Well Bunker family, I don’t know about you but I’ve reached the point of exhaustion regarding the current state of our Football Program and it’s Head Coach. Alignment or lack there of is a concept that’s been tossed around the Auburnsphere lately, and I thought it would be nice to take a break from the Harsin discussion and instead focus on what is instead the larger issue in my opinion, alignment. For those that are interested, the purpose of this post is to take a 10,000 ft view of Auburn Athletics, where we are and can we find alignment with our number one revenue sport.
Since the days of Pat Dye roaming the sidelines at Jordan Hare and Bobby Lowder’s vision and arm twisting behind the scenes during the 80s and early 90s, Auburn truly hasn’t experienced very much alignment in football with rare moments of sovereignty mixed in during the administrations of Bowden, Tubberville, Chizik, and Malzahn. Fleeting moments of on the field success would give each of us glimmers of hope that our program had transcended, only to unfortunately find chaos just a few years later (thus the term JABA was born). So while we’ve seen what alignment has looked like at Auburn, it’s been a while since we’ve truly had it and now the sphere of influence that is responsible for creating alignment has changed.
In the 80s and 90s it was possible to have one Power Booster who got everyone in line, Bobby Lowder was that guy for us and while he no doubt hindered Auburn Athletics at times, he also made it possible for us to accomplish feats that seemed unimaginable. His demise and subsequent stepping down after the 2003 Jetgate fiasco transitioned power in athletics to office of the President at Auburn University, and it is now that person’s ultimate responsibility to make choices that determine the effectiveness of our revenue sports programs. Unfortunately for Auburn, whether it was Chainsaw Ed Richardson, Dr. Jay Gouge (on two different occasions), or Dr. Steven Leath, none of them were equipped to truly align our administrators, coaches, and boosters in a way that would breed long term success. It is my sincere hope that this is on the prefaces of changing with the selection of Dr. Chris Roberts to be our new President. I’m told President Select Roberts is a man who understands that athletic programs in the Southeastern Conference are the doorstep for advertising and increasing enrollment at each university, and you need to look no further than what Bruce Pearl has done for Auburn to see that’s true. So with a President soon to be in command who values our athletic programs, what must he do to elevate Auburn football from the entangled mess we find ourselves in now.
First and foremost, he must find a way to unite the thinking of our passionate PTB that sometimes believe their way is the best way. These aren’t nefarious people, but successful men and women whose love for Auburn is sometimes blinded by their independent perception of the best solution.
Second he must select an AD that can successfully serve as a firewall between our PTB and coaches, and someone that is savy enough to consensus build with both sides and along with the President guide those people in the direction that best coalesces in long term success, while also handling fundraising and other responsibilities of the job. Is ADAG that man? That’s what Dr. Roberts and only Dr. Roberts must determine. I personally like Allen, I like the way he represents himself and the university. Has he made mistakes? Without question the answer is yes but I think he’s growing into this job in front of our very own eyes. That said, ADAG’s contract is running up soon and does not have a current extension agreement in place, so Dr. Roberts has to make a decision in the very near future and determine if he’s the guy who can help him accomplish this feat. If he decides to move on from ADAG, I’m of the opinion that he should select General Burgess to serve as an interim AD for two years while our new President finds his footing. While the General has no true AD experience, he possesses one very vital tool to that no one from the outside will, he knows the political landscape at Auburn and how to make it work. Knowing the players and which buttons to press while also having PTB trust would be a great asset to have for an incoming President who’s finding his footing with new roles and responsibilities. The interim of two years also gives President Roberts time to also evaluate what Auburn really needs in its next AD, and what skillset blends best with his leadership style.
Lastly, President Roberts, our AD, and the PTB must collectively work together and determine the right man to be our head football coach and lead our Tigers on the field. Whether that’s Harsin or someone else, the fit of the coach with Auburn’s culture the and support of all other parties involved is imperative for ultimate success. It the buy in principle, are we finally tired of being where we are, I know certainly I am, and I’m ready to buy in and throw my support behind someone that’s got championship aspiration and our program’s best interest at heart.
So that’s my take for the day, best wishes to the rest of you throughout your week, and hopefully the post comes to fruition soon!
Since the days of Pat Dye roaming the sidelines at Jordan Hare and Bobby Lowder’s vision and arm twisting behind the scenes during the 80s and early 90s, Auburn truly hasn’t experienced very much alignment in football with rare moments of sovereignty mixed in during the administrations of Bowden, Tubberville, Chizik, and Malzahn. Fleeting moments of on the field success would give each of us glimmers of hope that our program had transcended, only to unfortunately find chaos just a few years later (thus the term JABA was born). So while we’ve seen what alignment has looked like at Auburn, it’s been a while since we’ve truly had it and now the sphere of influence that is responsible for creating alignment has changed.
In the 80s and 90s it was possible to have one Power Booster who got everyone in line, Bobby Lowder was that guy for us and while he no doubt hindered Auburn Athletics at times, he also made it possible for us to accomplish feats that seemed unimaginable. His demise and subsequent stepping down after the 2003 Jetgate fiasco transitioned power in athletics to office of the President at Auburn University, and it is now that person’s ultimate responsibility to make choices that determine the effectiveness of our revenue sports programs. Unfortunately for Auburn, whether it was Chainsaw Ed Richardson, Dr. Jay Gouge (on two different occasions), or Dr. Steven Leath, none of them were equipped to truly align our administrators, coaches, and boosters in a way that would breed long term success. It is my sincere hope that this is on the prefaces of changing with the selection of Dr. Chris Roberts to be our new President. I’m told President Select Roberts is a man who understands that athletic programs in the Southeastern Conference are the doorstep for advertising and increasing enrollment at each university, and you need to look no further than what Bruce Pearl has done for Auburn to see that’s true. So with a President soon to be in command who values our athletic programs, what must he do to elevate Auburn football from the entangled mess we find ourselves in now.
First and foremost, he must find a way to unite the thinking of our passionate PTB that sometimes believe their way is the best way. These aren’t nefarious people, but successful men and women whose love for Auburn is sometimes blinded by their independent perception of the best solution.
Second he must select an AD that can successfully serve as a firewall between our PTB and coaches, and someone that is savy enough to consensus build with both sides and along with the President guide those people in the direction that best coalesces in long term success, while also handling fundraising and other responsibilities of the job. Is ADAG that man? That’s what Dr. Roberts and only Dr. Roberts must determine. I personally like Allen, I like the way he represents himself and the university. Has he made mistakes? Without question the answer is yes but I think he’s growing into this job in front of our very own eyes. That said, ADAG’s contract is running up soon and does not have a current extension agreement in place, so Dr. Roberts has to make a decision in the very near future and determine if he’s the guy who can help him accomplish this feat. If he decides to move on from ADAG, I’m of the opinion that he should select General Burgess to serve as an interim AD for two years while our new President finds his footing. While the General has no true AD experience, he possesses one very vital tool to that no one from the outside will, he knows the political landscape at Auburn and how to make it work. Knowing the players and which buttons to press while also having PTB trust would be a great asset to have for an incoming President who’s finding his footing with new roles and responsibilities. The interim of two years also gives President Roberts time to also evaluate what Auburn really needs in its next AD, and what skillset blends best with his leadership style.
Lastly, President Roberts, our AD, and the PTB must collectively work together and determine the right man to be our head football coach and lead our Tigers on the field. Whether that’s Harsin or someone else, the fit of the coach with Auburn’s culture the and support of all other parties involved is imperative for ultimate success. It the buy in principle, are we finally tired of being where we are, I know certainly I am, and I’m ready to buy in and throw my support behind someone that’s got championship aspiration and our program’s best interest at heart.
So that’s my take for the day, best wishes to the rest of you throughout your week, and hopefully the post comes to fruition soon!
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