Bo Nix reacts to Gus Malzahn's dismissal at Auburn
Bo Nix never had a bigger fan than Gus Malzahn.
The two have been connected at the hip since Nix started as his first season on The Plains back in 2019. If you remember the offseason before Nix was named Auburn’s starter during 2019’s training camp, the Tigers had some options under center in upperclassman Malik Willis and former high school All-American Joey Gatewood.
After competing with Nix, both signal-callers eventually departed Malzahn’s program.
Willis is currently thriving for Hugh Freeze at Liberty while Gatewood plays for Mark Stoops at Kentucky.
Considering the hype surrounding Nix coming out of high school and his sensational debut, which included a game-winning pass against Oregon in his first career start, the lack of progress from Auburn’s quarterback in 2020 likely played a part in Malzahn’s firing on The Plains this weekend.
Either way, it’s clear the two have a very tight bond and Auburn’s quarterback has to be disappointed to see his coach leave the program.
Following the news, Nix issued the following statement on Auburn’s decision:
“Coach Malzahn, thank you for believing in your players and giving all of us a chance to live out our goals and dreams. You are a great representation of an Auburn man, and it was an honor to play under your leadership! The Lord has used you to influence the lives of so many, and your relationship with him has been on full display. Thank you for your investment in me, this program, and Auburn University.”
Here is Nix’s Instagram post following Malzahn’s dismissal at Auburn:
View this post on Instagram
I know the players really loved Gus, but I’m sure some could be quite happy if the right hire is made. The development at QB and WR could only get better.
Well said once again Weagle99. If we will take the time to hire the right guy. ( I’m a Stoops backer) then the players will be better coached all around. This will hopefully bring the fans back into it and give us all hope for next season. I know a lot of players are reacting out of emotion right now but let’s face it. Our program was a sinking ship. We had to do something. We were risking losing the future of the program. Still might have if we make another bone headed hire. Don’t really want another Sabin lackey either. I say get Stoops and let him hire who he wants and the boosters need to leave him good and well alone to let him do his thang!
You think Stoops wants to be in the SEC? Not sure about that, but it would be a solid hire.
I don’t really want Stoops if I’m honest. He never had a defense and almost always finished lower than their preseason rankings, especially late in his career. The most obvious choice is Hugh Freeze, but I don’t know if Auburn wants the NCAA breathing down their necks over the football coach like they already are over our basketball coach.
I don’t want someone with an extensive history of coaching under Saban, either. My only exception would be Lane Kiffin, because he’s different enough from Saban and spontaneous enough that Saban won’t be able to always know what he’s thinking like he does with his other former assistants. Kevin Steele wouldn’t be an awful hire, but his record as HC at Baylor is also a concern. The last people I want considered though are Sark or Cristobal. They’re way too close to Saban, and Cristobal hasn’t even shown he can consistently win in the PAC 12.
If you mean Bob you have lost your mind that he would even come to AU. If you are talking Mark then that would be a great hire in my opinion, if he would come. Btw Steele, and everyone mentioned as a replacement is a Saban “lackey” except Freeze.
Steele would just be the guy I’d go to if none of the other candidates take the job. And the only reason I’d consider Kiffin is that he’s independent enough that he’s not gonna try to run a program in a similar way to Saban, which is where most of his former assistants go wrong. You won’t beat Saban by trying to run a program the way he does. Mark Stoops is a good coach, but Idk that he’s better than Malzahn. We can’t pay $21 million to fire a coach and not be 100% certain the next guy won’t be better.
Then you better not go with Steele. He is 62 years old, and had 1 head coaching job. He was at Baylor before they went BIG12, I think. His record was 9-36 in four seasons. Why in the world would you fire a coach that was a guaranteed 7-8 wins a season based on 8 years on the job, for a coach that averaged about 2? That would be the height of foolishness.
Since Tommy Tubberville, Auburn has paid more than 35 million dollars in buyouts to get rid of coaches.
Putting that Shelton State education to use. Can you count how many Dodge Challengers Saban bought? How many bama kickers had death threats? How many trees y’all poisoned?
It never changes. You got a problem, blame Saban. You finally get rid of Gus and somehow Saban is your point of attack.
Gus probably has a sly smile on his face…He received 50% of that buyout in 30 days…$10.5 Million plus or minus a buck or two.
So much impotent rage here.
Yeah, but Auburn has never had a coach to leave them for Kentucky, or hires a coach that has to be fired prior to ever coaching a game, or hire a coach whose wife says “I will never live in Tuscaloosa”. Auburn also has never had the AD stalk a man until he agrees to take the job, but that one did pay off for UAT.
“Lack of progress” in 2020 with Nix. An argument, a good one, can be made about coaching, the schemes and as often heard in college football, trying to force the QB to adapt to a system rather than take advantage of the QB talents you saw while recruiting him. Still, its unusual to see a coach fired with a pretty good winning record. Malzahn will take his 21.5 mil and land somewhere else if he wants to. But I suggest you leave Morris to HIS Arkansas millions and his own path.
Nah they should promote Chad.
Please don’t scare me with that thought.
Gus seems genuine and good man. I give him credit for being overall winner. But fan base is hard to please like Tennessee. Both are quick triggers hoping for immediate fix. Give next guy a chance.
I actually agree. I thought he’d get another year since this year was an odd year for everyone. If he failed to beat Alabama at home next year, then yeah, it was time for a change. His tenure was doomed after he made the National Championship Game in his first year. Expectations only go up after your first year, and expecting that every year was always going to be unrealistic. I appreciate that our fans want to be great, because we have the potential to be great every year given the right circumstances, but the reality is those circumstances don’t exist with both Alabama and Georgia being as good as they are right now. Once one or both of them fall off again, then our window for continued excellence will open back up, but for now, our fans just need to realize that every year isn’t going to be an SEC Championship type of season. Making a run at it every 3 years is about as good as we should realistically expect right now, with 9 or 10 win seasons the rest of the time.
8 years is not have a quick trigger. Which of the top schools in the SEC would accept his mediocre longer than Auburn did? LSU, UT, UGA, UF, Bama, even A&M…all would have shown him the door by this point.
They keep talking about how Ark. would be happy at .500 yet they fired Bret Bielema, who took over a dumpster fire for losing 4 more games than he won. His first year was 3-9 followed by 3 winning seasons, then another losing season. Yet AU should have given Gus more time.
You got me there. Georgia gave Ray Goff 7 years ,Donnan 5, Richt 15. Kirby now 5 and hasn’t gotten us over hump. He won’t last either if he can’t deliver.
You have to look at it like who are you going to get to win you a title that has done any more than Kirby. I feel like until Saben is gone. In UGA’s case. The year we Won the SEC we still ended up playing Bama in the playoffs and losing. You might get Saben from time to time, but your not going to beat him twice in the same year.
The thing is that Richt and Smart are contending for Divisional and conference titles. Smart played for a Natty. In the last 7 years Gus shared one divisional title and still lost 4 games that year. AU does not expect to win one every year, but they want, and should be in the running most years and win one occasionally.
So you do not think 8 years, and 7 straight years of 4 or more losses is enough time?
See my post above
Bo and his father were seriously considering transferring so that Bo could get some development for the NFL.
That’s sad.
That was one of the factors. Gus’ development and refusal to upgrade his offense, thus losing more was starting to hurt recruiting. Losing a legacy because he had to go to get developed would have destroyed Gus’s ability to recruit.