An incredible college football coaching career is set to come to an end. On Monday Morning, it was revealed that long time college football coach Gus Malzahn was going to be announcing his retirement.
The news comes as a shock as the coaching carousel in college football had closed and teams just put the finishing touches on their Transfer Portal classes. Gus Malzahn was serving as Florida State’s offensive coordinator leaving Mike Norvell and the Seminoles scrambling for a new coordinator.
Gus Malzahn will be remembered for an incredible high (and plenty of lows)
As Gus Malzahn leaves college football, he leaves behind a strange legacy as a college football coach. Malzahn rose through the ranks as a High School coach in Arkansas before getting his first college gig as the offensive coordinator at Arkansas. The 2006 Razorbacks had an electric offense fueled by Darren McFadden and Felix Jones, but served as his only season in Fayetteville.
Malzahn then jumped to Tulsa as the offensive coordinator before getting the Auburn offensive coordinator job in 2009. Gus Malzahn's time at Auburn peaked during the 2010 season as the Cam Newton led Tigers took home the National Championship and Malzahn was given the Broyles Award.
After his incredible work as Auburn's offensive coordinator, Gus Malzahn was then given the Arkansas State head coaching job where he went 9-3 with a 7-1 record in league play. That experience proved to be key when Gene Chizik was fired opening the door for Malzahn to become the Tigers head coach.
His first season made it look like Auburn was the next dynasty in college football as the Tigers went 12-2 winning the SEC, but falling 34-31 to Florida State in the BCS National Championship Game. After going on an incredible run with a converted defensive back at quarterback, it looked like the sky was the limit for Malzahn's future.
Instead, the season served as the peak of Gus Malzahn's 8-year tenure at Auburn as the Tigers never won the SEC Championship or made the College Football Playoff again. He'd finish his Auburn career 68-35 with a 39-27 record in SEC Play.
Malzahn will be best remembered as the biggest thorn in Nick Saban's side during Alabama's dynasty run as he'd post a 3-5 record in his duels with college football's greatest coach.
After his time at Auburn, Gus Malzahn then served as UCF's head coach where he had some great moments in the AAC, but couldn't build a winner in the Big 12 finishing his tenure 28-24.
When you look back on Guz Malzahn's career, it's a story of remarkable highs, but it also leaves many asking for more. At Auburn after what he did in his first season as the head coach, the rest of his tenure is wildly underwhelming. Malzahn always seemed on the brink of breaking through, but he never could quite get his program over the hump.
Malzahn's legacy in college football will now live on through the vast coaching tree he spawned over his time in the sport. Under Malzahn, coaches in Kenny Dillingham, Mike Norvell, Chip Lindsey, and Eli Drinkwitz among many became head coaches while former players Rhett Lashlee and GJ Kinne have broken through the coaching world as well.