Auburn coach
Gene Chizik has left the stage. But we live-blogged it. Read below:
- Starts by thanking the media.
- Says there's a long-term vision at Auburn. Thinks the team is heading in the right direction. "That doesn't mean we've arrived. And we know that."
- Says there is no goal for a number of wins. "We want to put a championship football team on the field."
- Win against Northwestern "catapulted" team into the offseason.
- Continuity on coaching staff is important. "Lot of guys on the team that for the first time in their career have the same offensive and defensive coordinator for the second year in a row."
- Consistency needs to be better. Acknowledges the records the offense set, but says there were times the team was very inconsistent.
- Too much pressure put on defense because of this.
- He's still going on about last year. While this is going on, here are the finer points of a 21-minute session with local media this morning: 1) he expects everybody to report next month, 2) because depth is still an issue, he expects the freshmen to be able to step in and play right away, 3) they're taking Zac Etheridge's return very carefully; medical staff will obviously monitor it, 4) having all but one signee qualify is "a rarity," 5) re: the agent issue, he put a lot of the responsibilities on the player. "They know right from wrong."
- Opening statement just wrapped up: 10 minutes. Longest so far, I think.
- On thinking long term: "I don't think you can do this job without having a great vision of what you want to do down the road."
- Asked to compare his team to Arkansas, his response: "I don't really have time to evaluate other people." Vegas put 7 to 5 odds of that being his answer.
- On the NCAA thinking about restricting how early scholarship offers can go out: "I think the young guy deserves to go through the recruiting."
- Talking to sophomores who won't be able to play for you for three years is a weird dynamic.
- In favor of the concept of restricting early offers. Doesn't know how exactly to regulate it. "It's like putting sand back in the sand glass. It's out. ... In theory, probably a good thing."
- Thinks the facilities upgrade demonstrates Auburn's great vision and will help recruiting. "You only have one time to make a good first impression as we know. When somebody comes on your campus, the 'wow' factor is big."
- Cited need to sustain longer drive. One of offense's biggest goals this season. Will help keep defense off the field.
- Amazingly, we get our first Cam Newton question about 20 minutes in.
- "He's done everything we've asked him. ... He wants to be a great football player."
- Re: depth and recruiting. "If you want to come in and play, there aren't a lot of long lines to come in and play right away."
- On Zac Etheridge: "He eats, sleeps and dreams football."
- Pressure to win? "More pressure is self-imposed than anything else. I'm just excited for the fact that the Auburn family, as I've talked to several clubs, it's the same passion at every place."
- One of his goals since being hired: "To pull the Auburn family back together."
- "We're in a day and age where everybody wants to win. And that's not going to change."
- So far, Chizik is the anti-Robbie Caldwell. There hasn't been a peep of reaction from the media in attendance. Not even one attempted joke.
- Doesn't know exactly how they'll use freshman WR Trovon Reed. Dropped Wildcat reference then said he doesn't know if they'll do that yet. "We have ideas of where he can fit."
- How difficult is it to catch Alabama or Florida? "If you look at this league from top to bottom, you've got great programs everywhere." He didn't really answer the question.
And that's a wrap. We'll be back with more later after player interviews.
Auburn coach Gene Chizik has left the stage. But we live-blogged it. Read below:
8 comments:
I like coach but man, you better bring some No-Doze when listening to him interview.....
ATCVX, that is what I like about him the best. Like all good coaches, he understands the importance of controlling the media and the flow of information. However, unlike his instate counterpart, Gene does it with a smile and is polite to the media. Gene almost convinces the media that they dont have any questions, rather than trying to intimidate and scare them into not asking any. We can be flashy on Saturday and boring the rest of the time, and thats more than fine by me.
fine with me too, tptoomers.
"How difficult is it to catch Alabama or Florida? 'If you look at this league from top to bottom, you've got great programs everywhere.' He didn't really answer the question."
That's he didn't want to embarrass the person who asked such a faulty question. We aren't trying to "catch" them. We're just going to beat the stew out of them, starting with ua-t on Nov 26
I am probably going to get raked for this, but Chizik reminds me of Coach Dye in a lot of ways.
He is direct, even if avoiding the question. He gives short answers when pushed, and is never any different with the media.
all we need is to hear the hay is in the barn, or we'll show up and play, if we can keep from making mistakes, or my favorite, pick some obscure area of your opponent and and say that's the best we'll probably see all year.
I love this game.
WAR EAGLE!
I like Chizik and Dye. No raking here.
I enjoy listening to him. He is direct and tactful at all times. Very polite and commands respect from everyone. You won't here any "pimp" comments from him and he won't go off on a guy doing his job.
Good stuff Andy.
Yeah, don't get me wrong, I enjoy the fact that we don't have a Kiffin going out there and embarrasing AU but you see the guy out there on the field and he's getting fired up (moreso, i believe than the in state counterpart) and then he goes for the interview and just kind of 'ho-hums' it.....i dunno, i'm not complaining at all, just a dash of personality would be a little better, imo...don't go out there trying to rile stuff up, just a little more than answers that have been heard many times before.
That's a strict military standard. You don't go into the press room and announce in four months the troops will be flying in and raiding country "X".
Coach has a military background so that may play a little into his demeanor.
Close to the vest is more than a phrase, it's a way of life in front of the media for Chizik.
Emotions sure come out on gameday though. I like that a lot more than our previous coach, whom I liked also.
I don't know, I DVR'd the media day and watched Chizik speak three times (the only coach I saw). He wasn't boring to me.
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