Jay Jacobs is in control of Auburn athletics

Jay Jacobs is the most powerful Auburn athletics director since Pat Dye.

For 10 years in the big office, David Housel’s options were limited in a lot of areas. When it came to hiring and firing coaches in major sports and other major decisions, there were lots of fingers in the pie.

It became obvious just how dysfunctional the situation was when Housel, trustees Earlon McWhorter and Byron Franklin and president William Walker sneaked away to interview Bobby Petrino two days before the Iron Bowl in 2003.

The trip, along with its atrocious timing, wasn’t Housel’s decision. It was Walker’s. That, along with SACS probation that hit shortly thereafter, changed the way the Auburn athletic department runs.

Even before Housel officially retired, Hal Baird took over as the man in charge of Auburn athletics. But Ed Richardson, who followed Walker as president, was determined to make final hiring decisions. He wouldn’t seriously consider hiring Mike Anderson as basketball coach. He rejected John Pawlowski as baseball coach.

Six years later, Jacobs is firmly in charge of Auburn athletics. He made the call, controversial at the time, to hire Gene Chizik as football coach. He’ll make the call on whether Jeff Lebo returns as basketball coach and he’ll make the call on who replaces Lebo if a change is made.

President Jay Gogue puts it very succinctly: “I don’t fire coaches. I fire athletics directors.”

And that’s as it should be.

No one operates in a vacuum. I’m certain there are people who Jacobs turns to for advice and counsel. But the final decisions are his. The Board of Trustees and president have their proper roles to play, too. But, in the final analysis, for the first time in a long time, the drama and intrigue that were so much a part of Auburn athletics for so long are gone.

And that is refreshing.

Article courtesy AuburnUndercover.com

Notre Dame coaches serving dual roles

Notre Dame assistant football coaches Chuck Martin and Mike Elston will be serving dual roles for head coach Brian Kelly. Martin, the defensive backs coach, was named recruiting coordinator, and Elston, the defensive line coach, was named special teams coordinator Thursday. “Chuck will do a great job coordinating our recruiting efforts because he is very persistent and very organized,” Kelly said in a statement. “With Mike directing our special teams, I expect us to have a similar philosophy as our offensive and defensive units this season and that is to be well coached and aggressive.” Martin worked under Kelly at Grand Valley State and took over when Kelly left for Central Michigan. “We didn’t have a coach with the title of recruiting coordinator at Grand Valley State, so, in essence, I was the recruiting coordinator,” Martin said. “We’re going to be looking for the best players in the country, and we’ll continue to recruit nationally.” – Journal Gazette

USC adds special teams coach from Fresno State

USC announced Thursday that Fresno State assistant coach John Baxter was hired as the Trojans’ special teams and associate head coach. Baxter, 46, spent the past 13 seasons at Fresno State and was one of Bulldogs coach Pat Hill’s original assistants. Fresno State kicker Kevin Goessling made 15 of 16 field goals last season, including a school- record 15 in a row. “Hiring John Baxter is something that I thought could probably never happen,” USC coach Lane Kiffin said. “Having him here will be huge for our team on and off the field. “He put together a 13-year run of special teams at Fresno State that were better than any in the country.” Fresno State blocked 83 kicks during Baxter’s tenure and leads the nation with 48 blocked kicks since 2002. – LA Daily News