Gene Chizik: From National Champion to Unemployed

By Jasmine Watkins

You know that “Cinderella at midnight” feeling? Gene Chizik must’ve felt that way when the clock struck 12 on the Cam Newton era.

Two years after leading Auburn to a historic season, the war in his eagle has descended and he was fired by Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs.

 “After careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of our football program, I have recommended that Coach Chizik not be retained,” Jacobs said to ESPN.

The feeling when all the glitz and glam has expired and you’re left with the memory of what was and the thought that it’s never going to be like that again.

Although there were questions raised when he was hired in 2010 even though he had a losing record. That type of patience in a coach doesn’t usually fly in the SEC.

The silver lining, if you choose to see it, is that he will be bought out so he won’t have to go directly into the poor house. Auburn will pay him $7.5 million when it’s all said and done.

The Tigers just haven't been the same these past two years and whether it’s because the SEC is getting harder by the minute, or that Auburn never really had the talent beyond their superstar, either way they’re done too. Texas A&M and Missouri have joined the SEC party and now there is going to be an even tougher task to make it out of the conference. Auburn will not have a chance in the foreseeable future. They have too much to take care of to be competitive next year.

First the coaching staff. They are going to have to look for the best coach available. Tough task. Then whomever they hire is going to have to recruit and do everything short of begging eligible recruits to come to the second best football school in the state of Alabama. Tougher task.

The fact that Newton, Fairley, and the rest of the stars from that 2010 team are gone is not Chizik’s fault. What is his fault, however, is that he failed to recruit a decent class and coach adequately enough to keep his job. The SEC is not for the faint of heart. Taking a coaching job there comes with a hefty paycheck but also headaches and heartaches. The timetable to win is so small that there is virtually no time for anyone to at least attempt to build a dynasty.

It’s a troublesome time to be a coach in the SEC not named Nick Saban or Les Miles. Everybody else can be moved quicker than the tide turns (no pun intended).

“While we experience a tremendous low in 2012, I will always be proud of the incredible highs that we achieved, including three bowl victories, an SEC championship and a national championship,” Chizik said.

At least he is focusing on the positive. But the reality is that he’s back to being the ugly stepchild.