Coaching spotlight: Curtis Luper

CURTIS SCOTT LUPER
Age: 43 (born 1/22/66)
College: B.A. from Stephen F. Austin (communications), 1996; M.A. from Stephen F. Austin (communications), 1998.
Playing career: Spent three seasons as a tailback at Oklahoma State, 1984-86. After a six-year stay in the armed forces, Luper completed his final season of eligibility at Stephen F. Austin in 1993.

Coaching career:
•Auburn, running backs (current)
•Oklahoma State, running backs (2005-08)
•New Mexico, running backs (2002-04)
•Texas A&M-Commerce, defensive backs (1999-2001)
•McKinney (Tx.) High, running backs (1998)
•Stephen F. Austin, various roles (1995-1997)

Mentor:
Gene Chizik. Luper worked as a graduate assistant under Chizik at Stephen F. Austin.

Previous Auburn experience:
None.

Coaching philosophy:
Luper, at first glance, is the Tigers' least fiery coach. It's rare to hear him scold players or even raise his voice. His displeasure is communicated calmly via one-on-one conversations generally held on the field. He doesn't appear to be a stickler for "micro-technique," instead allocating most of his coaching efforts toward explaining errors and giving players a snapshot of how they contributed to a play's demise.

In psychological parlance, he's Carl Rogers to Eddie Gran's B.F. Skinner.

He's cerebral in his approach with players. Luper doesn't like to discuss depth charts because he's sensitive to the message that could send to reserves. He served as a college reserve behind Thurman Thomas and, later, Barry Sanders.

Luper also is a major element in the Tigers' recruiting enterprise. He is an accomplished networker who seems to know an unusually wide array of people -- or has a friend who knows a friend. He uses evolved relationships throughout the Midwest to learn about up-and-coming prospects. Auburn successfully plucked a pair of coveted recruits from Texas in February. WR Emory Blake and DL Nosa Eguae hadn't considered the Tigers prior to Luper's arrival.

Luper's recruiting acumen is intriguing because he isn't boastful. There is no bravado. He makes the connections and lets other members of the Tigers' staff (most notably Trooper Taylor, Tracy Rocker and Jeff Grimes) handle business from there. That construct yielded a strong 2009 signing class and has stoked Auburn's 2010 expectations.

Luper is central to that revival.

Personality profile:
Luper is among the brightest coaches I have met. He speaks carefully, though it's not because he's worried about potential repercussions. He wants to make sure he uses the correct words to explain his point. He's precise.

Luper often holds deep conversations that span well beyond football. That's not exactly universal among people in his profession. Talking with him, you get the sense that you're talking with an entertaining professor; not a football coach.

His moods are stable. Luper is Luper on the best days and worst days. He greets days with a smile. He seems unhurried and free of worry. He'd make a great mafia consigliére ... stable, thoughtful, calculating and aware.

He has much bigger projects ahead. I expect his stay at Auburn to be short because he has the skills to flourish as an offensive coordinator or head coach. His relatively late professional start (first meaningful job came in 1999) means he's less experienced than many early-40s coaches.

Still, his day is coming soon.