The starting positions for Auburn have not been filled yet, but coordinators Scot Loeffler and Brian VanGorder know where they're going to be.
VanGorder will be watching and coaching his defense from the sidelines, and Loeffler will be sitting at a higher vantage point in the box.
It may not sound like an important decision to some, but statistics show that this is good news for the Tigers.
Both coaches have been in the opposite position just once in their careers.
VanGorder said Thursday the only time he has coached from the booth was 2008, his first season as defensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
That same year, Loeffler coached from the field in his first and last stint with an NFL team. And it's a season that no fan of the game is likely to forget.
While VanGorder was charged with fixing a defense that had given up the fourth most yards in the league the previous year, Loeffler was hired as quarterbacks coach to fix an inert Detroit Lions passing game -- the year the Detroit Lions failed to win a single game.
VanGorder's switch to the box did not have a detrimental result.
The defense improved, but was much better in the following years when he was on the field (although this can probably be attributed to familiarity and the emergence of linebacker Curtis Lofton and others).
As for the Lions, Loeffler spent his only year on the sidelines watching Jon Kitna, Drew Stanton and an over-the-hill Daunte Culpepper help make the 0-16 Lions the worst team in the history of the NFL.
Of course the fault lies with many people besides the quarterbacks coach (who turned Tim Tebow into the nation's most efficient passer the next year at Florida).
Having a motley group of quarterbacks and the league's worst defense didn't help matters either.
Loeffler said the NFL makes coaching from the sidelines more appealing because of direct communication with the quarterbacks, something the NCAA doesn't offer.
"In college we don't have that rule yet but hopefully one day we do move that way," Loeffler said Thursday. "There's really no value in terms of me working on the sidelines."
Of course, Loeffler's case was a fluke considering the injuries to two of the three quarterbacks and inexperience of Stanton.
However, if you believe history repeats itself or are just plain superstitious, Auburn fans should rejoice that they have their coaches exactly where they need to be.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
