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College Football Bowls 2016: 10 best big game head coaches

By John Buhler

Nov 5, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban yells from the sideline after a penalty during the second quarter of a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 5, 2016; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban yells from the sideline after a penalty during the second quarter of a game against the LSU Tigers at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 10, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn watches his team warm up before the game against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 10, 2016; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn watches his team warm up before the game against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /

This may seem a little strange, but Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malzahn does seem to do well in big time games. He’s only been a college head coach for five years, but Malzahn has won his conference twice: the Sun Belt in 2012 at Arkansas State and the SEC in 2013 at Auburn.

Overall, Malzahn is 35-17 as a head coach in five seasons and he has gone a respectable 25-15 in conference play. While he is only 1-2 in bowls, he left Arkansas State for the Auburn job before coaching the Red Wolves in the GoDaddy.com Bowl. One of his two bowl losses came in the 2013 BCS National Championship Game against Florida State.

Auburn may have only been 8-4 this season, but the Tigers are the team playing in the Sugar Bowl for a reason. They have a great defense under new defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. The Tigers can run the ball with authority with Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee at the helm.

Malzahn isn’t without his limitations as a head coach. One thing that he does have going for him is his ability to rally his team to get up for big time games. He’ll have a tough matchup against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. The Sooners will be favored, but it wouldn’t be a shocking upset for Malzahn and the Tigers to win this New Year’s Six bowl in New Orleans.

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