Chizik returns to Auburn

Gene Chizik, the winner of five games over two seasons at Iowa State, will take over as head coach at Auburn, where a freshly finished five-win season was viewed as a reason to re-evaluate and rejuvenate a program at a crossroads.

A press conference will be held at 1 p.m. Monday to announce Chizik as the Tigers’ 26th head coach and the successor to 10-year coach Tommy Tuberville. The press conference will be closed to the public.

“I know that we have found the right fit for Auburn,“ Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said in a university release. “Gene’s body of work during his 23 years in this profession is remarkable. He has a strong knowledge of this athletics program, this university and the community, and he knows how to be successful in the Southeastern Conference.

“He is a high-energy coach that is an outstanding motivator and demands a tough, physical style of football. I’m confident that Gene can build upon the foundation that has been established and make this a program that competes for championships on a consistent basis.”

President Dr. Jay Gogue, through a university spokesperson, referred all comments about the hire to the athletic department.

“Through my travels in coaching over the last 23 years, there’s one place that I’ve always wanted to return to and that is Auburn,” Chizik said. “The tradition of the Auburn football program combined with the passionate fans and their love for Auburn are second to none. My family and I are Auburn through and through, and look forward to being part of the Auburn family and community.”

The deal was finalized late Saturday afternoon after Jacobs, Gogue and associate athletic directors Tim Jackson and Mark Richard returned from a trip to Memphis and deplaned at the Robert G. Pitts Auburn airport. The four Auburn officials were greeted by a group of reporters and about 30 primarily upset fans.

Jacobs briefly met with the reporters and sidestepped questions regarding the rumors that Chizik had already been hired. Before exiting to his car, where he was greeted by another vocally upset fan, Jacobs said “we’re just still working through the deal.”

Chizik’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, is based out of Memphis. The buyout in Chizik’s ISU contract is $750,000, according to the Ames (Iowa) Tribune.

Iowa State confirmed the deal hours before Auburn in a released statement from athletic director Jamie Pollard.

“Gene (Chizik) confirmed for me today that he is accepting the head coaching position at Auburn,” Pollard said. “I’m disappointed for our Iowa State fans and student-athletes that he has chosen to leave our program after only two seasons.

“I understand that it (Auburn) is a dream job for him, but the timing and the way it played out has been hurtful and disappointing. Although this is a significant set back, we will get through the challenge because the Iowa State University athletics program is far greater than one person.“

The Ames Tribune, citing anonymous sources, reported that Cyclones players were “irate” about Chizik’s departure.

Chizik, 46, began his coaching career in 1990 as a defensive ends coach at Middle Tennessee State before eventually landing at Auburn from 2002-04 as the team’s defensive coordinator and secondary coach.

Auburn’s defense under Chizik ranked fifth in the nation in total defense in both 2003 and 2004. The unit was first overall in scoring defense in 2004, when the Tigers went 13-0. Chizik won the Broyles Award, which is given each year to the top assistant coach in the nation, following the 2004 regular season.

“Coach Chizik was like a dad to me,” said former Auburn cornerback Carlos Rogers, who won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2004, in the university’s release. “From a player and student point of view he’s exactly what Auburn needs in a head coach.”

Chizik moved on to Texas after Auburn’s undefeated but unrewarded season, where he spent two seasons as a co-defensive coordinator. Texas won the national championship in 2005 after an undefeated season.

Chizik landed his first head coaching job in 2007, taking over a struggling program at Iowa State, which remained stagnant as the bulk of its competitors in the Big 12 rose to national prominence with flashy offenses. 

Chizik went 5-19 overall, including a 2-10 2008 campaign. Iowa State went 0-8 against the Big 12 this season, even without having to face No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Texas and No. 8 Texas Tech. The Cyclones’ only wins came against South Dakota State and Kent State, while losing their last 10 games.

Chizik did not win one road game at Iowa State.

Iowa State’s defense ranked 111th this season. Chizik recently fired two assistants and demoted his offensive and defensive coordinator.

Chizik’s poor performance at Iowa State has not sat well with the majority of Auburn fans on Internet message boards and on talk radio.

About 30 fans gathered at the airport, many of which heckled the four men as they deplaned. One man stepped ahead of the reporters and booed loudly, waving his arms up and down with his thumbs pointed downward. He continued to do so during Jacobs’ 33-second interview.

Chizik’s name emerged late in Auburn’s 10-day coaching search. He interviewed for the position Thursday, the same day athletic director Jay Jacobs and his team of advisors visited with Texas Christian coach Gary Patterson.

Buffalo’s Turner Gill, Ball State’s Brady Hoke, Tulsa’s Todd Graham, Louisiana Tech’s Derek Dooley, Patterson, Georgia assistant Rodney Garner and Miami offensive coordinator Patrick Nix all reportedly interviewed with Auburn.

“I am dedicated to working tirelessly to win championships,” Chizik said. “We will not be outworked in any facet of the building process. I’m excited to get on the recruiting trail, meeting with the current players and reconnecting with past players.  We want to develop young men into champions not only on the playing field, but in the classroom and in the community.”

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