Always good for a quote, Pat Dye said the football exchange rate of Chiziks to Sabans was at least 1 = 11 while speaking to more than 100 Auburn fans at the Montgomery Quarterback Club yesterday.
From The Montgomery Advertiser:
“Don’t question the guy we got leading the program,” said Dye, who reminded the crowd of Chizik’s part in three undefeated teams, including Auburn’s 2004 and 2010 squads. “I wouldn’t swap him for 10 (Alabama coach Nick) Sabans.“Saban is the best coach in the country — I’ll grant him that. But he ain’t a better man than Gene Chizik.”
“You know, that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard of,” Dye responded to reporters when asked to comment on whether Gene Chizik’s job was in jeopardy following Auburn’s poor start in 2012.
“(Chizik) would be the first to admit it (that Auburn is struggling), but as far as a class guy that stands for the right things and is a great football coach and a great man, we couldn’t be better off than we are right now with Gene Chizik.”
But Dye acknowledged that “Fans are fans, they want to win.”
“I think a lot of it (Chizik hot seat talk) probably has to do with Alabama riding the high seas ,” Dye said. “Coach Saban and his staff, they’ve done great a job, and they’re winning. They’re best team in country right now and the fact that we’re struggling frustrates our people, but you just have to live through those hard times.”
And hey, just it if it’ll make you feel better, just check the record, Dye says.
“Since 1981 when I came to Auburn we still got a winning record against Alabama.”
Photo: Micky Welsh, Montgomery Advertiser; you can find a good gallery photos from the event here.
Related: Pat Dye says he would have turned Jerry Sandusky in–or killed him.
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I agree with Coach Dye 100%. Coach Chizik is a very good coach and a great man. He is tough on the players, but also loving and caring more than any coach I have ever witnessed. I have said all along, I would be mortified if we ever hired the likes of Saban or Petrino. Those guys are just not Auburn. They are too underhanded, and Auburn is better than that. We just need to hang in there and let the new coordinators systems take hold with these young players. This year will obviously not be a great year, no matter what happens from here on out. However, I strongly believe we do have greatness ahead of us with these coaches.
War Eagle!
War Eagle Coach Dye! Enjoy the great times like 2010 to the fullest but LIfe isn’t all green fields and roses, and when you forget that read “The Creed” and listen to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EjuEc2QBw8
LOVE me some COACH DYE, love that he is a TRUE SOUTHERN GENTLEMAN. LOVE Coach CHIZ also. There is more to life than winning, (don’t get me wrong, I DO hate to lose), but it takes being a parent, and identifying the type of person that is teaching our young people WAY more than football. War Damn Eagle.
Love Coach Dye. He’s earned the right to take the filters off and say what he means. Personally, I think he meant what all Auburn men and women already know — that Saban is not and never would be a fit for Auburn.
no class Dye….don’t think I have ever heard ANY BAMA coach talk badly about Auburn coaches……at least not publicly……but it didn’t stop your illustrious former liar…oops , I mean leader…scuse me…..any one of you would give your eye teeth to have a Saban as your leader…face it, if the Aubur big boys didn’t mind shelling out for Cam….they sure as hell won’t turn down some one as talented and giving, on and off the field, as Nick Saban….personally I think he would view it as one hell of a challenge…and if anyone can “fix” your program, he can….and not one of you would turn him down……here’s hoping he thinks he’s too old ( not ) to start over…I mean, where’s the challenge for him at Alabama these days???? just saying
Theres always some smart mouth Alabama fan that has nothing better to do than post negative comments about auburn on all of these web sites. This is why I am a die hard auburn fan. Only 10% of alabamas fan base are respectable people. Never has an auburn fan sodomized someone after a game…..killed anything belonging to anothers tradition. They are jealous of Newton and say he was paid. Saban is dictator,not a leader. He treats recruits Badly. Yet these people praise his Ethics in this matter like he is a god they are used to this “golden calf type ” of following. Just look at the statues outside the stadium. One of them will respond to MY comment I’m sure. They can’t help it….they were born that way. WAR DAMN EAGLEA!!!!
Dear C. McCurry….I am the biggest bama fan around and I know I speak for 99.9% of the other Bama fans out there when I say we DO NOT agree with nor do we condone the actions of the “so called bama fans” that did the tastless and viles things that you mentioned…we are disgusted by them. We ALL (whether you are for Auburn or Bama) are guily of letting the game represent more than what it is. Since when did football become about trash talk instead of tradition? We do not see Saban as an idol or icon….he is a man, he is a leader on the field, he is our coach and yes we do LOVE HIM! The people that you are talking about do exist but honestly the way I hear the people on this board speaking about us really isn’t any different than you say that we are. Stop and take a second..look at the words that are being spoken by your fellow fans….who is smashing who? Who should be disgusted by who? Who is jealous of who? Contrary to popular belief we actually are sympathetic toward your football program as we too have had our “share” of scandal but I (as well as other Bama fans) are more sympathetic toward the Auburn fans and their ignorance because although there is alot you can change by gaining knowledge and learning this are only so many miracles that even “SABAN” can perform…..ROLL MF TIDE!!!!