SZVETITZ COLUMN: Chizik knows how important his staff really is

There’s no reason to doubt Gene Chizik when he says, “It’s not about me.”

He’s right.

He’s right when he said it about the success his football team had in his first season on the Plains.

And he’s right when he said it about the recent raises and contract extensions he and his staff received two weeks ago.

Gene Chizik says he’s not about the money. And, again, I wouldn’t doubt it.

Sure, $2.1 million a year is way more than most people make (in a lifetime), but, compared to some of the top coaches in the country — and a few in his conference — it’s peanuts. Really, really nice peanuts.

Chizik’s just happy to be here. And no, that’s not a slight at him or his past record as a head coach. He’s told anyone who will listen how fortunate he is to be at a place like Auburn. A place he calls home.

So, when he says, “It’s not about me,” there is a lot of truth to that.

But you know who it is about?

His staff.

Well, first, his team. He obviously wants his team to be successful, compete and win as much as possible. That’s a given.

Knowing that, aside from the players on the field and their record at the end of the season, Chizik is about his staff. About putting the best possible stable of assistants and recruiters together for as long as possible.

And that’s what he’s been about since Day 1 at Auburn.

He understands the value of having a talented staff. A staff that can coach on the field and close with recruits. A staff that can win everywhere.

That’s what it’s about for Chizik. Heck, that’s what it’s about for head coaches across the country. Or at least the ones who want to compete in the national spotlight year after year.

Why?

Because when you have a good staff, you get even better talent. And when you get even better talent, you win ballgames. A lot more than you’ll lose.

Just look around.

Coaches bring in players. Players win games. The more you can keep the best coaches around the best players, the better things are going to turn out.

It’s simple.

And to keep good coaches, you’ve got to pay them. That’s really simple.

And Auburn obliged.

The salary for Auburn assistants jumped significantly after Year 1. In their first season, the assistants were making a combined total of $2.56 million. Today, they combine for close to $3 million, with offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn getting the biggest bump — a 43 percent raise to
$500,000 per year.

“The administration has been phenomenal for me,” Chizik said. “It was really important that there was a vote of confidence there in our administration that they see and understand the importance in the continuity of our coaching staff.

“Of course, we’ve only been here one year, but when you have very talented guys as assistant coaches there’s going to be a lot of people that are interested in hiring them. It was very important and huge administratively that we made that step forward to say, ‘Hey look, we want to be proactive on the front end of trying to keep everything intact.’

“Really important to our coaches and what that means to our coaches, but also don’t forget the huge impact that has on your players when they don’t have to change coaches. I think that’s big.”

He’s right.

Recruits get attached to the coaches who recruit them. Keeping those relationships intact is vital.

“The guys we had recruiting a (recruit) a year ago is the same guy we had recruiting him on Feb. 2 before signing day,” Chizik said of his staff which was the only one in the SEC to stay completely intact. “I think that’s a huge impact. Anytime you don’t have change, that’s a big deal.
That just ties into the huge impact all the way around of not having any changes in your staff. That’s a huge deal — including recruiting.”

It’s how you get more than one top-5 recruiting class. It’s how you compete year after year.

It’s how you put your stamp on a program, which you are trying to take to the next level.

Chizik can’t do it by himself. Remember, it’s not about him. And he knows it.

MIKE SZVETITZ is sports editor of the Opelika-Auburn News. He may be reached at mszvetitz@oanow.com or 737-2513.

Tags: auburn BCS College future Gene Chizik gus malzahn SEC Tigers Western Divison