Des Moines Register
11-28-06
HE'S THE REAL DEAL
Hilton electric as Pollard introduces mystery man
New ISU coach was nation’s top assistant in 2004
By RANDY PETERSON
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
Ames, Ia. — Rita Chizik figured something was amiss when her telephone fell
silent for two days.
"My son Gene, God bless him, he calls me every day - but he wasn't calling
anymore," Rita Chizik said Monday from her home in Clearwater, Fla. "I figured
maybe he'd fallen off the face of the earth or something."
Rita's only son among four children failed to call home because he had
something else weighing on his mind, like finalizing a deal that would result in
Gene Chizik replacing Dan McCarney as Iowa State's football coach.
Chizik, 44, most recently the defensive coordinator at tradition-rich Texas,
greeted a celebratory Hilton Coliseum crowd estimated at 2,500 that included
fans, the band and cheerleaders Monday night.
"I'm still expecting a rock star or somebody to come out behind me right now,"
Chizik said.
As his mother sat in her Florida home on a sunny Monday morning, Gene and
his family arrived in foggy Ames on a private jet owned by former Dallas
Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman.
"I'm going to give Gene the dickens for not telling me that he's moving to Iowa,"
Rita said. "I'm really going to give it to him. I was just over there - in Austin - for
two weeks for my birthday on Nov. 4, and he didn't say anything to me about
moving."
Chizik wasn't playing coy, considering Dan McCarney did not announce he would
not return to the Cyclones until Nov. 8.
"We were challenged to get him," Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard
told The Des Moines Register on Monday morning as he waited for Chizik's flight
from Austin, Texas, at the Ames airport.
"We were told we wouldn't be able to get him by a lot of people.
"He's the real deal."
Iowa State officials said Chizik's deal is worth a guaranteed $6.75 million over six
years - with incentives that could increase that to $10 million over those years.
The package also includes $1.5 million for his nine assistant coaches, which
Iowa State officials said ranks third for assistant coaches in the Big 12
Conference. Iowa State and Chizik have agreed to the deal, but have yet to sign
a contract.
"The thing that intrigued me the most was the level of commitment," Chizik said
after the press conference. "If you don't have a level of commitment, you don't
have a successful football team, and it's hard to be a good coach."
The introduction of Chizik ended one of the best-kept coaching hire secrets in
university history. Many televised and published reports in Iowa and beyond on
Sunday said Central Michigan's Brian Kelly would be named to replace coach
Dan McCarney, who announced he would not return after 12 seasons.
Even Pollard scratched his head while Chizik took his time getting off the plane
Monday morning.
"I hope he doesn't change his mind," Pollard cracked.
Chizik and Iowa State officials came to an agreement after their first meeting last
Saturday in Dallas. Chizik notified Pollard Sunday morning that he accepted the
job.
Iowa State also interviewed San Diego coach Jim Harbaugh and Nebraska
offensive coordinator Jay Norvell.
"We got a guy who has been with a lot of winning programs," said Iowa State
quarterback Bret Meyer, who returns as a senior next season. "I think that's what
the guys wanted to hear."
Chizik joined the Texas staff in 2005 - the season the Longhorns won the
national championship. His boss, Mack Brown, was an assistant football coach at
Iowa State between 1979 and '82.
"He said 'Bring a lot of coats,'" Chizik said of his parting words with his former
boss.
Texas (9-3) is ranked No. 17 - dropping its last two games. Chizik will not coach
the Longhorns' still to be determined bowl game.
Chizik also coached at Auburn, the University of Central Florida, Stephen F.
Austin and Middle Tennessee State. He was named 2004 winner of the Broyles
Award, given annually to the nation's top assistant coach.
Auburn finished 2004 ranked No. 2 with a 13-0 record.
Chizik played linebacker at Florida in 1981 after starring for Seminole High
School in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"My dad was his head football coach," said Jonna Chizik, who was introduced,
along with their three children, Monday night. "There's eight years between us,
so about all Gene remembers of me when we were kids was this little 8-year-old
running around after football practice."
Gene's late father also coached high school football.
"I always thought Gene would follow in his daddy's footsteps," Rita said. "It's too
bad that he can't be around to see him get the head coaching job. "He'd be so
proud of him."
IN HIS OWN WORDS
New Iowa State coach Gene Chizik's staff may include assistants from Texas,
his old school, and former Cyclone assistants.
"I have not talked to any potential staff members, but I have some guys from the
University of Texas in mind," Chizik said. "I'm not in any rush to hire a staff. I
want to get guys in here to recruit, but in the same sense, you don't want to hire
somebody that two years later, you figure out isn't right for the job."
He will meet with former Iowa State assistants starting Thursday.
Recruiting starts at home, Chizik said.
"We going to saturate the state of Iowa," Chizik said. "I'm going to get to know
every head coach in the state of Iowa. We'll make sure we can recruit this state,
and get relationships going with high school coaches.
"They'll know these doors are open all the time. There are no secrets."
Chizik plans to call former coach Dan McCarney.
"What this football program has done in the last 12 years to me is phenomenal,"
Chizik said, "and he's responsible for that. I plan on calling Dan McCarney if he's
willing to talk to me."
The early years
1986-88: Defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at a St. Petersburg, Fla.,
high school.
1988-89: Graduate assistant at Clemson, coaching outside linebackers.
1990-91: Coached defensive ends at Middle Tennessee State.
Stephen F. Austin
1992-97: Was defensive coordinator his final two seasons. Jeremiah Trotter, now
a Philadelphia Eagle, was one of his students.
Central Florida
1998-2001: Served all four years as defensive coordinator. The Golden Knights'
defense ranked 81st before his arrival, but improved to 16th in his last season.
Texas
2005-06: Has filled a combined role as assistant head coach, co-defensive
coordinator and linebackers coach. Texas won last season's national title.
Chizik's new team has more talent than Mac's first squad
Ames, Ia. — Iowa State football coach Gene Chizik inherits a better potential
team from Dan McCarney than McCarney inherited from Jim Walden in 1995.
Chizik met with his new players at 5 p.m. Monday in the Jacobson Building.
Among those assembled in the second-floor auditorium were 16 who started
during the Cyclones' 4-8 season.
McCarney's first gathering of his new players after he was hired on Nov. 23,
1994, included eight starters from a team that went 0-10-1 in 1994.
Biggest assets
Passing game. Quarterback Bret Meyer and receiver Todd Blythe help return
73.8 percent of the team's aerial assault.
Defensive stalwarts. Linebackers Alvin Bowen and Tyrone McKenzie represent
the key players in a group of non-seniors who accounted for 83.4 percent of the
tackles last season.
Place-kicking. Bret Culbertson has steadied this department, and he has one
more season remaining.
Potential positive start in 2007. Iowa State's first three games are at home
against Kent State (6-6 in 2006), Northern Iowa (Division I-AA team that finished
7-4) and Iowa (6-6).
Biggest challenges
Running game. Meyer will be Iowa State's top returning rusher with 177 yards - 1
yard better than Jason Scales.
Offensive line. Reggie Stephens is the only starter that will be back from a group
that struggled.
Secondary. This group ranked 102nd out of 119 Division I teams, but all four
starters return.
The 2007 schedule. The Cyclones play host to Iowa, Texas and Oklahoma and
travel to Nebraska, Texas Tech and Missouri.
Recruiting local. With no Iowa background, Chizik needs to find a top assistant
with state of Iowa roots.
-Randy Peterson
Recruit Sandvig pleased with Chizik
Alex Sandvig's uncertainty has hardened into rock-solid support.
The Iowa State football recruit from West Des Moines Valley expressed
excitement after learning Texas assistant head coach and co-defensive
coordinator Gene Chizik would be the Cyclones' coach his freshman season.
"I was really upset with (former coach Dan) McCarney leaving and I wasn't quite
sure what I wanted to do," said Sandvig, a Des Moines Sunday Register all-state
wide receiver for the Tigers. "Now with this guy coming in, I have no thoughts
about leaving or anything."
Sandvig, who recently underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL,
planned to attend Monday's gathering in Ames and would try to talk to Chizik
beforehand. He said the surgery went so well he'll stand among the crowd
without crutches.
"It's awesome that he's coming to Iowa State," said Sandvig, whose brother, Zac,
is already a Cyclone. "At Iowa State, we have a lot of people who can do good
things and he's just going to add to that, give us a better chance to get up to
those standards he's been used to."
- Rob Gray