Top 5 Candidates to Replace Ellis Johnson as Auburn Defensive Coordinator
AUBURN, Ala. — The timing might have been a surprise, but few eyebrows were raised on The Plains on Sunday afternoon when Auburn announced it had fired defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson.
Less than 24 hours before Johnson's dismissal, the Tigers allowed more than 400 yards and 30 points for its sixth straight conference game in a 55-44 shootout loss to No. 1 Alabama in Tuscaloosa. While the Auburn offense continued its big-play pace under head coach Gus Malzahn, the defense took several steps backward from the strides it made in 2013.
"At this time, I felt it was best for our program to make a change with our defensive coordinator," Malzahn said in a statement. "Ellis is a true professional, and I would like to thank him for his contributions at Auburn."
With just a lower-tier bowl left on the horizon, the Tigers are already moving forward by quickly firing Johnson ahead of postseason practices. As AL.com's Joel A. Erickson notes, fans should expect Malzahn to name a new coordinator sooner than later:
"With Johnson out, something to remember on Malzahn’s searches for assistants: Took him 1 day to hire Johnson, 2 to hire Lashlee. Moves fast.
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAEricksonAU) November 30, 2014"
As for Malzahn's upcoming search, two major names with SEC ties have jumped out to the forefront recently along with several coordinators who will be some of the hottest commodities in the coaching carousel this offseason. Here is a list of the top five defensive coordinator candidates Auburn fans should watch for in the coming days.
Will Muschamp
1 of 5
Since his firing from Florida two weeks ago, Will Muschamp's name has been buzzing around Auburn.
The surefire No. 1 candidate for the Auburn job struggled to win enough games as a head coach in Gainesville, but his defenses were among some of the best in the country throughout his tenure. Florida ranks ninth in total defense and eighth in passing yards allowed per attempt this season, while Auburn finished its regular season 59th and 88th in those respective categories.
Muschamp also has ties to Auburn, as he was Tommy Tuberville's defensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007, and the Tigers finished in the top 10 in most major defensive categories both years. As ESPN's Travis Haney reported Sunday afternoon, Muschamp might be open to a return:
"I've been told there's mutual interest between Malzahn and Muschamp. Would be a formidable pair on respective sides of ball.
— Travis Haney (@TravHaneyESPN) November 30, 2014"
A fiery presence on the sidelines at Auburn, Muschamp left the program to become the defensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting at Texas—after reportedly having issues with athletic director Jay Jacobs, per AL.com's Kevin Scarbinsky.
To make things more difficult for Auburn, the Tigers could face a bidding war with fellow SEC West powerhouse Texas A&M, and the possibility that Muschamp's former boss Nick Saban could hire him at Alabama if Tide defensive coordinator Kirby Smart takes a head coaching job.
Bo Pelini
2 of 5
The newest name to join the coaching change craze, Bo Pelini would be an impressive defensive coordinator hire for any school.
According to Mitch Sherman of ESPN.com, Pelini was fired by Nebraska on Sunday morning, a few hours before Johnson was fired by Auburn, despite posting a 66-27 record during his time as the Cornhuskers' head coach.
Although he is a Midwest native with experience in the Big 12, Big 10 and the NFL, Pelini had three successful seasons as defensive coordinator at LSU before taking the head coaching job at Nebraska. LSU was ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense each of his three seasons, including the Tigers' 2007 national championship run.
His defensive numbers have taken a small dive over the past three seasons, but Pelini's earlier years at Nebraska featured a couple of top-10 defenses. This season, Nebraska ranks No. 2 nationally in opponent completion percentage, while Auburn sits at No. 60 in that same area.
Pelini might be the longest shot on this list—his high win total at Nebraska shows he is still a top-notch head coaching candidate. However, if Pelini is open to becoming an assistant again, his passion and defensive prowess would be a welcome addition to Auburn's ranks.
Brent Venables
3 of 5
The myth that teams with uptempo, spread-it-out offenses cannot have elite defenses has been shattered this season by Clemson, which has been led by the nation's No. 1 total defense.
One of the men behind Clemson's defensive resurgence is Brent Venables, who was hired by Dabo Swinney in 2012 after a long run at Oklahoma. The Tigers improved from No. 64 in total defense in Venables' first year to No. 24 last season, and now they boast one of the country's most feared units.
Venables is from the coaching tree of Bill Snyder, whose team frustrated Auburn defensively with solid fundamental work and impressive tackling during their Thursday night matchup in September.
He doesn't have SEC experience, but he has coached on the edge of the conference's territory these last few seasons and has been able to snag some of the area's top defensive recruits.
With Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris making the move to become SMU's new head coach, per Jerry Hinnen of CBSSports.com, and Swinney remaining a possible candidate for several other jobs, Auburn could swoop in and pick up one of the nation's best defensive coordinators this offseason.
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Dave Aranda
4 of 5
Like Venables, Dave Aranda is a non-SEC candidate who has received national attention for his team's defensive success this season.
The Wisconsin defensive coordinator has his Badgers boasting the country's No. 1 pass defense, No. 2 total defense, No. 4 scoring defense and No. 8 rushing defense this season. Aranda had similar success at Utah State before coming to Camp Randall Stadium with head coach Gary Andersen.
Auburn will most likely have to make another widespread system change after Johnson's departure, as the 4-2-5 is not a popular formation across college football.
However, Aranda is no stranger to culture changes on defense. When he took over in Madison, Wisconsin made the switch from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 and improved from No. 15 in total defense in 2012 under current Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema to No. 7 in 2013.
Aranda's unfamiliarity with Auburn's current staff and this part of the country might make him too much of a long shot, but there are few defensive coordinators with as impressive of a resume in 2014.
Bill Clark
5 of 5
The drama surrounding UAB football came to a head Sunday afternoon, as reports suggested the Blazers program would come to an end in the coming weeks, per SI.com's Thayer Evans.
While nothing has been made official yet, Auburn could look at hiring the man who made UAB a bowl-eligible team right before its demise.
Bill Clark is a respected, defensive-minded name across the state of Alabama for his impressive high school coaching career that featured back-to-back state titles in 2006 and 2007 at powerhouse Prattville.
He then became defensive coordinator for the upstart South Alabama program before taking Jacksonville State to the FCS quarterfinals in his only season as the Gamecocks' head coach.
Football Scoop's Zach Barnett first suggested Clark's name as a potential candidate for Auburn on Sunday afternoon. The timing of the moves, familiarity with the state and Malzahn's fondness for former high school coaching stars make Clark a wild-card name to watch if the Tigers miss out on the bigger names.
All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports. All stats courtesy of cfbstats.com.
Justin Ferguson is Bleacher Report's lead Auburn writer. Follow him on Twitter @JFergusonAU.
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