Malzahn Has the Magic

By Jeremy Hillman
SouthernPigskin.com

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Malzahn has proven he can generate tons of yards and points.

Most of the articles you’ll read about Auburn this preseason will be about the loss of dynamic players like Cam Newton and Nick Fairley from the defending National Champion’s roster. The stories will be about how many players the Tigers have lost and how much rebuilding needs to be done. For the most part, those stories will be true. Especially on offense, as key starters and big-time play makers are gone from the Tiger’s offensive depth chart.

However, a reality that is flying somewhat under the radar, is that Auburn didn’t let their biggest offensive asset leave town. Arguably more important than Cameron Newton, or any player for that matter, could be the return of Offensive Coordinator Gus Malzahn to the Auburn sideline.

This past December, Gus Malzahn turned down the opportunity to take over as head coach at Vanderbilt. Around the same time, Maryland was rumored to be interested in him as well. Instead, Malzahn decided to stay at Auburn and he was made the highest-paid assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference, more than doubling his salary to $1.3 million annually.

To understand why this is such a big deal for Auburn, you must understand the history of Gus Malzahn. No matter the team or the roster, Malzahn has proven he can generate tons of yards and points:

1992-2005

Malzahn was Head Coach at three Arkansas high schools (Hughes, Shiloh Christian, and Springdale). Of the 14 teams he coached, seven of them ended up in the state championship game. Three of them won the state title.

His knack for developing players also began, as two of his quarterbacks broke national passing records. Including Josh Floyd, who threw for a record 5,787 yards during Shilo Christian’s 1998 State Championship season. Malzahn also tutored 2005 Arkansas Gatorade player of the year Mitch Mustain, and led Springdale High to a State Championship and a top 10 national ranking.

2006

Gus Malzahn was Offensive Coordinator for the Arkansas Razorbacks in 2006. In the one season that he was in Fayetteville, the Razorbacks led the SEC in offensive yards per game and won the SEC Western Division Championship. Arkansas ended the season ranked 2nd in the conference in points per game, averaging 36.5 points per contest. These numbers were without a consistent starting quarterback (the Razorbacks started three different quarterbacks during the 2006 season). For his work, Malzahn was named the 2006 National Offensive Coordinator of the Year by Rivals.

2007-2008

Malzahn then moved into the Offensive Coordinator position at Tulsa and produced big time. In 2007, the Golden Hurricane finished with the top offense in the nation and became the only program in NCAA history to have a 5,000 yard passer, a 1,000 yard rusher and three 1,000 yard receivers in the same season. Malzahn took little known quarterback Paul Smith, who had thrown for only 2,727 yards and 15 touchdowns the season before, and turned him into a 5,000 yard passer with an eye popping 47 touchdowns on the season.

In 2008, Malzahn continued to develop balanced offenses, as Tulsa ranked 5th nationally in rushing yards per game, and 9th in passing yards per game and finished with the #2 total offense in college football (averaging an impressive 570 yards per game). With Paul Smith graduating, Malzahn turned to lightly recruited quarterback David Johnson and developed him into a 4,000 yard passer with 46 touchdowns in just one season.

2009-2010

With his success at Tulsa, many schools took notice and Malzahn eventually landed as the Offensive Coordinator at Auburn, under first year Head Coach Gene Chizik. Turns out Chizik, like Todd Graham at Tulsa before him, made an excellent hire.

Malzahn took over an offense that ranked 110th in the nation in scoring offense in 2008 and turned it into the 17th ranked scoring offense in the country in 2009. Auburn ended up with the 2nd most offensive yards in the SEC in 2009 (a solid 431 offensive yards per game). Malzahn accomplished all of this with a quarterback, Chris Todd, that many said wasn’t an SEC caliber passer. Running Malzahn’s offense, Todd finished the season with the #17 QB rating in the nation, completing over 60% of his passes and throwing for over 200 yards per game.

Last season, things got even better for Malzahn, as he developed eventual Heisman winner Cam Newton and the Auburn offense into the top offense in the SEC (averaging 499 yards per game). The success on offense was a large contributor to Auburn’s undefeated National Championship season. Malzahn went on to earn the prestigious Broyles Award, awarded to the top assistant coach in the nation.

The Present

As Malzahn’s coaching summary shows, he has found much success in the world of football. Whether at the high school level, in a mid-major conference or in the toughest conference in college football, his offenses have produced and his teams have won. Make no mistake that Auburn keeping Gus Malzahn could be the biggest story this off-season, in regards to the Tigers.

However, he does have his work cut out for him in 2011. Malzahn must find an effective starting quarterback, replace four starters on the offensive line and rebuild the receiving corps. To any average Offensive Coordinator, this scenario could spell doom. The good thing for Auburn, is that Malzahn isn’t an average offensive coordinator. His offenses have produced yards and points every season, no matter the situation. Last season was an anomaly for Malzahn, when he had a ton of talent, including all-world Cameron Newton, to work with. In fact, he has plenty of experience producing results with rebuilt offenses and inexperienced talent. In his 6 years as a college Offensive Coordinator, he has coached six different starting quarterbacks. He has yet to have the chance to coach any quarterback for more than one season and yet he has still has been able to put up consistently impressive numbers. Even when he was unsettled on a starting QB at Arkansas in 2006 and at Tulsa in 2008, when he had offensive line issues at Tulsa in 2007, and when he had a myriad of roster issues at Auburn in 2009, he was able to implement offensive schemes that lead to tons of yards and points.

One rather good situation for Malzahn and Auburn is that Auburn returns one of the best running back tandems in the conference. Sophomore Michael Dyer and junior Onterio McCalebb combined for over 1,800 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns last season and are back to lead the Tiger offense in 2011. Added to the mix this season will be huge fullback Ladarious Phillips (6’0 290) to plow running lanes for the big-play backs.

While having strong running backs will help keep the offense moving, trying to find a starting quarterback, rebuilding an offensive line and grooming young wide receivers, can be trouble. However, if history teaches us anything, Gus Malzahn produces with what he has to work with. Ask Josh Floyd, Paul Johnson, David Johnson or Chris Todd if Malzahn needs a Cam Newton to produce points and yards. It was a luxury to have Newton, a very special talent, but Malzahn’s resume shows that he doesn’t have to have a Newton to run a dynamic offense.

I think it’s pretty safe to say that there won’t be a repeat national championship for the Tigers. There may not even be a repeat SEC Western Division title. However, anyone who doubts Malzahn and overlooks Auburn’s offense, may be making a big mistake. This team will win plenty of games, even without a quarterback like Cam Newton. You can not replace a guy like Newton, he is one of kind. However, fans can still expect significant yards and points from the Tiger offense in 2011. Gus Malzahn will make sure of it.