Check it off the list.
Wednesday, Jan. 3, Rick Bisaccia, former special teams and assistant head coach for the San Diego Chargers, was officially named Auburn's running backs and special teams coach.
In addition, Bisaccia will assume the role of assistant head coach at Auburn. Defensive line coach Rodney Garner, recently signed away from Georgia and originally named assistant head coach, is now associate head coach.
Bisaccia has coached professional and collegiate football for the past 30 years, spending the last 11 of them in the NFL.
Bisaccia worked with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2002-10 and joined the Chargers for the past two seasons, primarily coaching special teams in both capacities.
Bisaccia spent one season as running backs coach for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2008 working with former Auburn great Carnell Williams.
Now, Bisaccia is ready to make his return to the collegiate ranks.
"This is a tremendous opportunity for me to return to the college game at a program like Auburn," Bisaccia said in a press release Wednesday. "I have an incredible amount of respect for Auburn and Coach Malzahn. I met Gus in the spring of 2010 and have followed his cutting edge offense and what he's accomplished as a coach since he started coaching in college."
Before his professional coaching stints, Bisaccia served as running backs coach for South Carolina, Clemson and Ole Miss, respectively, from 1993-2001.
At Ole Miss, Bisaccia was special teams and running backs coach from 1999-01. During those three years, Bisaccia molded starting running back Deuce McAllister into an eventual first round draft choice and All-SEC selection.
McAllister finished his career at Ole Miss with 18 school records including most carries, yards, total touchdowns, and 100-yard games.
With the departure of running back/kick returner Onterio McCalebb, Auburn needs a boost in the return game.
Auburn's coverage and return units plagued the team with muffed punts and missed tackles in 2012.
By filling the previously vacant running backs coach position, the Tigers also gain recruiting momentum by introducing a proven coach to speak to recruits.
In addition, Bisaccia's hire lends even more familiarity to the newly assembled staff, a must if the team is to accomplish the already lofty expectations.
"(Gus is) a man of character, and I had previously worked with Ellis Johnson and Charlie Harbison, so I knew the type of staff that Gus was putting together," Bisaccia said. "I'm excited and ready to help Auburn return to a championship caliber team."
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