Just got back from the Robert G. Pitts Airport, a beat writer's home away from home this week, and a crowd of about 200 was there greet new coach Gene Chizik after he stepped off a plane from Ames, Iowa.

Very pro-Chizik crowd. The crazy guy that showed up yesterday was nowhere to be found.

Chizik spoke very briefly with the media. Here's his comment:

"First of all, I am very, very overwhelmed. I'm back home. What can I say? I'm back home. I feel very blessed. My family, myself, this is a dream come true for us. And this is going to brief, but I'll tell you this -- these people of Auburn University and the Auburn family is what I got into coaching for. And I left it with a dream to one day come back to it, and today I'm living that dream and I want to thank you guys. And War Eagle."

Former Auburn linebacker and Shaw High star Antarrious Williams, who played for Chizik when he was the Tigers' defensive coordinator from 2002-04, was on hand as well. Here's what he had to say:

What are your thoughts of the hire?
Extremely elated. I think we got the right guy. All along, we interviewed 6, 7, 8 guys -- I don’t know -- before we hired Chizik. I said: Where is Gene Chizik? Where is Gene Chizik? He was my No. 1 choice before they even mentioned him. I think Jay Jacobs got this right on the head. A lot of people are underestimating Gene Chizik’s coaching ability and mo9tivating players and players buying into the system, which is the key right now. That’s why Alabama’s successful -- players are buying into Nick Saban’s system. It’s not that what they’re doing is so great. It’s that players believe what he’s saying. Players will buy into Gene Chizik.

What was he like as a coach?
He’s a fiery guy, I couldn’t tell you one time I can remember him cussing one players out, but he got on to us. He coached us hard. When Chizik left, it hurt us more to lose the guy than the coach. He’s a really good coach, but players were sad to lose Gene Chizik as a person as well. That just speaks highly of his character. I think he’s just the right fit for us right now.

We're getting current players in a little bit. I'll put their reactions up a little later.