Chizik, age 44, has never had a job as head coach and this will be his first experience, however, he is said to be the best assistant coach in the nation. Some of his achievements include leading the Longhorns to a national championship, Auburn’s winning streak of 28 games, the Tigers ranked number 2 with the nations best scoring defense and in he won the 2004 Broyles Award.
His short, but excellent, curriculum could be the reason Jamie Pollard, Iowa State Athletic Director, gave him a six year deal that is equivalent to $6.75 million that includes incitements that could increase his earnings to more than $10 million. This is the third most important change made by Pollard since last year.
Chizik was well received in Ames at the Hilton Coliseum with a smoke-filled inflatable tunnel, pep rally, cheerleaders, 2,500 fans and the entire marching band. He also met with players for nearly half an hour on Monday and it seemed that many were not happy with the replacement of McCarney, but others thought he made a good first impression.
