On Jan. 11, 2011, Gene Chizik stood on the stage at University of Phoenix Stadium moments after Wes Bynum's game-winning field goal gave Auburn their first national championship since 1957. The Tigers' second-year head coach leaned toward John Saunders and proclaimed into the microphone, "Fifty-three years, baby! This is for you. War Eagle!"
It took Auburn 53 years to win their second national championship. It took them fewer than two years to fire Chizik, doing so just 685 days after he beat Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game.
Since 1980, 29 different head coaches have won a national championship (coaches who won titles at different schools, Nick Saban and Urban Meyer, were included twice). Chizik is one of five who have been fired for performance-based reasons. Another four have been fired for off-the-field reasons.
