Apparently patience is not a virtue in the SEC.
Just two years after leading Auburn to a historic season and a national championship, head coach Gene Chizik was fired by the school on Sunday.
The team has regressed substantially from the one that went 14-0 and won the national championship, including this year when Auburn finished with a 3-9 record. The Tigers were the worst team in the SEC, going 0-10 in the conference.
According to the Associated Press, "The Tigers endured the worst slide within two years of winning a national championship of any team since the Associated Press poll started in 1936 and hadn't lost this many games since going 0-10 in 1950."
The season ended with an emphatic 49-0 loss to in-state rival Alabama.
"After careful consideration and a thorough evaluation of our football program, I have recommended that Coach Chizik not be retained," Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said in a statement, according to ESPN.com. "President (Jay) Gogue has accepted my recommendation. Earlier this morning, I informed Gene that he will not return as head coach."
According to ESPN, the team was notified of the move at a team meeting on Sunday.
"I think we did what he deserved and we gave him a standing ovation and clapped for him," Auburn tight end Philip Lutzenkirchen said. "There's so much love for coach Chizik on this team. Would we have loved to see him get another year, another opportunity? Yes, but at the same time we understand where Jay Jacobs is coming from. Three wins isn't going to cut it in our league."
Chizik led the Tigers to an undefeated season in 2010 behind the play of Heisman-winning quarterback Cam Newton and defeated Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game.
"I'm extremely disappointed with the way this season turned out and I apologize to the Auburn family and our team for what they have had to endure," Chizik said. "In my 27 years of coaching, I have gained an understanding of the high expectations in this profession. When expectations are not met, I understand changes must be made."
Apart from the championship season, Chizik only went 7-17 in the SEC and lost their final three league games by a combined 150-21. The season was filled with blowout losses, including a season-finale shutout to Alabama, a 63-21 loss to Texas A&M and a 38-0 loss to Georgia.
Defensive tackle Jeff Whitaker said, "It's kind of crazy right now. I had a special bond with Coach Chizik."
The team looked impressive in wins against Alabama A&M and New Mexico State, but those teams are much less competitive than other opponents. The Tigers suffered a five-game losing streak this season and lost seven of the last nine games of the year.
"While we experienced 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.
During his four seasons with Auburn, Chizik was 33-19 and 15-17 in SEC games.
According to the Associated Press, "Auburn said the total buyout for Chizik and his assistant coaches is $11.09 million. Chizik's buyout will total $7.5 million and be paid in monthly installments of $208,334 for the next 36 months."
Chizik was previously the defensive coordinator at Auburn in 2004, when the Tigers finished 13-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country. When he was hired, he replaced coach Tommy Tuberville, who won 85 games in 10 seasons but was forced to resign
After the hiring there was some controversy from fans due to the fact that he only went 5-19 at Iowa State and lost the last 10 games at his first head-coaching stop. The criticism continued after former Auburn basketball star Charles Barkley made some comments about the hiring.
At the time, Chizik and Buffalo head coach Turner Gill, who is African American, were two hot names going around college football circles for job openings. Following Auburn's hiring of Chizik, Barkley criticized the school and the move, saying it was racially motivated.
"I think race was the No. 1 factor," said Barkley at the time to ESPN. "You can say it's not about race, but you can't compare the two résumés and say [Chizik] deserved the job. Out of all the coaches they interviewed, Chizik probably had the worst résumé."
Barkley was referring to Chizik's record at Iowa State the two years before being hired. In two seasons as head coach, Chizik went 3-9 in 2007 and 2-10 in 2008 including an 0-10 record in Big 12 conference play.
"I'm just very disappointed," Barkley said. "I just thought Turner Gill would be the perfect choice for two reasons: He's a terrific coach and we needed to make a splash. I thought we had to do something spectacular to bring attention to the program. Clearly, if we'd hired a black coach, it would have created a buzz."
According to the Associated Press, "A search committee comprised of former Heisman Trophy winners Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson and former Tigers fullback Mac Crawford will assist Jacobs, the school said."
Many different names have come up in speculation of who could take over for Chizik, including Arkansas State head coach Gus Malzahn, who was offensive coordinator for Auburn in 2011.
Other names include former Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino, Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and Louisville head coach Charlie Strong.
