Defying All Odds!

On December 3rd of 2008, Auburn University made what seemed to be the one of the worst decisions in the history of Auburn football. At least according to the national media. Can you remember what happened on that date? I do and I'm sure you are basking in the aftermath.

If you guessed Auburn's firing of Coach Tommy Tuberville then you were correct. Everyone remembers where they were when Coach Tuberville was fired and the Auburn Family's reaction was mostly the same. Disappointment sank into the hearts of many as the man who coached Auburn to 85 wins over 10 seasons with an SEC Championship and undefeated season in 2004 would never walk the sidelines at Jordan-Hare Stadium again. Questions filled the air as nobody had a clue of where Auburn would turn. Was Mike Leach the answer? He was successful at Texas Tech. How about an up and coming Turner Gill at Buffalo? Quite frankly, there was no head coach in the market interested in the Tigers program as Tuberville had left them with a 5-7 record.

When there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel, Jay Jacobs pulled the most controversial hiring in the long and storied history of Auburn University Athletics. On December 13th, 2008, Athletic Director Jacobs hired former Tiger Defensive Coordinator Gene Chizik. His resume was very impressive... as a defensive coordinator at Auburn and Texas. But as a head coach, Chizik struggled at Iowa State. He posted an astonishing 5-19 record at ISU over 2 years and nobody believed he was made to be a head coach. The majority of the Auburn Family questioned the hire and believed this was the worst choice that could've been made. How could a coach who has zero success as a head coach be hired to lead one of the SEC's most successful programs? All odds looked to be stacked against Auburn.

Lets jump ahead to present-day. That same head coach that was hired two years ago under the worst circumstances has turned a program coming off of a 5-7 season that ended with a loss in Tuscaloosa 36-0 into a team that has a chance to win an SEC Championship and possibly a National Championship. And to make things even sweeter, the last win in Tuscaloosa gave Chizik a winning record, 25-24, as a head coach in college football. Not only is this football team sitting on an 12-0 record, but they are doing so with class and humility. Chizik has done everything right and has silenced all of the critics. How's it possible? Ask Jay Jacobs. All I know is this: Things have changed in two years and they have changed for the better. The Auburn Family stands together, stronger than ever. The Tigers fight till the end on the field while fighting for the Quarterback off the field.

"We Stand with Cam" has become a popular saying over the past two months. Even though you may not have realized it, the "We Stand with Cam" campaign wouldn't have happened if Jay Jacobs didn't "Stand With Chizik" from the beginning.