The More You Hear, the Crazier Auburn Sounds

About seven weeks ago, Auburn shocked the college football world by hiring Gene Chizik, a 47-year-old perennial assistant coach that finally got a head coaching gig and produced a miserable 5-19 record at a second rate school playing in the weak division of a decent conference.

This was after Auburn stated they would spare "NO EXPENSE" to find and hire "THE BEST." And this is what they came up with? They went out and hired a man with just over a 25 percent winning percentage to take the place of man with almost a 70 percent winning margin.

Is Auburn seriously saying to the world that Gene Chizik was the best coach available no matter what the cost was? Pardon us, dear Auburn fans, while we politely laugh out loud at that suggestion.

Then there is the continuing meddling in Athletics by the powerful men behind the curtain.  Bobby Lowder, Pat Dye and Jimmy Rane finally succeeded in running off Tubberville, but couldn't do it cleanly enough without having major repercussions.

All that was covered in Intrigue, Conspiracy and a Great Story May Have Gotten Gene Chizik a Job and doesn't have to be re-hashed here. But other meddling continued to cause problems for Auburn.

Desperate to have the fans "settle down" after the Chizik hire, the three meddlers sat with Chizik and instructed him to re-hire James Willis.  Chizik wanted to have his "own" people in place, and "hold overs" sometimes create problems in philosophy with the new coach.  But being the loyal lapdog he is, he obeyed, to a point.

The meddlers saw that an "Auburn Man" had helped quiet the Auburn faithful before they went out and bought torches and pitchforks, so why not try this trick again and hire Tracey Rocker, another former Auburn player and coach. That too helped fans think that maybe this may work after all.

But they forgot to tell Chizik to make Willis feel like he's wanted.  Chizik may have had his arm twisted to re-hire him, but he did nothing to make him feel welcomed to the new team.

Also, "Spare No Expense" obviously did not apply to Willis. The Auburn officials asked for their $50,000 severance pay back. This was pay that every Auburn assistant got when they cleaned out their offices and were terminated just as he was.

It shouldn't have a made a difference to Auburn that he was fired and the hired weeks later by different coaching regime, but it obviously did to everyone there but Willis.

First of all, Chizik hired a bunch of new assistants, unproven to the Auburn fan base, at salaries higher than his own. He gave them titles and praise and yet had Willis job description still as "Assistant Coach with Duties to be Assigned." In coach speak, that means, wherever there is a leftover job.

Then there is the fact that in over seven weeks of being on the job, Chizik has yet to name his final two coaches.  What is he waiting for? Is he waiting for all the good ones to be snapped up? Is he waiting to be told his "bosses" who to hire? We don't know.

And neither do the prospects Auburn is hoping to sign. Does Auburn not realize that they might like to know who they'll be coached by? This is exactly why Kiffin filled his plate before signing day and so did Saban. Auburn just doesn't get that. Does Chizik honestly think his name alone is power enough to get a wavering commitment?

Then there is all this two faced "loyalty" talk about Willis leaving Auburn and going to Alabama. All this bitterness now being heaped on Willis is sort of stupid. They claim he is will never be welcomed back for siding with the enemy.

But in the next breath they talk about what a wonderful hire Rocker is.  Here's an ex Auburn player and coach we can all be proud of! But wait, Rocker just spent the last few years of his career at Arkansas and Ole Miss, also SEC rivals, plotting to beat his former team. Anybody else see the irony in this?

Everybody's salary goes up but Willis'. Defensive coordinator Ted Roof's $370,000 salary tops the list on Chizik's new staff and is a $65,000 boost from Paul Rhoads was pulling in during his lone season in Auburn.

Offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is making $350,000, 20 percent more than Tuberville hired Tony Franklin for a year ago.

Two other assistants are also making at least $300,000, Trooper Taylor and Tracy Rocker. Taylor, the Tigers' receivers coach and associate head coach, will earn $320,000. Rocker is being paid $300,000 to coach the defensive line.

The salaries for Auburn's other assistants are, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes ($290,000), running backs coach Curtis Luper ($260,000) and tight ends and special teams coach Jay Boulware ($180,000). Tuberville's other assistants, besides the coordinators, made between $180,000 and $200,000 last season.

Is there anybody left in the Auburn nation now that DOESN'T see why Willis was miffed? If so, please write and explain that to me.

Only Chizik himself makes less than last year's coach, but only $800,000 less.  He became a member of the "Two Million Club" with a 5-19 record. That's quite a feat that has may .500 coaches scratching their heads.

The only thing that remains to be seen is whether this Pinocchio coach will have strings coming from the sky boxes where the real power of Auburn football seems to be, to Chizik.  How far will the meddling go?

One thing is clear however, the meddling and craziness is there to stay for a while on the plains and the craziness is sure to continue.