Auburn Football: Which New Tigers' Coordinator Is Under the Most Pressure?

Auburn heads into the 2012 season with brand new systems on offense and defense. There will be high expectations for both sides of the football, but which of the new coordinators will face the most pressure in the first season?

Auburn struggled with offensive production a year ago, making the once magical Gus Malzahn offense look amateurish. Malzahn was successful in producing explosive offensive results in two of his three seasons on the Plains, but his final year was abysmal. 

The Auburn defense has been a mixed bag of success since the arrival of Gene Chizik and his staff in Auburn. Chizik hired Ted Roof to run the defense when he first arrived, with the most success coming in 2010.

Even with a national title, the Tigers overall defensive efforts were not very good. 

Both sides of the football will need to have visible improvement from the past season. With high expectations from Auburn fans entering the 2012 season, the pressure is mounting for the new coordinators.

Offensive Coordinator Scot Loeffler

Scot Loeffler is taking over for a coach that produced one of the most dangerous offenses in school history in 2010. Gus Malzahn was loved while he was on the Auburn sideline, but the time had come for him to move on. 

The Tigers came out like madmen in 2009 with Gus Malzahn showing that his offense could be a game changer for the Tigers. Auburn fans were skeptical about the spread offense, but the early success for the Tigers suppressed concerns. 

Gus Malzahn was a highly regarded coordinator and had a lot of name recognition when he took the Auburn job. The pressure to perform was apparent. 

Scot Loeffler arrived on the Plains with less fanfare and tempered expectations. Auburn is coming off of a very mediocre season offensively and has no starter listed at the quarterback position. Auburn will be rebuilding an offensive line and breaking in a new set of ball carriers after Michael Dyer transferred to Arkansas State this winter. 

There are some positives that Loeffler will carry into the 2012 season. Despite the lack of a starting quarterback and a firm answer at running back, the Tigers return the most talented offensive lineup in recent history. 

The Tigers have an overwhelming amount of talent at the running back position and the quarterback race seems to be settled, just not publicly. 

Leadership from pass catchers like Emory Blake and Philip Lutzenkirchen will be leaned upon early. The Tigers will need to add another real receiving threat if they plan on having an effective passing attack this season.

With the questions that surround key positions offensively, and the wholesale change of offensive identity, the Tigers fans will likely be patient for the first few weeks of the season with Loeffler. 

Defensive Coordinator Brian VanGorder

Brian VanGorder is walking into a great situation with the Tigers defense this season. While the Tigers will be overlooked early, the defense will determine whether the Tigers win early in the year.

Auburn charges into the season with the most experience and talent in recent memory on the defensive side of the football. The Tigers will have three experienced starters at linebacker, returning starters in the secondary and four returning starters on the defensive line in a likely rotation of 12. 

Of the 12 defensive linemen that will play for Auburn this season, 11 will return with experience. 

It would be impossible to say that the Tigers should not perform well defensively this season when you take a look at the experience and talent that is found throughout the defense. Auburn should have a great showing in Atlanta on September 1.

The most glaring concern for the Tigers will be the linebacker position this fall. They do return three starters in Daren Bates, Jonathan Evans and Jake Holland, but Kris Frost is looking to earn the start over Evans. Another talented backup at the linebacker position will be Justin Garrett. Garrett played very well a year ago in spot play and on special teams. 

At middle is where the concern forms for Auburn. The Tigers return Jake Holland and Ashton Richardson, but not much experience is found behind the two. 

Assuming that the linebacker depth never really becomes a concern, Auburn is poised to have the best defensive performance in the Gene Chizik era. 

Which Coordinator is Under the Most Pressure?

Looking ahead to the 2012 season, both of Auburn’s new coordinators will carry high expectations. 

The Auburn offense will be expected to produce yards on the ground right away, but the passing game will be given time to develop. The Auburn faithful will be happy if they simply see progression through the air early.

If the rushing attack is slow to develop, Auburn fans will surely be uneasy and will be disappointed if the Tigers lack a ground game in the first few games for the offense to rely on.

In the first two games, Auburn has tough showdowns on the road against Clemson in Atlanta, and against Mississippi State in Starkville. The Bulldogs aren’t looking to be a strong team, but any game in Starkville is a tough one.

The Clemson game will be a very tough contest with Auburn relying heavily on the defense early.

To Auburn’s benefit, the Clemson offensive line will be brand new and will be playing one of the most talented defensive lines in the SEC for 2012. If Auburn can keep Tajh Boyd on his back in the first half, the Tigers will run away with the game.

With Auburn’s lofty expectations heading into this season, weight will be on both coordinators' backs to perform. Of the two, defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder faces the most pressure.

With the talent and experience that returns on defense, expectations are running high. Every sign is pointing toward success on defense this season on the Plains. It will be a welcomed change after three consecutive years of defensive mediocrity. 

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