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Report: ACC defensive coach expected to become Auburn’s next coordinator
Published:
Auburn and coach Gus Malzahn will enter 2016 needing to perform much better.
That will be even more difficult now that defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has left to become South Carolina’s head coach after just one season. (Not to mention the potential loss of Carl Lawson to the NFL along with senior linebackers Cassanova McKinzy and Kris Frost.)
It’s imperative that Malzahn straighten out the quarterback position, which took a giant step in the wrong direction in 2015. But even if that happens, what of the defense?
According to 247Sports, barring a large last-minute offer from Florida State, Seminoles coordinator Charles Kelly is set to take the same position with the Tigers.
All signs point to Kelly as Auburn's next defensive coordinator https://t.co/Y2vZIbKF6b pic.twitter.com/rm6Hg9y6uf
— Phillip Marshall (@PMARSHONAU) December 10, 2015
Kelly, the linebackers coach on the FSU team that beat Auburn in the 2013 BCS National Championship, replaced Jeremy Pruitt as defensive coordinator in 2014.
Kelly played defensive back at Auburn under coach Pat Dye, and spent 1993 at Auburn as well.
In the meantime, the Tigers may turn to linebackers coach Lance Thompson or defensive line coach Rodney Garner to call plays in the Birmingham Bowl.
“We’re still working on that,” Malzahn said, according to AL.com. “I’m hoping by Monday I can let everyone know exactly our plan for the bowl. Who will be calling the defense and all that. Like I said earlier, we’re going to make sure we keep building upon our same defense that we had last year.”
An itinerant journalist, Christopher has moved between states 11 times in seven years. Formally an injury-prone Division I 800-meter specialist, he now wanders the Rockies in search of high peaks.
