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"In one short year Gus Malzahn has completely reversed the fortunes of an Auburn program that was in turmoil just 12 months ago. A team that was battered, beaten, demoralized and lost has found its way back into legitimate title consideration.
Auburn's turnaround from a 3-9 record in 2012 to 10-1, the No. 6 spot in the BCS standings and an Iron Bowl showdown with Alabama for the SEC West title in 2013 is nothing short of remarkable. A team that was shut out by a combined score of 87-0 in its final two SEC games last season is on the periphery of the national title race and all of the sudden relevant in the SEC again.
What's the reason for the remarkable one-year turnaround?
First-year head coach Gus Malzahn.
His mantra from Day 1 has been that it's "A New Day" in Auburn, and his most important sales job as the new coach on the block was selling that mantra to his team. It bought in. "That was the biggest thing they had to accomplish, and that was the thing that Gus focused on from the very beginning," AD Jay Jacobs said. "It all starts with trust and confidence, and that's why it was so important and Gus was so relentless in making sure he had the right staff, the right nine assistant coaches. Guys who are teachers, guys who are trustworthy and guys who are made of character."
But it wasn't just a change in the on-the-field coaching staff that turned around Auburn's fortunes, it was a change in the strength and conditioning program that has really helped the Tigers buckle down in the red zone. Ryan Russell, the team's strength and conditioning coach, came to Auburn from Arkansas State, and played a major role in the turnaround. The Tigers rank third in the conference in red-zone touchdown percentage (47.37 percent), and second in red-zone scoring percentage (73.68 percent).
"Maybe one of the most important things that Gus did was bring Ryan Russell in here," Jacobs said. "Your team is really built January through August, and the way these guys are conditioned and the condition that coach Russell has got them in, I'd say that's an easy area [of the turnaround] to overlook. But when you have a problem in that area, that's the first thing that pops out."
Of course, junior college transfer Nick Marshall's emergence as a legitimate dual-threat quarterback accelerated the transition process. Marshall leads SEC quarterbacks with 82.30 rushing yards per game, has tossed nine touchdown passes and is averaging 153.0 yards per game through the air. He was only on campus for five weeks before taking his first snap with the Tigers, and Malzahn has been impressed with his evolution within the system."
Warde, go get us the next Gus Malzahn.
Auburn's turnaround from a 3-9 record in 2012 to 10-1, the No. 6 spot in the BCS standings and an Iron Bowl showdown with Alabama for the SEC West title in 2013 is nothing short of remarkable. A team that was shut out by a combined score of 87-0 in its final two SEC games last season is on the periphery of the national title race and all of the sudden relevant in the SEC again.
What's the reason for the remarkable one-year turnaround?
First-year head coach Gus Malzahn.
His mantra from Day 1 has been that it's "A New Day" in Auburn, and his most important sales job as the new coach on the block was selling that mantra to his team. It bought in. "That was the biggest thing they had to accomplish, and that was the thing that Gus focused on from the very beginning," AD Jay Jacobs said. "It all starts with trust and confidence, and that's why it was so important and Gus was so relentless in making sure he had the right staff, the right nine assistant coaches. Guys who are teachers, guys who are trustworthy and guys who are made of character."
But it wasn't just a change in the on-the-field coaching staff that turned around Auburn's fortunes, it was a change in the strength and conditioning program that has really helped the Tigers buckle down in the red zone. Ryan Russell, the team's strength and conditioning coach, came to Auburn from Arkansas State, and played a major role in the turnaround. The Tigers rank third in the conference in red-zone touchdown percentage (47.37 percent), and second in red-zone scoring percentage (73.68 percent).
"Maybe one of the most important things that Gus did was bring Ryan Russell in here," Jacobs said. "Your team is really built January through August, and the way these guys are conditioned and the condition that coach Russell has got them in, I'd say that's an easy area [of the turnaround] to overlook. But when you have a problem in that area, that's the first thing that pops out."
Of course, junior college transfer Nick Marshall's emergence as a legitimate dual-threat quarterback accelerated the transition process. Marshall leads SEC quarterbacks with 82.30 rushing yards per game, has tossed nine touchdown passes and is averaging 153.0 yards per game through the air. He was only on campus for five weeks before taking his first snap with the Tigers, and Malzahn has been impressed with his evolution within the system."
Warde, go get us the next Gus Malzahn.
