🏈 When Phllip Marshall starts giving the new coach advice? Things aren't going smoothly down on the plains.

[18Champs]

First-year Auburn head football coach Bryan Harsin certainly isn’t likely to ever ask me for advice, and who could blame him for that. But in the unlikely event that he ever did, here are some thoughts I would share with him:

---I share your thoughts about recruiting rankings, but I have yet to see a great SEC football team without great players, without impact players. It doesn’t matter how many stars they were awarded by recruiting analysts, but you’d better have enough players that can win against the most talented players in the game. If you don’t, you won’t win.

--You don’t win by outsmarting other coaches on game day, not in the SEC. As one SEC coordinator told me, “even if you do something they don’t expect, they’ll figure out by halftime.”

--Developing players is an important part of every program, but every player has a ceiling. The higher the ceiling, the better the development is likely to be.

--Expectations are part of the job you took. There might be a honeymoon, but it won’t be a long one. No matter what you say to try to keep those expectations under control, they’re not going to go away.

--The challenge you face now is nothing like what you faced at Boise State. Tom Herman learned that the hard way as Texas head coach. Scott Frost is learning it at Nebraska. And they were the group of five coaches everybody had to have.

--Either let Mike Bobo run the offense or run it yourself. Auburn supporters have seen enough in recent years of trying to mix offensive philosophies. That’s one of the reasons you are at Auburn and Gus Malzahn is at Central Florida.

--No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to keep many secrets. Too many eyes are watching and ears are listening. You might want to control the message, but you won’t be able to. You’re better off being as open and transparent as possible.

--Nobody else has to beat Alabama and Georgia to keep their jobs. You do. It might not be fair, but that’s reality.

--Bruce Pearl is the most popular coach on the Auburn campus for a reason. He won over the students and major supporters before he ever won a game and has continued to win them over. There are lessons to be learned from him.

--If you win people over like Pearl did, they’ll be in your corner and be behind you even in the bad times. If you don’t, your job will become much more difficult.

--Have fun. You’re making an incredible amount of money at a place that truly cares about what you do. Embrace the passion.

 

[TerryP]

There is A LOT to unpack there.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Reads like an "I told you so" piece that he's going to pull back out 18 months from now when boosters are passing around the buyout collection plate again. No way he puts that stuff out there if he doesn't have some legitimate (big) concerns right now, not his style.

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

Ole yallerteef swinging the velvet hammer. Mildly entertaining and mildly interesting to know which 2-3 good ole boys told him to write that

post script: I find his writing style creepy and it evokes thoughts of pervy heavy breathing when I read it

 

[JoseyWalesTheOutlaw]

Well one thing for sure is Harsin better learn where the Krispy Kreme is so he can pass out donuts to the students. It didn't help Gus but then again he left Lee County with 65 million stacked in the small BMW. Salute to him.

 

[TerryP]

Reads like an "I told you so" piece that he's going to pull back out 18 months from now when boosters are passing around the buyout collection plate again. No way he puts that stuff out there if he doesn't have some legitimate (big) concerns right now, not his style.

There is A LOT to unpack there.

On more than one front there's a lot Marshall isn't happy about and he's voicing his frustration. Bran, we all know who he is in his disguise as a beat writer, un-biased. I also know he's not stupid when it comes to what it takes to win in the SEC.

He had an article out several weeks ago which to me sounded like a call out to the boosters. Then we see a reference to facilities in the last few days followed by this.

A ship without a rudder?

This is what I've noted:

• His first three bullet points are pointing to recruiting. The last time I looked they had three and were ranked last in the SEC by 247. It's June. June. But when looking at player interests, their positions of need, etc.? It doesn't look good.
• His next series of bullet points was a shot across the bow, "You're not at Boise State."
• He backs that up with his next point about keeping secrets. What he's doing is known. They don't like it and some are feeling like they're being pushed out of the picture.
• Notice how he went to Pearl? Is that not about "secrets," and "access," and "this is how we ____?"

Loaded article there. This will end more quickly than most imagined.

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Casting that swine Pearl as a model of behavior is all I need to know from that article.

I do enjoy Wire Road turbulence.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Can't help but picture Housel, Marshall, and Jimmy Rane meeting up one night soon under an oak tree at Pat Dye's property toting a ouija board to try and get some direction...

 

[It Takes Eleven]

Can't help but picture Housel, Marshall, and Jimmy Rane meeting up one night soon under an oak tree at Pat Dye's property toting a ouija board to try and get some direction...

nhnavid nhousel, RIP...

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

@It Takes Eleven I thought it but you said it. Lord forgive me and help the starving pygmies

 

[mando]

On more than one front there's a lot Marshall isn't happy about and he's voicing his frustration. Bran, we all know who he is in his disguise as a beat writer, un-biased. I also know he's not stupid when it comes to what it takes to win in the SEC.

He had an article out several weeks ago which to me sounded like a call out to the boosters. Then we see a reference to facilities in the last few days followed by this.

A ship without a rudder?

This is what I've noted:

• His first three bullet points are pointing to recruiting. The last time I looked they had three and were ranked last in the SEC by 247. It's June. June. But when looking at player interests, their positions of need, etc.? It doesn't look good.
• His next series of bullet points was a shot across the bow, "You're not at Boise State."
• He backs that up with his next point about keeping secrets. What he's doing is known. They don't like it and some are feeling like they're being pushed out of the picture.
• Notice how he went to Pearl? Is that not about "secrets," and "access," and "this is how we ____?"

Loaded article there. This will end more quickly than most imagined.

Nailed it. This was a venting session and a huge red flag saying you are going to get buried if you do not recruit significantly better and play the Barner game with the fans and supporters. The Barn is dead last in recruiting rankings in the SEC.

Hope the Barn and Viles both finish tied for last in the SEC.

 

[Elderfalsedemigod]

Hate to see it

 

[rick4bama]

This is Auburn so what else do we want for them!

 

[50+yeartidefan]

This is Auburn so what else do we want for them!

Just hoping Gus took the game day magic fairy dust with him.... got him rich using vs bama and others....

 

[psychojoe]

The last time I visited this place there was turmoil at Lee County Trade School. Some things never change.

 

[TerryP]

The last time I visited this place there was turmoil at Lee County Trade School. Some things never change.

Good to see ya, H!

 

[rick4bama]

The last time I visited this place there was turmoil at Lee County Trade School. Some things never change.

Glad to see you!

 

[c5vetman]

The last time I visited this place there was turmoil at Lee County Trade School. Some things never change.

nice having you back