Following a disappointing 8-4 regular season, Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn has begun overhauling his coaching staff, and the first casualty is second-year defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, according to FootballScoop.com:
Auburn DC Ellis Johnson to leave staff, per reports
The Tigers gave up 42 points per game in their four losses this season.
At Auburn, per source, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson is leaving the staff http://t.co/gkayvPt9KK
— FootballScoop Staff (@FootballScoop) November 30, 2014 Johnson presided over a defense that allowed 26 points per game in 2014, and against SEC opponents that number jumped to nearly 33 points per game. In Auburn’s four losses, the defense allowed 42 points per game, and it’s awfully hard for even Auburn’s high-powered offense to keep up with that kind of pace every week.
The defense’s worst performance of the year was its most recent, as Alabama torched the Tigers for 55 points and 539 yards of offense, even with three interceptions thrown by Blake Sims. The defensive meltdown wasted a 44-point day by the Auburn offense in the Iron Bowl, and it’s evident that Malzahn had seen enough by then.
No details are out yet on who will fill Johnson’s role for Auburn’s upcoming bowl game or where Auburn will look for a long-term replacement.
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