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ASU has offered a contract to Malzahn
UPDATE: Gus Malzahn to Arkansas State appears to be nothing more than wishful thinking. But, that hasn't stopped Arkansas State from trying, nor has all of those hopes been dashed.
"Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, we are told, has an offer on the table from Arkansas State," Phillip Marshall of Auburn Undercover wrote. "Though Arkansas State has offered to pay significantly more than it ever has, Malzahn would still have to take a significant pay cut to leave Auburn...Most people we have talked to who are close to Malzahn don't believe he will do it, but others believe he might want to be a head coach badly enough to take the leap and give up the money."
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UPDATE: Gus Malzahn is one of the hottest coaching properties in the nation. His name has been associated with every head coach opening around the country. He has interviewed for multiple vacancies. So, it's slightly surprising to hear his name attached to the Arkansas State opening.
"The current Auburn offensive coordinator is an Arkansas native and is said to be a front runner to take over (Hugh) Freeze's spot," Ibleedcrimsonred.com noted.
ASU is nestled in the Sun Belt Conference and cannot compete with the money or prestige of a BCS automatic qualifying program. So why would Malzahn consider this opportunity?
"Freeze's offense at Arkansas State has been built around a high-octane spread attack similar to Malzahn's hurry-up-no-huddle offense," the blog rationalized. "Malzahn also enjoys the advantage of having coached high school programs in the state, and would certainly exploit his contacts in the state's high school coaching fraternity in recruiting."
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UPDATE: Another name to add to the Arkansas State mix is Texas Tech offensive coordinator Neal Brown according to Footballscoop.com.
"We hear that Texas Tech offensive coordinator Neal Brown has interviewed as well...add another young offensive minded coach to the list of candidates," the blog reported.
Brown was already considered a candidate at UMass prior to Charley Molnar's hiring. The coordinator was a hot commodity when he served in the same function while at Troy. If he is tabbed to be the Red Wolves' head coach, Brown would return to the Sun Belt roots which got him to Texas Tech in the first place.
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Arkansas State had something special with Hugh Freeze as its head coach. But, all good things must come to an end. Freeze decided to make the leap to the SEC and coach Ole Miss, while the Red Wolves are searching for the next Freeze.
"Names we've heard are being considered include Mike Canales, Kliff Kingsbury and Eddie Gran. We hear interviews are ongoing and other candidates are involved," FootballScoop.com reported.
Canales is North Texas' offensive coordinator, and he is also serving as the team's interim head coach at the moment. Canales experience in the Sun Belt conference speaks for itself.
Kliff Kingsbury is currently the co-offensive coordinator at Houston. The spread offense Kingsbury would implement is definitely an exciting possibility for any program.
Eddie Gran is an associate head coach and special teams coordinator at Florida State. He spent the previous ten seasons at Auburn prior to joining the Seminoles' staff in 2011.
As John Crist of Nole Digest stated, "Gran is a recruiting work horse. If he leaves, that loss would certainly be felt."
- Brent Soblesk
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Malzahn's plans
UPDATE: The latest job opening linked to Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn: the Arkansas State Red Wolves, whose head coach, Hugh Freeze, just left to take the job at Ole Miss.
"Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, we are told, has an offer on the table from Arkansas State," says a report at Auburn Undercover. "Though Arkansas State has offered to pay significantly more than it ever has, Malzahn would still have to take a significant pay cut to leave Auburn, where he is paid $1.3 million per year.
"Our guess is that Malzahn will be Auburn's offensive coordinator next season, but it's only a guess. Whatever is going to happen should happen soon."
- Vince Verhei
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Eventually, Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn will be a major college football head coach. It's the when and the where which has been difficult to decipher.
Despite being a considered a potential front runner at two plum jobs, North Carolina and Ole Miss, this may not be the off season Malzahn chooses to finally make the leap into leading a program of his own.
Auburn Undercover reported, "Nothing will be certain until all the open head coaching jobs have been filled, but offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn has told people close to him that he expects to return to Auburn for his fourth season in 2012."
Malzahn will still be discussed in conjunction with numerous head coaching vacancies, but his name has been reportedly fading as a candidate in recent days, particularly at the two schools previously mentioned. A lack of mutual interest on Malzahn's part may be the reason why those schools have started to lean towards other candidates.
- Brent Sobleski
