AUBURN, Ala. – Every man Gus Malzahn has hired to his staff the past month either carries with him a pedigree the length of a football field, represents a puzzle piece that fits Auburn perfectly on paper, or both.
The ten Auburn coaches – Malzahn and nine assistants – have been in college coaching for a combined 197 years, including 99 in the SEC in some capacity.
There are two leading coordinators – Ellis Johnson on defense, Rhett Lashlee on offense.
There are two co-coordinators – Charlie Harbison on defense, Dameyune Craig on offense.
There is an associate head coach – Rodney Garner – and an assistant head coach – Rich Bisaccia.
There are two Auburn alums – Craig and Garner.
There are two coming straight from Arkansas State along with Malzahn – Lashlee and J.B. Grimes.
There are two with interwoven ties with other assistants on staff who will focus on boiled-down position groups – Melvin Smith and Tim Horton.
It seems everyone from CBS Sports’ Bruce Feldman and San Diego Chargers (former Auburn) linebacker Takeo Spikes, to athletic director Jay Jacobs and numerous Tigers, approves of the new day in Auburn football.
Here’s the full rundown of Auburn’s 2013 coaching staff:
Gus Malzahn
Position: Head coach
Previous stop: Arkansas State (head coach)
Hire date: Dec. 4
Salary: $2.3 million
Age: 47
College coaching years: 7
SEC coaching years: 4
Auburn ties? Offensive coordinator, 2009-11
Why he’s here: Combine his SEC roots, his recruiting acumen, his age, his familiarity with the Tigers, and his passion for hiring men of character, and he made the most sense for Auburn
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Ellis Johnson
Positions: Defensive coordinator, linebackers
Previous stop: Southern Miss (head coach)
Hire date: Dec. 6
Salary: $800,000
Age: 61
College coaching years: 31
SEC coaching years: 16
Other coaching ties? Worked with Harbison at Alabama, Clemson & Mississippi State
Why he’s here: A no-nonsense teacher with great respect around the league, will help Malzahn completely focus on fixing the offense
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Rhett Lashlee
Positions: Offensive coordinator, quarterbacks
Previous stop: Arkansas State (OC)
Hire date: Dec. 7
Salary: $350,000
Age: 29
College coaching years: 7
SEC coaching years: 5 (all as GA)
Auburn ties? Offensive graduate assistant, 2009-10
Why he’s here: Proof positive of Malzahn’s explosive system as a successful high schooler. Can impart that knowledge seamlessly to young quarterbacks Kiehl Frazier, Jonathan Wallace
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Charlie Harbison
Positions: Co-defensive coordinator, safeties
Previous stop: Clemson (co-DC)
Hire date: Dec. 9
Salary: Unknown
Age: 53
College coaching years: 21
SEC coaching years: 11
Other coaching ties? Worked with Johnson at Alabama, Clemson & Mississippi State
Why he’s here: Besides his familiarity with Johnson, he was the first of the top recruiters to find their way to the Plains
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J.B. Grimes
Positions: Offensive line
Previous stop: Arkansas State (OL)
Hire date: Dec. 19
Salary: Unknown
Age: 57
College coaching years: 33
SEC coaching years: 6
Other coaching ties? Worked with Johnson, Harbison, Smith at Mississippi State
Why he’s here: A seasoned coach can mold a fairly young unit to fit mentally and physically into Malzahn’s specific blocking methods
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Rodney Garner
Positions: Associate head coach, recruiting coordinator, defensive line
Previous stop: Georgia (asst. HC, rec. coord.)
Hire date: Dec. 20
Salary: Unknown
Age: 46
College coaching years: 23
SEC coaching years: 23
Auburn ties? 1988 All-SEC guard, 1990-95 on staff as recruiting coordinator, tight ends coach, assistant strength and conditioning coach
Why he’s here: The heart and soul of this new staff created a somewhat seismic shift in the SEC recruiting landscape. No one will work harder to fix Auburn than Garner
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Melvin Smith
Positions: Cornerbacks
Previous stop: Mississippi State (DBs)
Hire date: Dec. 25
Salary: Unknown
Age: 54
College coaching years: 23
SEC coaching years: 18
Other coaching ties? Worked with Johnson, Harbison, Grimes at Mississippi State
Why he’s here: An excellent, proven teacher who will help inexperienced corners learn how to create more turnovers
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Rich Bisaccia
Positions: Assistant head coach, running backs, special teams
Previous stop: San Diego Chargers (asst. HC, STs)
Hire date: Jan. 3
Salary: Unknown
Age: 52
College coaching years: 19 (plus 11 NFL)
SEC coaching years: 9
Auburn/other coaching ties? None
Why he’s here: Considered a coverage guru, he’ll have to figure out a way to get some explosiveness in the return game. Will also look to take Tre Mason, Cameron Artis-Payne to the next level
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Dameyune Craig
Positions: Co-offensive coordinator, wide receivers
Previous stop: Florida State (QBs, rec. coord.)
Hire date: Jan. 3
Salary: Unknown
Age: 38
College coaching years: 9
SEC coaching years: 1
Auburn ties? 1994-97 quarterback
Why he’s here: Looks to another Auburn great, maybe could use FSU success to rub off on Auburn. Has perhaps the biggest rebuilding job to do with a truly underachieving group of receivers
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Tim Horton
Positions: Tight ends
Previous stop: Arkansas (RBs, rec. coord.)
Hire date: Jan. 4
Salary: Unknown
Age: 45
College coaching years: 23
SEC coaching years: 6
Other coaching ties? A rich history in the state of Arkansas, where Malzahn’s coached for 17 years at college and prep ranks
Why he’s here: Steals Arkansas’ key recruiter, fortifies presence in Memphis, finishes off an embarrassment of riches on the recruitment front