Auburn hires Muschamp as defensive co-ordinator

Auburn has hired former Florida Gators head coach Will Muschamp as defensive co-ordinator, the school has announced.

According to ESPN, Muschamp will be paid $1.6m to $1.8m annually – making him “college football’s highest-paid defensive co-ordinator”.

“I’m excited to welcome Will back to Auburn as our new defensive coordinator,” Tigers coach Gus Malzahn said in a statement. “Will is a one of the top defensive minds in college football who has great passion and energy for the game. He is a tremendous addition to our staff.”

Muschamp’s Florida Gators defenses were not the problem during his stint in The Swamp – it was his offense.

Muschamp is no stranger to Auburn, having been the school’s defensive co-ordinator from 2006 to 2007 and a grad assistant there 10 years before.

Auburn noted that “Muschamp’s last stint at Auburn saw his defense ranked third in the nation in scoring defense (15.4 points per game) and fourth in the nation pass defense (170.7 pass yards per game). During the same two-year time frame, the Tigers’ ranked third in the SEC in total defense by holding opponents to 295.1 yards per game.”

BOTTOM LINE: This is a fantastic hire for Auburn University. Muschamp is a great recruiters, and thanks to his experience not only in the SEC but also in Texas, expect the Tigers to pick up top-of-the-line defensive recruits from all over the country.