After several of his former assistants left their analyst jobs to take larger responsbilities at other schools, Gus Malzahn is reloading his support staff for a potential SEC title defense.
For one of the vacant spots left on the football coaching staff, Malzahn turned to hiring a successful high school coach, Bobby Bentley, to be the new offensive analyst working strictly with quarterbacks.
Malzahn also hired Travis Williams, former Auburn linebacker and graduate assistant, to become a defensive analyst on Tuesday, Feb. 25.
Williams will reportedly have an off-field role focusing on defensive analysis. Williams is from Columbia, S.C. and played linebacker at Auburn from 2001-2005.
"I'm excited to be back," Williams told AL.com. "Coming back home and being on a great coaching staff is something I couldn't turn down."
Many Auburn fans may be familiar with his 80-tackle campaign during the undefeated 2004 season, which earned him a spot on the All-SEC first team.
Other fans will remember him for the multiple rap songs he wrote while on the Plains, including "Tiger Walk," which has been a favorite at Jordan-Hare Stadium in recent seasons.
After his collegiate playing days, Williams went on to play in the NFL from 2006-2008 and appeared in six games for the Atlanta Falcons.
After his short career in the NFL came to a close, Williams returned to the Plains as a defensive graduate assistant under former head coach Gene Chizik.
Williams was still an assistant during the 2010 National Championship season, but moved on from Auburn in the spring of 2012 to become a linebackers coach at Northern Iowa.
Malzahn filled another support staff spot on the other side of the ball this week, with the hiring of quarterbacks offensive analyst Bentley.
"It will be an honor to work with the SEC champions and work alongside Coach Gus Malzahn," Bentley said to the Spartanburg Herald Journal.
Bentley was the Byrnes High School (S.C.) football coach and assistant athletic director last season, and he led his team to a 12-2 record, a regional title and a state semifinal berth.
Bentley also modeled his high school's offense last season after Malzahn's hurry-up no-huddle offense.
After taking over in 2013 for Chris Miller, who won three state titles as head coach at Byrnes and then took a different coaching job in South Carolina, Bentley moved from offensive coordinator to head coach.
Bentley's son, Jake, is a rising sophomore in high school and was offered a football scholarship to play at Auburn University in June of 2013 before his freshman year.
Jake, a 6-foot-4, 207-pound quarterback, was expected to be the starting quarterback at Byrnes for his last three seasons and already has other scholarship offers from schools, including Clemson University.
Bentley was the Byrnes head coach from 1995-2006 with an overall record of 107-52. From 2002-2005, Byrnes won four consecutive state championships, and Bentley led them to a 57-2 record during that time period.
Bentley was also the head coach at Presbyterian College from 2007-2008 and was 10-13 in those two seasons.
He then returned to coaching at the high school level at Byrnes.
Bentley spent 22 years coaching and teaching at Byrnes High School.
"I had no intentions of leaving Byrnes once I came back [from Presbyterian College]," Bentley said. "We had been to a college, and it is a little different. What happens is you meet a guy like Gus Malzahn and, you say, if you get the chance to work with him, then you do it.
"My wife is excited about it, and anytime your wife is excited it's usually a good sign."
According to GoUpstate.com, Bentley broke the news that he was taking the job at Auburn University to his high school team on Monday Feb. 24.
"I think the older ones could see it all fall into place," Bentley said. "We went to Auburn's 7-on-7, and they knew I was friends with Gus Malzahn. I think it's harder on the younger guys."
Bentley has known Malzahn for many years and turned down an offer to join Malzahn's Auburn coaching staff prior to last year's SEC Championship season, the Spartanburg Herald Journal reported.
"I think it's very important the fact that I've been a high school coach, and I got this opportunity to try to give other people more opportunities," Malzahn said. "Hopefully that'll be a trend in the future."
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