed "jam up and jelly tight when it comes to recruiting as well. 

Now enter the 2009 recruiting war, Tuberville a ND the rest of the staff have seemingly turned up the heat on the recruiting trail, and may burn the feet of any coach that follows’ from behind.  Auburn has amassed seventeen verbal commitments thus far; of course none are binding until signing day in February.

None the less Tub’s can’t afford another whipping the likes of which Saban dished out to him and the rest of college football world only five months ago.  If open recruiting existed in the NFL, perhaps Saban would have been more successful at Miami.

 As a self proclaimed CEO of his program he has built at Auburn, Tuberville never takes all the credit for the Tigers successes on and off the field, and that goes for recruiting as well. He is always quick to point out the hard work his staff performs whenever someone lends an ear.  “I don’t think in terms of myself at all. I have no desire to have my name put on anything. I want these kids to win games. I want to prove we can stay up there as one of the top teams every year. If you are one of the top teams in the SEC, you are going to be one of the top teams in the country. You are never going to be satisfied, but when you look back at the last nine years, this staff has done not just a good job, but a real good job.”

Tuberville continues that point when asked recently in an interview with ESPN Auburn Undercover; Are the early commitments by design? “Not really. It's just kind of turned out that way. There is a fine line in recruiting in terms of a kid making an early commitment. I think a lot of guys are turned on to recruiting a lot earlier because of the Internet and all that. It used to start in the fall of their senior year. Now it starts at the end of their junior year. Some kids just want to get it out of the way. It goes back to your staff. Our guys have just done a great job of building relationships.”

Whatever the reason I’m sure Tuberville likes the fact that Auburn is leading the conference in verbal commitments right now and are the only team ever to have this many verbal’s in by July.  For what it’s worth, which is about as much a penny on a rail road track; I’m sure it’s still a good feeling to the fan base as well.

 On the flip-side, Tuberville is quick to take the heat for failures, particularly concerning recruiting, not that there as been many of those.  Tuberville is a believer in his core philosophy, which will never change; one would not be hard pressed to find a statement proving that assumption.

 Tuberville states; “We made a decision 14 years ago that, if we make a mistake, it’s going to be our mistake. There’s a lot of good information in magazines and on web sites. It might be the truth, but we are going to go out there and see for ourselves. We are going to ask questions, evaluate, and keep our ears open, talk to people. We’re not going to sign somebody because they have four stars or five stars.” say; Tuberville.

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·                               Luginbill on Auburn recruiting: 'We like this class a bunch'

 Why play for Tommy Tuberville? Going on his 10^th season at Auburn Tuberville is 80-33 (70.8%).

From 2000 – 2007, Auburn (66 games 48-18 record) is 2^nd in the conference at 72.7 winning percentage behind LSU with a 73.5% (68 games 50-18 record). Under Tuberville, Auburn has a winning record against its three biggest rivals, LSU (5-4), Georgia(5-4), and Alabama (7-2). He has led Auburn to 6 straight victories over in-state rival Alabama, the longest win streak in this rivalry since 1982, which was the year Auburn broke Alabama's 9 year streak.

   Tuberville has also established himself as one of the best big game coaches in college football, winning 9 of their last 11 games against Top 10 opponents (since the start of the 2004 season). In 2006, his Tigers recorded victories over two Top 5 teams who later played in BCS bowls, including eventual BCS Champion Florida. Tuberville has a 5-1 career record versus Top 5 teams, including 3 wins versus Florida.

Tuberville has coached 19 players who were selected in the NFL draft, including four first round picks in 2004, with several others signing as free agents. He has coached 8 All-Americans and a Thorpe Award winner (Carlos Rogers). Thirty-four players under Tuberville have been named to All-SEC (First Team). Eighteen players have been named All-SEC freshman. His players have been named SEC player of the week 46 times. He has also had 2 SEC players of the year and one SEC Championship game MVP.

The Auburn Tigers were a perfect 13-0 in 2004 including the SEC title and a win over Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl. Coach Tuberville received Coach of the Year awards from the AP, the American Football Coaches Association, the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association and the Walter Camp Football Foundation.

Tommy Tuberville is never satisfied he’s quick to make the following point; the next 10 years, we want to be just a little more consistent in terms of finishing off games. We’ve beaten more top 10 teams than anybody in college football. We don’t have to take a backseat to anyone, other than the fact we haven’t won the national championship and would like to have won a few more SEC championships.”

Concerning the 2009 recruiting class thus far; asked about what he see’s from the Auburn Tigers, Tom Luginbill said; “We like this class a bunch. We think there is an upgrade in speed and athleticism on the offensive side of the ball. You know they (Auburn) are always going to have a run game presence, and have some power and physicality. The No. 1 thing you want to do is recruit to your needs. No. 2, you want to recruit to your philosophy. I Tommy Tuberville is doing a great job with that.”  For good measure, Tuberville tossed in the pot offensive coordinator Tony Franklin and his spread scheme and the hope Auburn can cook up a mouth watering surprise with a slice of orange on the side in 2008.  The success of this fast approaching season may determine just how well coach Tuberville and the rest of his coaching staff feast at the recruiting table.