Deny of the Tiger

When I came to Auburn in 2004, I fell into a gold mine. My coaching career, which at one time looked very promising, had recently reached a dead end. What I found when I got to The Plains was a vast number of very talented but underachieving players with a burning desire to succeed. Together, as coaches, players, and staff, we developed a selfless majestic synergy that resulted in an undefeated season and, what we believed, would be a ticket to the BCS National Championship game. It wasn’t to be. After eighteen years, and several other stops, I retired from coaching but found certain memories never retire. The Auburn Tigers of 2004 will forever represent the pinnacle of my professional career. After traveling to The Plains with my seventeen-year-old son, Cole, to watch the 2021 Iron Bowl, I had an opportunity to reunite with many of the players and fans with whom I shared those memories. Upon my return home, I was inspired by their undying enthusiasm for what was accomplished years ago. I wanted to divulge some interesting stories that haven’t been told, and offer, what I hope, an enlightening perspective from the guy who accounted for the game plans and called the plays.