Auburn hires Arkansas State's Malzahn as head coach
One of Auburn's 2010 heroes is returning.
Former Tigers offensive coordinator and Arkansas State head coach Gus Malzahn has been hired as Auburn's next head coach.
"We are tremendously excited that Gus Malzahn will be our next head football coach," Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs said in a statement. "Coach Malzahn was the clear unanimous choice of our search committee, and I am pleased that Dr. Gogue has accepted our recommendation. This is a great day for Auburn football and Auburn University."
Malzahn went 9-3 in his one season at Arkansas State and secured a second consecutive \conference championship. The Red Wolves will play in the GoDaddy.com Bowl against Kent State University. It isn't clear whether Malzahn will coach in the bowl game.
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to become the head football coach at Auburn University. It's an outstanding institution with a storied football program that I had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand for three years," Malzahn said in a statement. "I deeply appreciate the confidence that Dr. Gogue, Jay Jacobs and the search committee had in my ability to turn this program around and to bring Auburn back to national prominence. This is a homecoming for me and I look forward to being reunited with the Auburn family."
He came to Auburn in 2009 as Gene Chizik's first offensive coordinator, and thrusted the Tigers from 104th to 16th in total offense. He bolted for Arkansas State after the 2011 season.
The Tigers had reportedly interviewed Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart and spoken to former Arkansas head coach Bobby Petrino by phone.
