I’m elated that we have our guy (back) at Rutgers in Schiano, but if we didn’t get Schiano I was big on Gus Malzahn.
Let’s be honest, Malzahn was the reason Auburn won the NC in 2010. Gene Chizik was the technical HC, but he didn’t do anything since and was never a head coach again as he’s been out of football since 2016 (coordinator at UNC). Unheard of for a NC-winning coach to never get a HC job again and to be out of football before his 55th birthday.
Malzahn would have had his own NC in 2014 but for the late game heroics of Jameis Winston in his Heismann-winning season, but he handled Winston for the first 3 quarters like no one else could that season.
Malzhan had a 66% winning record in the SEC, and a winning record of 59% in the SEC West facing the likes of Alabama and LSU. He was fired from Auburn despite two 10-win seasons in 8 years because he was “only” 3-5 against both Saban and LSU and 2-5 against Georgia. By comparison, Les Miles went 3-7 against Saban and Ed Orgeron thus far is 1-4, both of whom have NC titles.