Grimes another positive step for Auburn

By Robert Rousseau  |   Wednesday, February 11, 2009  |  Comments( 1 )

Auburn Tigers
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If you ask those in the know what wins football games, you’re likely get some varied responses. Still, there will be some similarities between the things you're told. Turnovers and mistakes -- or a lack thereof -- will no doubt enter into the conversation. So will good tackling.

No question about it, so will solid offensive and defensive line play. Auburn Tigers head coach Gene Chizik has hired new coaches to head both of his lines. And when it comes to the ever-important Tiger offensive line, that new headmaster is Jeff Grimes.

If experience around good coaches means anything, then Grimes should be a great pickup for the Tigers. Consider that Grimes played offensive tackle for the UTEP Miners from 1987-90; with UTEP, he was coached by two stellar examples in Andy Reid (offensive line) and Dirk Koetter (O-coordinator). Thus, he saw good coaching done right when he was a player. After a brief professional playing career, Grimes began coaching at Riverside High School before moving on to graduate assistant jobs at Rice and Texas A&M under R.C. Slocum. Eventually, those experiences helped him land an offensive coordinator gig at Hardin-Simmons, where his team managed a 21-2 record while he coached there.

Grimes moved up in the ranks in 2000, joining Dirk Koetter at Boise State as offensive line coach. Grimes also followed Koetter to Arizona State the next season to serve as the Sun Devil offensive line coach and running game coordinator. After doing a great job with the Sun Devils (four of his 2001 seniors were NFL draft picks), he took up with the BYU Cougars and Gary Crowton in 2004. When Crowton resigned, Bronco Mendenhall kept Grimes on staff. It was a good thing, as the 2006 BYU offense was ranked the nation’s fourth best. What's more, the Cougars ended the season with an 11-2 record and top 20 ranking.

Grimes then left for the Dan Hawkins-led Colorado Buffaloes in 2007, serving as the assistant head coach, running game coordinator and offensive line coach before Chizik decided to take him on.

Grimes has played O-line and learned from great teachers. Thus, when he says that “I’m very excited about coming to Auburn, working for Coach Chizik and joining the tremendous staff that he has put together,” we know that the last part of the puzzle is also complete. He wants to come to Auburn, which is important.

In the end, despite being a rather controversial pick to succeed Tommy Tuberville, Chizik sure hasn't disappointed so far this offseason. Of course, the operative word is "offseason." Still, he's done a stellar job of picking up sought-after coaches and recruits in the short time he's been with the Tigers, and Grimes is just another example.
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
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