Arkansas State hires Gus Malzahn

[KoldBeer]

Several reports are out that Auburn OC Gus Malzhan has taken the head coaching job at Arkansas St. Bowen is probably having nightmares tonight

[Harry]

Huge hire. Good for Arkansas State!

[Mean Green Matt]

His only head coaching experience is at the high school level...

[oldguystudent]

His only head coaching experience is at the high school level...

That always works out well! I'd like to point out that Southlake Carroll is once again in the state championship game with an entirely new genius level coaching staff.

[cl_1_2008]

Hell of a hire no matter how you slice it. Impressive!

[All About UNT]

$850,000 a year......sheesh

[Harry]

Feeling bad for Coach Chico.

[All About UNT]

Feeling bad for Coach Chico.

Don't.....he will still have his chance. From Ark St.'s perspective they had to hire a "name". They recently were mentioned all over the sports newscasts due to the success of Freeze and now they are keeping the ball rolling by bringing in a guy they can't possibly pay for. At 850k a year that is what... around a 300% increase in Coaching Salary? Rather impressive for a school with a 30 Million dollar endowment. Alas...from Ark. State's perspective they felt dissed by Hugh and wanted to show everyone that they were a "player" so they went for a name. A name that couldn't land a job at Houston, Texas A&M, Kansas and so on. Is this a splash hire and ultimately good for the Belt? Yes. However... history may well prove that it was as big of a slam dunk as FIU bringing Isiah Thomas into the fold.

[Mean Green 93-98]

Huge hire is right. Flat out unbelievable.

http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2011/12/gus_malzahn_leaving_auburn_to.html

[UNTLifer]

Potentially, and I stress potentially, great hire, but how do they afford decent assistants and decent program support after paying that amount for Malzahn? I've heard he has an ego that can be tough to take at times. Can't wait to whip their hind ends.

[All About UNT]

Potentially, and I stress potentially, great hire, but how do they afford decent assistants and decent program support after paying that amount for Malzahn? I've heard he has an ego that can be tough to take at times. Can't wait to whip their hind ends.

Gotta find a way to beat this guy first (btw...is that Andre the Giant on the right?)

[GrandGreen]

I don't understand this hire at all. Yes, they will make headlines; but he is the OC at Auburn who lucked or paid for a great QB. If that salary is correct they are taking a heck of a chance by paying that amount to a hc which is far from a sure thing. Frankly, I would take McCarney over this hire.

It does give the Belt a little higher profile, I hope ASU hasn't risked everything on this hire. ASU even with a great record had only mediocre attendance last year, and I don't see Malzahn changing that.

[H-towngreen]

Great hire for ASU

[untbowler]

I don't understand this hire at all. Yes, they will make headlines; but he is the OC at Auburn who lucked or paid for a great QB. If that salary is correct they are taking a heck of a chance by paying that amount to a hc which is far from a sure thing. Frankly, I would take McCarney over this hire.

It does give the Belt a little higher profile, I hope ASU hasn't risked everything on this hire. ASU even with a great record had only mediocre attendance last year, and I don't see Malzahn changing that.

Malzhan is very popular in ARkansas from his HS Coaching Days and then his days at UA before Nutt ran him off, he did very well at Tulsa as well prior to Auburn, so this is a big time hire, especially in Arkansas

[All About UNT]

I do not post this to be offending to Gus or Arkansas State fans but let's just say that I will take Margie over this whack job any day of the week. This just made waves 4 days ago.

Link to Kristy Malzahn's crazy rant

[eulessismore]

Several reports are out that Auburn OC Gus Malzhan has taken the head coaching job at Arkansas St. Bowen is probably having nightmares tonight

I'll grant that it is a hire that looks very good. I'm still not putting Arkie State down as a sure loss next year, mainly because of (1.) the difference between being a coordinator vs a head coach at the FBS level, and (2.) the letdown at Auburn after Cam Newton left. If you look at some of the games Auburn did win while putting a 7-5 overall record, a couple of them don't look that impressive; a close win over an admittedly improved but still middling Utah State, beating FAU by a couple more points than we did, plus a late season win over FCS Samford. I will give them respect for getting into the end zone twice against Alabama but I still think a little better coaching would have gotten us there once. Will he hire defensive assistants who will do better than Auburn did this year? They gave up 42 against Bama compared to our 41.

I think our key to playing Arkansas State competitively next year and the year after that is keeping our starting quarterback (hopefully still DT) vertical, and getting some holes for our running backs. That's something we haven't done well against them recently, but I really think we'll have a better offensive line in 2012, with the game experience acquired by this year's freshmen, and those who are new recruits or becoming eligible next year.

I'm sure Canales is disappointed, but I hope he's motivated to show them they hired the wrong guy when we play them next year. Still, I hope it works out for ASU, except for one game a year, but wonder how this is going to work as far as assistant salaries in what had been the most underpaid program in the Sun Belt. I guess they showed this year you don't have to have the highest paid head coach in the Conference. Time for us to prove it next year.

And yes, go Mean Green Defense.

Edited December 14, 2011 by eulessismore

[Harry]

Say what you want but God Bless Chico. Who would have ever thought Gus would pass on 15 million from Vandy to take the Ark State job...

I am going to say it... I like Gus, he is unique and I like guys that go against the grain. Gus is an offensive genius. Say what you want about the Sun Belt but we have some damn good coaches in this league.

[UNT90]

I do not post this to be offending to Gus or Arkansas State fans but let's just say that I will take Margie over this whack job any day of the week. This just made waves 4 days ago.

Link to Kristy Malzahn's crazy rant

Jeez, I'd stay at work till 1AM also if I had to come home to that annoying, possibly drunk woman.

[Mean Green Matt]

I'm still not putting Arkie State down as a sure loss next year

Never, in any universe, under any circumstance...ever should a game against a sun belt team be considered a sure loss. They can come to Apogee next year and go home bruised up with a big fat "L". I like the $$$ committment they have shown, but this is far from a sure thing slam dunk hire.

[NorthTexan95]

I do not post this to be offending to Gus or Arkansas State fans but let's just say that I will take Margie over this whack job any day of the week. This just made waves 4 days ago.

Link to Kristy Malzahn's crazy rant

She's a lot of fun! She may have a reality TV show in her future.

I think this is a great hire ... for the Sun Belt. Raising the standards of coaches will only help the Belt succeed.

[eulessismore]

Say what you want but God Bless Chico. Who would have ever thought Gus would pass on 15 million from Vandy to take the Ark State job...

I am going to say it... I like Gus, he is unique and I like guys that go against the grain. Gus is an offensive genius. Say what you want about the Sun Belt but we have some damn good coaches in this league.

Yes, I also feel for Chico; I love the way he got the players motivated when he took over as interim. I'm just not sure Arkansas State would have really been the place for him, and I'm sure he will still have other shots at being an FBS head coach. The problem that he, and North Texas overall last year, was that we had trouble coming up with a consistently good offense. Losing Dunbar hurts, but we may have a more balanced offense next year, with the new and returning receivers, as well as what looks like a very good crop of running backs.

And yes, Malzahn is good, and his offense made us look bad when he was at Tulsa. We STILL haven't solved Tulsa, but I am saying that we can put together a team that can solve Arkansas State next year. The real problem is that they still have Aplin, who should make Gus look good in his first year there. I still like our chances given an improving offensive line.

[Mean Green 93-98]

I do not post this to be offending to Gus or Arkansas State fans but let's just say that I will take Margie over this whack job any day of the week. This just made waves 4 days ago.

Link to Kristy Malzahn's crazy rant

Boy, I feel for that host. He tries to keep a happy face, but has a look on his face the entire time that says, "Please let this interview be done now."

[STE]

Wow.

So last year at this time he's turning down 3 million a year at Vandy and signing a multi-year deal with Auburn for 1.3 million a year. http://www.al.com/sports/index.ssf/2010/12/auburn_offensive_coordinator_g_1.html

Now he gives up 500K a year to take the job at ASU? He must have been under a lot of pressure without Cam Newton.

Not sure how they can afford to pay him 800K a year but that's great if it forces us to do do the same. The reality is that we will need to stay competitive salary wise if we want to win.

[UNTMike81]

Great hire for ASU. This just raises the bar for UNT football. Guess this coach felt coaching in his home State and recruiting against the SEC with his reputation was worth 500,000.00. As far a coach Chino is concerned his phone won't stop ringing because he's once again been passed over. Coach Chino is going to make his next AD look very good once they take a risk and hire him. It's not like UNT hasn't lost a talented coach before. We've lost assistant coaches that were smarter than Todd Dodge. Although TD did pick up a 4 Star QB recruit at Pitt. Not to be out done, Lefty recruited 2 3 Star and one 4 Star recruit for Pitt also.

Go Mean Green!!!

[Aquila_Viridis]

Where did they get that kind of money in Jonesboro???? Talk about upping the ante. They are serious!