Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has been named the new offensive coordinator for the University of Connecticut.
UConn Huskies athletics confirmed the story Wednesday night. Lashlee has been Auburn's offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach since 2013, and guided the Tigers to their best back-to-back offensive seasons in school history in 2013 and 2014. The 34 year old coach had been mentioned in rumors back in December as a candidate to take over as head coach at UConn, before Randy Edsall was hired from Maryland.
Auburn ranked 43rd in total offense for the 2016 season, along with the 6th best rushing offense. UConn finished 3-9 overall, and in turn fired head coach Bob Diaco after three seasons in Storrs, CT.
Rhett Lashlee was instrumental in bringing 4-star Baylor transfer quarterback Jarrett Stidham to Auburn, and was rumored to have been very close to Stidham.
The new UConn coordinator played quarterback for Gus Malzahn in high school, then preceded to spend every year of his coaching career alongside Malzahn with the exception of one. (OC/QB coach at Samford, 2011). After Gus Malzahn handed over primary offensive playcalling to Lashlee after the early-season loss to Texas A&M, the Tigers ripped off a six game winning streak, averaging 39 points a game. Auburn's offense seemed to thrive under Lashlee's direction, and stumbled late primarily due to lingering injuries to multiple offensive starters.
Auburn opens up their 2017 football at Jordan-Hare Stadium against Georgia Southern on September 4th, 2017.
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