Auburn's 2019 football season to be unlike any other for Patrick and Bo Nix

Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix was named this week as the starter by coach Gus Malzahn. He is the son of former Tigers quarterback Patrick Nix, who played at Auburn from 1992 to '95.
Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix was named this week as the starter by coach Gus Malzahn. He is the son of former Tigers quarterback Patrick Nix, who played at Auburn from 1992 to '95.
photo Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix was named this week as the starter by coach Gus Malzahn. He is the son of former Tigers quarterback Patrick Nix, who played at Auburn from 1992 to '95.
photo Patrick Nix guided the Auburn football team to a 17-5-1 record during his two seasons as the Tigers' starting quarterback (1994-95), but now he is a high school football coach whose son Bo is the starting quarterback at Auburn.

As a former Auburn quarterback and a former Georgia Tech and Miami offensive coordinator, Patrick Nix has racked up plenty of experiences inside a football stadium.

Not like the ones he's about to encounter, though.

While Friday nights will have plenty of similarities for the third-year coach at Alabama's Pinson Valley High School, just north of Birmingham, the Saturdays will be very different. Nix is the father of Auburn freshman quarterback Bo Nix, who this week was named the starter by Tigers coach Gus Malzahn.

"To be honest, I've never really been the dad of a quarterback, because I've always been the coach all this time," Nix said. "It's different when you're the coach, because you're calling the plays and telling him what to do and things like that, and now I'll just be watching him. It's going to be a little different.

"I imagine that it won't be easy at times or fun at times, but it will be nice to know I can sit back, try to relax and watch."

Nix, who spoke at Red Bank Baptist Church last month during its annual "Night of Champions" event, helped mold his 6-foot-2, 207-pound son into the nation's No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2019 signing class. Bo set Alabama state records with more than 12,000 yards of total offense and amassed 161 touchdowns in his high school career, with 127 through the air and 34 on the ground.

Auburn won the 2010 national championship with the dual-threat talents of Cam Newton and played for the 2013 national title with the dual-threat abilities of Nick Marshall. Bo believes his biggest strength is his ability to move in the pocket, which his father said will be a must in his new environment.

"Defenses in the SEC are just so good," Nix said. "The speed, the size, the schemes that he will see - Bo has played in a lot of games. I know they've been in high school, but at least he's seen his share of things.

"We've also talked about the difference in getting hit every Saturday. It's different from high school."

Patrick Nix burst into Auburn lore during the 1993 Iron Bowl, when he replaced an injured Stan White and helped rally the Tigers to a 22-14 triumph over Alabama that completed an 11-0 season in Terry Bowden's debut year. Nix was the starter during the 1994 and '95 seasons, guiding Auburn to a 17-5-1 record that included a thrilling upset of Florida in the Swamp in '94 and another Iron Bowl triumph in '95.

Kneeling to seal the victory over Alabama during his final game at Jordan-Hare Stadium is his favorite memory as a player, while his most unpleasant moments as the starter occurred during his two-game split against the Tigers of LSU.

"They beat you up every time you played them," Nix said laughing, "and it hurt the next day really, really bad."

Bo Nix will have to be just as clutch and resilient as his father, and perhaps even more so. Auburn opens its 2019 schedule against Oregon on Aug. 31 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and also has Southeastern Conference games against Texas A&M, Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama.

All six of those teams are ranked ahead of Auburn, which is 16th in both major preseason polls.

"That's what I signed up for," Bo said this week in a news conference after being tabbed the starter over redshirt freshman Joey Gatewood. "Coming to Auburn, I knew we would have a tough schedule every year. It may be the toughest in the country this year, but we've got a great defense and a great offensive line and great skill players.

"As long as I just do my job, everything else will take care of itself."

Auburn's quarterback competition began with four candidates, with Malzahn naming Gatewood and Nix as his top two after the conclusion of spring practices, ahead of Malik Willis and Cord Sandberg. Willis has since transferred to Liberty University.

Nix was the youngest of the four but benefited from enrolling early and from his familiarity with the position and all it entails.

"He's not your normal freshman, that's fair to say," Malzahn said this week.

Malzahn could use a productive season from Nix to cement his future as Auburn's coach. He is 53-27 with two SEC West titles and one league championship in his first seven seasons but has 2-5 records against Alabama, Georgia and LSU.

Patrick Nix expected to play for Pat Dye during his entire time on the Plains, but the two were together for only the 1992 season. He does not want Bo thinking about coaching hot seats or any potential for change.

"You don't address things like that, because it's part of life," Nix said. "There are only two or three coaches in the country who aren't on the hot seat. I really like Coach Malzahn, and Bo has a great relationship with him.

"I totally trust him and think he'll do great things for Bo both on and off the field."

The elder Nix will arrive at Jordan-Hare this season as a dad, a returning letterman and a high school coach with recruits. He will have to juggle many hats on those Saturdays, but not when Auburn plays away games.

"On the road, I'll probably be sitting with the other parents and wearing headphones so I don't have to listen to all the comments," Nix said. "My wife has been all through this, so I will have to learn from her."

Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.

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