Former Auburn Tigers head coach Gene Chizik only had a short tenure on The Plains, but it sure was sweet.
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While Chizik wasn't in town nearly as long as Gus Malzahn, he managed to achieve the ultimate feat during his four-year stint: win a national championship.
It's been nearly a decade since the college football coach roamed the Auburn sidelines, so what is he up to these days?
Gene Chizik's Coaching Career Includes Two National Titles
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Gene Chizik's coaching career started out in at Seminole High School in St. Petersburg, Florida before jumping to the NCAA ranks at Middle Tennessee. He served as the program's defensive coordinator from 1990-91 and helped lead the team to the Division I-AA playoffs in back-to-back seasons. Chizik then took over as the linebackers coach at Stephen F. Austin before making the move to Central Florida.
In 2002, Chizik joined the Auburn Tigers as the defensive coordinator and secondary coach. He also spent time as the assistant coach at Texas, where he won a national title in 2005 as the Longhorns' co-defensive coordinator alongside Mack Brown. Chizik landed his first head coaching gig at Iowa State in 2007.
Despite managing just a 5-19 record across two seasons with the Cyclones, Auburn came calling in 2009. The rest is history.
At Auburn, Chizik recorded a 33-19 record and went 3-0 in bowl games, including the Tigers' marvelous undefeated season in 2010. Auburn won both the SEC Championship and the BCS National Championship, quarterback Cam Newton won the Heisman Trophy before going to the NFL, and Chizik won SEC Coach of the Year for his efforts in bringing Auburn football a national title.
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The Tigers failed to produce the same results during the next two seasons, amassing a dismal 11-14 record, which ultimately led to Chizik receiving a buyout.
Chizik worked as the defensive coordinator at North Carolina for two years before stepping away from coaching to pursue an on-screen lifestyle.
From SEC Coach to ESPN Analyst
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During his coaching hiatus, Gene Chizik worked as an entrepreneur, in addition to being an ESPN and SEC Network analyst.
Chizik also remained busy as a dad to three children with his wife Jonna: son Eugene "Cally" Calloway and twin daughters Landry and Kennedy. The family currently resides in Alabama.
The former player and SEC football coach also released a book in 2011, "All In: What it Takes to Be the Best," which chronicles his journey from Iowa State disgrace to Auburn legend.
Gene Chizik's Return to Coaching at North Carolina
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Chizik returned to Chapel Hill this season as the associate head coach for defense, essentially the same job as his first go-around with the Tar Heels but with a fancier title. There, he was reunited with Brown years after winning that championship at Texas.
"I want to thank Coach Brown and the administration for welcoming my family and I back to Chapel Hill," Chizik said when he was re-hired. "Having coached here previously, I know this is a special place and I'm excited to help the program take the next step towards competing for and winning championships. I'm also excited to work with Coach Brown and a number of the assistants again."
UNC finished the 2022 regular season 9-4 thanks to some stellar play from quarterback Drake Maye. Chizik and the Tar Heels have a chance to grab the school's first 10-win season since 2015 when they play Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.
