Gus and Art

[jbcarol]

Gus Malzahn meets with Baylor's Art Briles

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn is not much different, though he keeps such relationships close to his sweater vest when speaking to reporters. For instance, he rarely dives into details about who he shares ideas with in the offseason.

Tuesday night, however, we got our first public glimpse at one of Malzahn's confidants in the coaching business: Baylor coach Art Briles.

Malzahn traveled to Waco, Texas this week to spend time with Briles and talk football, schemes and more. The two were spotted at Baylor's basketball game against No. 2 Kansas on Tuesday night.

Briles and Malzahn's meeting, however, is significant for Auburn fans. The two coaches made a name for themselves in the business with their hurry-up concepts, and with Auburn's offense struggling last season, Malzahn could be using the opportunity in Waco to pick up (and share) a few schemes before the Tigers begin spring practices March 1.

Briles was a guest speaker at Malzahn's coaches clinic in April 2015.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 16h16 hours ago

Gus Malzahn talks about his trip to Baylor, opens up about his inner circle: http://ow.ly/YLlbr 

Gus Malzahn has a small circle of friends he trusts in the coaching business.

They all mostly share one thing in common: they were high school coaches like him once upon a time.

"The high school guys kind of stick together," Malzahn told KRZI-AM in Waco, Texas. "We've got our own little group here and coach Briles is one of our leaders with this movement."

He's one of several coaches Malzahn considers friends in the business, including SMU coach Chad Morris, Arizona State coach Todd Graham and Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze.

Malzahn watched Briles from afar during his coaching days at Shiloh Christian and Springdale High in Arkansas. They discussed ideas back then, too.

"I was very intrigued with the different things that he did and of course I've followed his career everywhere he's been," Malzahn said. "He's one of the best in the country."

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 8h8 hours ago

What did Auburn coaches learn from visit to Baylor? - Gus Malzahn's small circle of friends usually have brains... http://ow.ly/3cWn1H

Gus Malzahn's small circle of friends usually have brainstorming sessions in the offseason.

This year the primary contact was Baylor coach Art Briles, who visited with Malzahn and Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee in Waco, Texas in February. Malzahn and Lashlee have both downplayed the visit when asked about the two-day trip, though it's no less interesting for the men calling plays for an Auburn offense that struggled to score points last season.

"Sometimes it helps you look at yourself from a different angle," Lashlee said. "Sometimes things get in your blind spot and it may not necessarily be, 'Oh, well they do that, so we're going to do that' or, 'I need to go back to thinking this way or that way.' It's just always good to try to stay fresh and talk ball with good people that have success. At the end of the day, you just know that people have been successful for a reason. You do what you believe in and there's no reason to deviate from that."

Briles visited Auburn and spoke at the Tigers' annual coaches clinic in 2015. Malzahn has followed Briles' career since they both were high school coaches in Arkansas and Texas, respectively. They communicate regularly.

"I know they came out here last year and it didn't get as big a deal made out about it," Lashlee said. "But it's always good as coaches to kind of get outside of your box, but in guys that are somewhat like-minded or in the same kind of realm as you. It's not as much you're looking for this or that. Just kind of talk ball, bounce around ideas."

Lashlee pointed to Auburn's success on offense in 2013...

[jbcarol]

 Keith Niebuhr ‏@Keith247Sports 23h23 hours ago

#ArizonaState #SunDevils HC Todd Graham is at #Auburn today. He and Gus Malzahn go back a few years.

[jbcarol]

Brandon Marcello ‏@bmarcello  23m23 minutes ago
Auburn could be a 'perfect fit' for Baylor quarterback commitment

Kellen Mond has a self-described "hard" commitment to Baylor, but he's still interested in Auburn and plans to visit again.

Mond, along with other prospects from IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, visited Auburn Friday. Mond, a four-star prospect and the nation's No. 5 dual-threat quarterback in 2017, was impressed.

"(It's a) spread offense, and coach (Gus) Malzahn is one of the best," Mond told multiple reporters Friday. "I definitely feel like I could run the ball in the offense, throw the ball down the field in the offense so it's definitely a perfect fit."

[jbcarol]

 Tim Cowlishaw ‏@TimCowlishaw 15m15 minutes ago

Just finished a column saying Art Briles' days are numbered. It looks like this column is too late already?

[Sivad]

Birds of a feather.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/739241603768954882

Here are just some of the comments from Baylor's 247Sports message board on the topic.

    - Is there any chance Gus Malzahn might be on the shortlist for possible coaches this December? I know he and Briles are buddies and have shared ideas with each other in the past. He has had success running great spread offenses in the SEC, outside of whiffing on their current QB Jeremy Johnson. And he is on the hot seat like crazy this year. Just a thought. I think it makes sense

    - What has he done at Auburn except win with possibly the best QB in college football history?

    - I'm not impressed...

Personally, I'm not convinced Gus is a better answer than any of the coaches we've mentioned in recent days...Monty, Babers, Herman, Fedora, Morris, etc. Here's what we know about Gus: He was a good OC at Tulsa with a QB he inherited. He was a good OC at Auburn with Cam...who COULDN'T be a good OC with Cam. He did well at Arkansas State as HC for one year with someone else's players. Then, he went to the BCS title game in '13 with Chizik's players, including a QB that transferred from Georgia. He won nine games in '14 with Nick Marshall returning at QB. Now, he has a roster without a decent QB. In other words, he's coordinated offenses with QBs that he's inherited, not evaluated, recruited, developed.

If all others say no, I'd take Gus. But, Gus is a risk because he hasn't proven he can recruit/construct a roster...especially at QB. That bothers me a lot.

    - Just offer him now and bring him here. It's not like that would be inappropriate or unethical in the SEC. I'd love to see the SEC outrage. It would be comical.

    - Not sure if Gus is a legitimate option, but he coordinated a national title team and he took another team within one drive of winning a title. And that team had Nick Marshall at QB so they couldn't really throw it much. He'd be worth strong consideration if he ever showed interest (doubt he wants to leave though)

    The talk shouldn't be a surprise to fans. Malzahn and Briles are good friends, so their meeting is not a surprise.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Carvell_AJC/status/747481311997267968

4-star running back Kam Martin, who was once committed to play for Briles with the Bears, pledged his commitment to Auburn.

According to a report from 247Sports' Keith Niebuhr, Briles gave some assistance to Martin as he made his decision.

"He helped me — I still have a great relationship with him," Martin said, according to Niebuhr. "He just told me Auburn is a great fit for me with Coach Gus Malzahn and his coaching staff.

"He said if I was going to Baylor and he was there, it would be the same type of vibe (as at Auburn). He told me Coach Gus would take care of me. He said with him, it's about the player, about the university. And shoot, he's an offensive guru."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/JasonKingBR/status/751087237123768322

https://twitter.com/max_olson/status/751086354109374464

https://twitter.com/gkketch/status/751088341479624709

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/762779942513942528

[KlubhouseKonnected]

Typically disGUSting.

[jbcarol]

Kate Hairopoulos Verified account
‏@khairopoulos

Former Baylor coach Art Briles at Cowboys camp, talking with Stephen Jones.

Briles said he hopes to get job in Nov./Dec. Asked why Baylor scandal wouldn't keep him from new job: I know who I am. I've always lived my life in a righteous manner.

On what Briles has learned: going to make sure to have policies in place that are protective of everybody, students 1st & foremost

Briles called interim coach Jim Grobe a great guy & called it a "perfect situation" for him to come into.
25 retweets 47 likes

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/MarkBermanFox26/status/765621164865499136

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/Michael_Carvell/status/778781192543928320

Rick Neuheisel predicted on Sirius XM's College Sports Nation that Briles would end up at Auburn next season.

    "I don't think there is a chance they would hire Art Briles," Finebaum said.

Finebaum backed up his statement when he went on to tell how Auburn was looking at possibly hiring Bobby Petrino in the past.

    "They talked to the committee, talked to him (Petrino) for about 10 minutes by phone and wouldn't even allow him to come to campus. That was four years ago they wouldn't get anywhere near Bobby Petrino. I think that makes a pretty compelling case that they wouldn't get anywhere close to Art Briles."

Whether or not Auburn will need a new head coach remains to be seen.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/779928295311892480

Scarblog: It was a different kind of Kick Six. It was a fitting new chapter in the mad, mad, mad, mad world that is Auburn-LSU. It'll give Auburn fans a chance to add a 0:00 T-shirt to go with those that read 0:01.

Auburn didn't score a touchdown all day, and LSU did on the final play, but Auburn won and LSU lost because that last snap came one second too late and that would-be game-winning TD pass didn't count.

Upon one final review, Auburn 18, LSU 13 was official, and Auburn's seven-game home losing streak to Power 5 opponents was history, but despite the temporary euphoria, the future on the Plains is anything but solid or certain.

When Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn confirmed after the celebration that he had turned over the play-calling duties to offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee for the LSU game - more openly than is his way - Malzahn offered this explanation:

"I've been really leaning toward that for two weeks now," he said. "I need to be the head coach, and that's what I'm going to be. I'm going to be the head coach."

If you believe what people close to the program offered as the reason for the change, it may not have been entirely Malzahn's idea. It may have been a powerful suggestion from an activist booster with the potential end game of bringing in Art Briles at the end of the season.

As offensive coordinator. To work with his old friend Malzahn. To keep Malzahn on the job and keep Auburn from having to fire him and pay him that $8.95 million buyout.

If you believe what people with a reason to know shared with me, the motivation behind Malzahn's maneuver may have been strategic in ways that matter far beyond the final score Saturday night...

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/AlexMcDaniel/status/797842262139031557

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/800776156253339648

[jbcarol]

It would be an extremely controversial move for any school, except maybe Auburn to hire Briles after his firing from Baylor

Pepper Hamilton report detailing the extensive covering up of sexual assault allegations against football players makes it seemingly impossible for any institution of higher learning to ever employ Briles again.

Briles and Malzahn are good friends and from only an on-the0field [sic] standpoint, he's an accomplished coach.

[jbcarol]

Brett McMurphy ‏@McMurphyESPN Jan 12

Art Briles will not be considered for Auburn OC job, source told @ESPN. Job is "wide open & (new OC) will run the offense," source said

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/aldotcomSports/status/848162482967457792

"I've been holed up for a couple months, and it's good to be around people who love the game," said Briles, who is 61 years old, and coached high school football in Texas for 21 years before moving to the college game at Texas Tech in 2000.

Briles would not answer questions about Baylor's scandal, citing a non-disclosure agreement he signed with the university. Briles did reflect on his future, however, and said he wants to coach for 10 more years, and that he's "not really concerned with what level."

He said it is his goal to "be able to do what I've done all my life again, which is coach football and be around young people and help young people."

"Right now, honestly, it's just day to day," Briles said.

[Vantage 8 dude]

AL.com sports ‏@aldotcomSports 8h8 hours ago

What did Auburn coaches learn from visit to Baylor? - Gus Malzahn's small circle of friends usually have brains... http://ow.ly/3cWn1H

Answer to the question posed: How to add sexual assault to your already impressive list of drugs, guns, thievery and payments under the table.

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell‏ @Michael_Carvell

Art Briles isn't SEC-bound; former Baylor coach hired as assistant in CFL