Auburn has a new men’s golf coach

...and his name is Nick Clinard. He comes to the Tigers after a successful run at Central Florida.

Here’s the official AU release. It will tell you a whole lot more.

AUBURN—-Eight-year head coaching veteran Nick Clinard, who led
the University of Central Florida to a top 10 finish in the 2009 NCAA
Championship, has been named head men*s golf coach at Auburn
University, Athletics Director Jay Jacobs announced Sunday.

    Clinard led UCF to NCAA Regional play in five of the last six
seasons, including 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2009, and the Knights have
won six tournament titles in the past two seasons. Clinard has nine
tournament victories including two conference championships, coached one
All-American, four Academic All-Americans, two conference players of the
year, three individual conference champions and eight all-conference
selections at UCF.

    UCF won the NCAA Southeast Regional title by defeating No. 2
Georgia and No. 13 South Carolina this past year along with claiming the
school*s first Conference USA Championship. The Knights also won The
Hummingbird Intercollegiate and the Rio Pinar Invitational as Clinard
was named Conference USA Coach of the Year and the NCAA Southeast
Regional Coach of the Year.

    *Nick Clinard brings a tremendous amount of head coaching
experience as well as success both athletically and academically that
will enhance the Auburn men*s golf program,* said Jacobs. *Nick is
regarded as one of the nation*s top recruiters and shows a relentless
work ethic. I am very excited about the direction that Nick will bring
to our golf team.

    *I would like to thank the selection committee for all of
their efforts in doing their due diligence for Auburn.*

    Last season, Clinard coached a PING All-America second team
selection who was also named to the Golf Coaches Association of America
National five-man All-Freshman team and garnered Conference USA Golfer
of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors.

    Clinard*s 2008-09 team also featured a pair of first-team
All-Conference USA selections, two second-team All-Conference USA
members and two GCCA All-South Region team picks.

    In 2007-08, Clinard coached two All-Conference USA first-team
selections, the C-USA Newcomer of the Year, four C-USA Players of the
Week and David Johnson, the Florida State Amateur Player of the Year.

    After Clinard inherited a UCF program that was ranked 147th in
July 2001, his 2004 recruiting class was rated as the best in the nation
by Junior Golf Scoreboard. He signed two of the top 16 players
nationally in 2007, the two-time Florida State Junior Champion and the
2006 Florida State Golf Association Player of the Year in 2008 and three
top 50 players nationally in 2009.

    *It is a privilege to be the next head men*s golf coach at
Auburn University,* said Clinard. *Building on Coach (Mike)
Griffin*s legacy is an honor and something I am very excited about.
I welcome all the former players and supporters to become heavily
involved in Auburn Golf as we are going to compete and win championships
with quality student-athletes.

    *I appreciate Mr. Jacobs* trust in me to lead Auburn Men*s
Golf in the future and anxiously look forward to the opportunity.*

    In the Knights* four years in C-USA, UCF men*s golfers were
named to the league*s academic honor roll on 33 occasions.

    Clinard won Atlantic Sun Conference Coach of the Year honors as
his UCF team won the 2004 A-Sun Conference Championship. A pair of
Knights won back-to-back medalist honors at the A-Sun Conference
Championship with Stefan Wistorf in 2003 and Barry Roof in 2004.

    Clinard played professional golf for five seasons from 1996-2001
on the NGA Hooters Tour as well as several Nike Tour and Canadian Tour
events prior to becoming head coach of UCF.

    He was also the assistant tournament director of the Jim McLean
Future Collegians World Tour from 1998-2001 and worked as an assistant
golf professional at the Hank Haney Golf Ranch in McKinney, Texas, from
1997-2000.

    The Gastonia, N.C., native graduated from Wake Forest University
in 1995 with a Bachelor*s degree in speech communication. He played
one year of collegiate golf at SMU before playing his final three years
at Wake Forest from 1992-95, where the Demon Deacons were ranked in the
top 10 in the nation all three seasons.

    Clinard is married to the former Susan Roberts, and they have
two daughters, Chloe and Peyton.

2009 Previews: Kansas

We go to Kansas for preview No. 5. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

You know how the big question about the Big XII has been whether the offenses are really that good or the defenses are really that bad?

There is no better example of this dilemma than Kansas.

The Jayhawks had a dynamite offense and a horrible defense in 2008, and things don’t look to change much in 2009.

Back is super accurate/kinda short quarterback Todd Reesing, who already holds pretty much all the school passing records. He also has two 1,000-yard receivers back in Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier. Not to mention 800-yard back Jake Sharp.

The offensive line did lose three starters however, so the going could be rough once conference play hits.

Defensively, eight starters are back. But those eight starters were on a unit that ranked 82nd in scoring defense, 89th in total defense and 114th in passing defense.

Head coach Mark Mangino claims the passing defense will be better due to an experienced secondary that includes safety Darrell Stuckey and alleges there will be an improved pass rush. That’s possible.

But it’s going to be tough for the defensive line to pin its ears back and go when the entire linebacking corps is new.

The Jayhawks will be a better team than they were last year, but the conference schedule is pretty tough so the record might wind up about the same.

Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 5: Northern Colorado
Just remember, if President Obama ever names me college football czar games like this won’t happen.

Sept. 12: at UTEP
There should be a lot of points in this one.

Sept. 19: Duke
Too bad this one isn’t basketball.

Sept. 26: Southern Miss
Even with a new coach and a new look, you never sleep on the Golden Eagles.

Oct. 10: Iowa State
Paul Rhoads really walked into a mess.

Oct. 17: at Colorado
Big-time measuring stick game for both teams.

Oct. 24: Oklahoma
Kansas will score some points on the Sooners. The Sooners will score more.

Oct. 31: at Texas Tech
The Red Raiders are kind of a mystery, but Mike Leach has just plugged in a new quarterback every time.

Nov. 7: at Kansas State
Now that the Wildcats have a competent coach again they might be dangerous.

Nov. 14: Nebraska
Having the Huskers at home gives the Jayhawks a chance here.

Nov. 21: at Texas
No chance.

Nov. 28: vs. Missouri (at Kansas City, Mo.)
No Chase Daniel and Jeremy Maclin means Missouri probably takes a step back.

So there you have it. I don’t see the Jayhawks doing better than 9-3. Probably 8-4 is the best guess.

2009 Previews: Pittsburgh

Break out your best stache as we head to Pittsburgh for Preview No. 4. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

Is there a situation even Dave Wannstedt can’t screw up?

If there is one, this year would appear to be it.

As long as his Panthers can find someone to run the ball in place of the departed LeSean McCoy, they should be well set for another bowl berth and maybe even a conference title.

The offense is a problem, with not exactly great quarterback Bill Stull back for his senior season. Three linemen are back, but the skill guys are almost all new, or at least not starters.

Defensively, however, Pitt should be pretty good.

The defensive line returns virtually intact, including defensive ends Greg Romeus and Jabaal Sheard, who combined for 13 sacks last season. The secondary, which allowed just 193 yards passing per game, also returns three of four starters.

The Panthers are also bringing in all new specialists at every position, which could be a recipe for disaster when you remember that Wannstache is involved.

All in all, this team is pretty bland and uninteresting. But, luckily for them, they’re in a bland and uninteresting conference, and thus should compete. Their biggest problem will be two tough road trips in the conference.

Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 5: Youngstown State
Yawn

Sept. 12: at Buffalo
Definitely has the potential to be dangerous given the coaching mismatch, but the Panthers are a lot more talented.

Sept. 19: Navy
Another dangerous game when you have Wannstache calling the shots.

Sept. 26: at N.C. State
The Wolfpack are supposed to be pretty good this year. The jury’s still out on that one, but I kind of doubt Pitt wins a game like this on the road.

Oct. 2: at Louisville
Weird things seem to happen when ESPN puts Louisville on TV on weird days.

Oct. 10: Connecticut
The Huskies are going to have a pretty tough road this year.

Oct. 16: at Rutgers
This could be your Big East championship game. I know, I’m not pumped, either.

Oct. 24: South Florida
But the Bulls may just be lurking out there ready to take the crown.

Nov. 7: Syracuse
They’re still really, really awful. It can’t be overstated.

Nov. 14: Notre Dame
This is a definite toss-up.

Nov. 27: at West Virginia
The Backyard Brawl is renewed and there really is no telling how it might go.

Dec. 5: Cincinnati
The Bearcats should come down just a bit from last season’s conference title, but they’re definitely still dangerous.

When you consider A) how unpredictable the Big East is this year (even moreso than normal, actually, as best as I can tell) and B) how unpredictable Wannstache teams are, this team could finish 3-9 or 11-1 and I wouldn’t be all that surprised either way. Best bet is somewhere between 7-5 and 9-3. Probably 8-4.

2009 Previews: Indiana

Our third preview takes us to one of those places you hear about where they like basketball more than football, Indiana. Previews of all 65 BCS conference schools, plus Notre Dame and state schools, in no particular order, will run daily through Aug. 22.

A few years back, Terry Hoeppner appeared to have Indiana on the right track.

They were more competitive in his first year, then should have made a bowl but blew a couple of winnable games in his second. Then, sadly, he passed away of cancer just before the 2007 season. The Hoosiers, playing for their coach, made their first bowl game since 1993.

Then, last year, the wheels came off.

Stud quarterback Kellen Lewis was injured much of the year, leaving the job to Ben Chappell, who is not good. The Hoosiers finished 3-9, and then this spring Lewis was kicked off the team.

This year, coach Bill Lynch plans to turn to more of a pass-oriented offense, which is allegedly Chappell’s specialty. We’ll see.

The Hoosiers’ offense wasn’t particularly good in any area last year (in fact, it was pretty bad everywhere) and they’re replacing most of their skill position spots.

Four of five starters from the offensive line return, so they could conceivably do a decent job protecting Chappell.

The defense, however, is a problem.

Last season Indiana allowed 35 points per game and 432 yards per game. Those aren’t good numbers.

And seven starters are back from that travesty.

Senior defensive ends Greg Middleton and Jammie Kirlew should give the Hoosiers a strong pass rush, and the linebacking corps promises to be a strength.

Talk is the Hoosiers have recruited better in recent years, with facilities upgrades and all the other pointless stuff coaches say you need to recruit. They aren’t necessarily a terrible team, but I really can’t see them winning a Big 10 game.

Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 3: Eastern Kentucky
Well here’s a win.

Sept. 12: Western Michigan
Should be another one.

Sept. 19: at Akron
Winning on the road here won’t be easy for Indiana, but they should. And here is where the party ends.

Sept. 26: at Michigan
Michigan isn’t quite Michigan these days, but I don’t see the Hoosiers winning in Ann Arbor.

Oct. 3: Ohio State
The Buckeyes are going to be strong this year, but even in a down year they’d have enough for a win here.

Oct. 10: at Virginia
This is an interesting one. The Cavaliers may very well be bad enough for Indiana to steal a win, but it’s not likely on the road.

Oct. 17: Illinois
The Fightin’ Zooks should be better than last year. Although they’re definitely susceptible to a loss in a situation like that. Because, remember, they’re coached by Ron Zook.

Oct. 24: at Northwestern
The Wildcats are pretty far from the most talented team in the Big Ten. They’re probably pretty equal with the Hoosiers. But I like Pat Fitzgerald.

Oct. 31: at Iowa
Bad things will happen here.

Nov. 7: Wisconsin
Here’s a hint when it comes to the Badgers: Da ship be sinkin. Definite upset potential here.

Nov. 14: at Penn State
Really, really ugly.

Nov. 21: Purdue
The battle for the oaken bucket (I think that’s the one) should be an interesting battle of bottom-feeders.

So there you go. If things go really poorly, IU could be as bad as 2-10 (maybe even worse). I don’t really see a scenario of them going better than 5-7. My best bet would be for them to go 4-8, getting upset by one of their MAC foes and stealing a conference win or two.

What hit the cutting room floor in our chat with Jeff Grimes

Even when it appears that we just copy and pasted the transcript of one of our interviews, we come back at you with even more material.

The blog is inquisitive. We ask questions until the coach starts looking at his watch. Then we ask a couple more.

So, we chatted with one of our favorite assistant coaches for today’s paper, offensive line coach Jeff Grimes. You can read what we fit in our shrinking newshole here.

Here’s more. Enjoy.

How’s the summer been?
It doesn’t really feel like summer yet because it’s been such a busy time. Recruiting nowadays is such a beast that you’re just always recruiting. We’re working extremely hard at recruiting and I think we’re making a lot of progress there. Still a long way to before Signing Day.

You talked in our newspaper story about being an avid Facebooker. Tell us a story about that.
There’s a kid I tried to get a hold of his coach and I couldn’t get a hold of him. I’m trying to think ‘OK, how do I reach this kid? I haven’t talked to him. Let’s see if he’s on Facebook.‘ I look him up and sure enough, there he is. I Facebook him and he Facebooks me right back this morning. It’s just so much easier than it was before you could do that.

But technology only gets you so far, right?
I think it’s all about communication. Recruiting is about relationships, more than anything else. If you can build relationships with kids, then you have a chance to sign them. I think whatever method you use to choose to build relationships, you can make it work from any angle. There are some coaches that probably don’t want to mess with Facebook. If they can manage to get that kid on the phone often enough then they might not need to. There might be some coaches that might be old school about writing letters and they may sit down and write the best letter you can imagine every morning. And if they can make a difference on that kid because of the time they took to do that, great. What I will say, kids, nowadays, are so oriented to respond to their form of communication. I think with certain kids it just probably does good to draw their attention and they like to be able to have an interactive two-way communication, other than on the phone.

You don’t yell much. But you’ve got an interesting story from the spring, right?
I remember getting on one kid really really hard this spring. I mean, I made him cry. But the next day he came up to me and gave me a hug and he felt a whole lot better about what he did. He said ‘Thanks for the kick in the pants, coach. That’s exactly what I needed.‘ And so what I try to do is find out exactly what the kid needs to motivate them.

The best coach I ever played for was Andy Reid. He was my O-line coach two years in college. He could get on us and he could ride us, but I knew he cared about me. I try to be both. I’ve had coaches that never screamed and yelled, and they didn’t quite have the same level of impact on me. I had some that all they did was scream and yell and they had no impact on me, because I quit hearing it. After a while, you just tune it out. If that’s all you hear, it has no desired effect. If you save it for the times you really want to mean something and you want to get their attention, then it’s got some power behind it.

Does your plan on going easy on your few linemen this spring conflict with trying to install Gus Malzahn’s offense?
You have to make a choice about what’s more important to you. I worked at BYU with Bronco Mendenhall when he was the defensive coordinator and for him after he became the head coach. Normally, you spend a lot of time teaching technique and your scheme and assingments, and that sort of thing connects to the importance of progression, and last comes the teaching of the finish of the play, and the effort level, and the toughness and all those things.

At BYU, we took the opposite approach. No. 1 the most important thing we need to do is teach these kids how to play hard and physical. That’s most important because once they learn how to work hard, the other stuff will come faster. So I’ve taken the same approach. Does it set us back a little bit in terms of installing new schemes? Yeah, probably a little bit. But, you get that along the way, so that came next. And then the technique thing is the thing that the players are getting some on their own this summer and then we got a month of fall camp before we get to our first game.

(Photo credit: Todd Van Emst)