There were a number of reasons Gus Malzahn was fired by Auburn on Sunday after eight up-and-down seasons, but none was as ironic or as frustrating as the regression of the offense. The struggle there represented the crumbling of the foundation of the program and the core of Malzahn as a coach.
Remember, it was Malzahn who wrote the book on the hurry-up, no-huddle. It was a philosophy, he wrote, that "allows the offense to be the aggressor and keep constant pressure on the defense." And initially that combination of aggressiveness and pressure worked out brilliantly for him, first as Auburn's offensive coordinator during its championship season in 2010 and then again as head coach three years later.