AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State put forth its best recruiting pitch to Gene Chizik, and succeeded in hiring one of the nation's hottest young assistants as its next coach.
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Chizik, who had served as the assistant head coach and co-defensive coordinator at Texas for the past two seasons, was introduced Monday night as Iowa State's football coach.
He wasted little time vowing to revive a program that finished 4-8 in 2006 and 1-7 in the Big 12.
"I think the level of commitment is demonstrated," said Chizik, who won the 2004 Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant at Auburn. "They want to make this football program one of the strongest in the country."
Chizik, 44, will replace Dan McCarney, who resigned this month after 12 seasons. Chizik agreed to a six-year deal worth $6.75 million, with incentives that could push his total package to more than $10 million. In addition, Iowa State has earmarked $1.5 million plus incentives for Chizik's assistant coaches.
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| Gene Chizik inherits a program that finished the season 4-8 and 1-7 in the Big 12. (AP) |
"To me, it's important for me for people to want you to be there, that they target you as their guy," Chizik said. "I really feel like I was recruited."
Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard interviewed Chizik in Dallas on Saturday, the day after Texas lost to Texas A&M. He was offered the job later that night, and accepted it during a phone call with Pollard on Sunday morning.
"Gene just kept coming up as the hottest prospect out here, if you can get him," Pollard said. "The more we drilled down, we found traits about him that really -- we thought he got it."
Chizik came to the Longhorns before the 2005 season, and the school won a national championship in his first season. By the end of the 2005 season, Chizik's teams had won 28 consecutive games dating to his years in Auburn, where he was defensive coordinator for three seasons.
In 2004, the Tigers went 13-0 and finished the season ranked No. 2. The Tigers had the nation's top scoring defense and ranked fifth in total defense that season.
"He brought some fresh ideas, great energy and enthusiasm and a tireless work ethic to our program," Texas coach Mack Brown said in a statement released Monday. "You won't find anyone in our program that has anything but great things to say about Gene. He's a bright, young coach who has a tremendous future ahead of him. He'll do a terrific job for Iowa State."
Pollard, who said Chizik was his top choice from the first day of the search, breathed a sigh of relief when Chizik agreed to terms, given the current number of coaching vacancies around the country.
