Gene Chizik is in his first year as the head football coach at Auburn after serving in the same capacity the past two seasons at Iowa State. A 23-year coaching veteran, Chizik was Auburn's defensive coordinator from 2002-04, where he helped guide the Tigers to a 13-0 season in 2004 while earning the Frank Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. He also served as the assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Texas from 2005-06 where he helped the Longhorns to a perfect season and national championship in 2005. During his tenure at Auburn, Chizik's 2004 defense led the nation in scoring defense (11.3 ppg) and was fifth nationally in total defense, allowing just 277.6 yards a contest. In three years at Auburn, Chizik helped the Tigers to a 30-9 mark including an 18-6 Southeastern Conference record. In 2003, Auburn's defense was fifth nationally in total defense. In two seasons in Austin, the Longhorns were 22-3 with Chizik. At one point, he was a part of 29 consecutive victories, which began in 2003 at Auburn and ended in 2006 at Texas. Chizik's reputation as an outstanding teacher is evident by the fact that he tutored a remarkable three consecutive Thorpe Award winners, starting with Auburn's Carlos Rogers in 2004, followed by Texas' Michael Huff and Aaron Ross in 2005 and 2006. During his two seasons at Iowa State, the 46-year old Chizik was in the midst of a rebuilding process, directing the Cyclones to a 5-19 mark. The Iowa State administration rewarded Chizik's leadership and vision for the program by offering him a two-year contract extension following this season. Chizik's first win came against intrastate rival Iowa in 2007, making him the first Cyclone coach since 1907 to beat the Hawkeyes in his inaugural season. The 2007 season also included conference wins over Kansas State and bowl-bound Colorado. Prior to his arrival at Auburn, Chizik was the defensive coordinator for four seasons (1998-01) at Central Florida, where he improved a unit that was 81st nationally in total defense before his arrival to one that was 16th in the country in 2001. Chizik spent six seasons at Stephen F. Austin from 1992-97, overseeing the linebackers (1992-94) and secondary (1995-97). While at Stephen F. Austin, Chizik helped the Lumberjacks to back-to-back NCAA Division I-AA playoffs, including a national semifinal appearance in 1995. He began his coaching career as defensive coordinator (1986-88) at Seminole High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., before becoming a graduate assistant at Clemson for a pair of 10-win teams in 1988-89. Chizik's first full-time college coaching position came at Middle Tennessee State, where he helped lead the Blue Raiders to NCAA Division I-AA playoffs in both of his seasons (1990-91) and to a conference championship in 1990. Chizik earned his B.A. degree in education from Florida in 1985 and his M.A. in guidance and counseling from Clemson in 1991. A Clearwater, Fla., native, Chizik and his wife, Jonna, have identical twin daughters, Landry Grace and Kennedy Danielle, and son, Cally. |
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