Five possible replacements for Auburn's defensive coordinator

Ellis Johnson's tenure as Auburn defensive coordinator has come to an end, per a release from Auburn Sunday night.
Johnson's replacement will be tasked with fixing a defense that allowed 30 points or more in the Tigers' final six SEC games this season.
Auburn has a history of hiring former head coaches as defensive coordinator. Its last three, Johnson, Ted Roof and Brian Van Gorder, were a combined 9-65 at their most recent head coaching position.
We as the sports staff of The Auburn Plainsman have compiled a list of potential replacements for Auburn's defensive coordinator. All but one of the names on our list is a former head coach who is currently without a job or could be without a job due to varying circumstances.\0x200B


Will Muschamp (former Florida head coach, 28-22 overall record)
Even though his stint at Florida was unsuccessful, Muschamp is definitely the main candidate for this position in the eyes of the fans.
Muschamp began his coaching career as a linebacker's coach under Nick Saban at LSU, and was quickly promoted to defensive coordinator. In his second year as coordinator, LSU led the nation in scoring defense and total defense, and the Bayou Bengals won the BCS National Championship.
He then followed Saban to the Miami Dolphins as his defensive coordinator for a season, but returned to the college game as Auburn's defensive coordinator.
In his two seasons at Auburn, Muschamp's defenses were top 10 nationally in total defense and led the SEC. He was a fan favorite also, as his energy was contagious to players and fans.
Muschamp then was hired as the defensive coordinator at Texas, where he became one of the hottest head coach prospects in the country. After three seasons, he was hired as the head coach at Florida.
Muschamp would be a home run hire for Auburn. One of the main problems for Auburn's defense has been its lack of discipline, something that Muschamp's fiery personality will be able to solve. Also, he's a proven commodity as an SEC coordinator, with success at multiple programs.
By: Andrew Monson | Sports Writer
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Bo Pelini (Former Nebraska head coach, 67-27 overall record)
In a stunning move by the Nebraska front office, head coach Bo Pelini was fired on Sunday after seven seasons with the team.
Pelini leaves Nebraska with a 67-27 overall record and had won at least nine games every season. It was a move that angered players and fans of Nebraska but could be seen as a blessing for Auburn.
When Pelini was hired as defensive coordinator for the Cornhuskers in 2003, he improved a defense that was ranked 55th nationally the year before to 11th and led the country in turnover margin.
In 2004, he was a co-defensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners team that went to the BCS National Championship game against the USC Trojans and was the sixth-ranked rushing defense and 11th-ranked scoring defense.
Pelini earned the Nebraska job as a defensive coordinator came during his tenure with the LSU Tigers. For each of his three years as defensive coordinator LSU was ranked third in overall defense and even managed to win the 2008 BCS National Championship game with a 38-24 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes.
By: Pierce Quinn | Sports Writer
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Manny Diaz (Defensive coordinator, Louisiana Tech)
Manny Diaz has 14 years of Division I coaching experience and has led his defenses to 12 bowl game appearances.
As defensive coordinator at Louisiana Tech this year, the Bulldogs have improved with a ranking of No. 29 in the nation in total defense this year, a year after they allowed an average of 408 yards per game.
Diaz previously coached as defensive coordinator at Texas from 2011-2013, and during his first season he led the Longhorns to become the top defense in the Big 12, as they ranked No. 1 in the conference in total defense, rushing defense and pass defense.
Diaz was also the defensive coordinator for Mississippi State in 2010, which ranked No. 22 in the nation in scoring defense. The Bulldogs allowed only 19.9 points per game in 2010, which showed when they lost only 19-14 to the 2010 Auburn national championship team. That team also ranked nationally as No. 15 in red-zone defense, No. 17 in nationally in rushing defense and No. 17 in tackles for loss, which was another major turnaround after Mississippi State finished No. 71 in scoring defense and No. 89 in tackles for loss the season before he arrived in Starkville, Mississippi.
Although Diaz may not be the biggest name on Auburn's short list of potential defensive coordinator candidates, he has had plenty of success turning around big programs that have had defensive struggles before he got there.
By: Kyle Van Fechtmann | Assistant Sports Editor
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Bill Clark (6-6 in 2014 season as head coach at UAB, 11-4 in 2013 season as head coach at Jacksonville State)
The possibility of Auburn hiring UAB head coach Bill Clark to take charge of the Tigers' defense remains an option if concerns surrounding UAB football shut the program down.
During his first year as head coach at UAB, Clark led the Blazers to a 6-6 season, and made his team eligible for bowl competition for the third time in school history. The Blazers are one of eight Conference USA teams to win at least six games in the 2014 season.
Before that, he guided Jacksonville State to a record-setting 11-4 season as its head coach in 2013. It was the most victories for the Gamecocks since 1992.
Prior to Jacksonville State, Clark was assistant head coach and the defensive coordinator at South Alabama.
Clark was the high school football head coach for nine years at Prattville High School, where his last two teams won a pair of Class 6A State Championships.
Depending on the future of UAB's football program or how long it takes for the school to give Clark a contract extension, Auburn could find the missing piece to its coaching staff in his 20 years of coaching experience.
By: Derek Thompson | Sports Writer
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Gene Chizik (38-38 as head coach)
Gene Chizik's tenure as Auburn head coach was well documented. His questionable hiring was well documented too, but the firing of defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson leaves a spot on the Auburn coaching staff.
Before disregarding the former head coach, remember his success as a defensive coordinator for both Auburn (2002-2004) and Texas (2005-2006).
As Auburn defensive coordinator, Chizik's defenses gave up an average of 15.13 points per game. In 2004, after major contributions to the undefeated season, Chizik was awarded the Broyles Award, given to the nation's best assistant coach.
Everyone remembers the 2010 National Championship Chizik celebrated with the Tigers, but it should be noted that he also played a major role in Texas' 2005 National Championship win over USC.
Chizik also coached three different winners of the Thorpe Award, an award given to the nations best defensive back; Carlos Rodger (AU), Michael Huff (UT), and Arron Ross (UT).
However, Auburn fans are unlikely to forget Chizik's fall from dominance.
In his last two seasons as Auburn's head coach, Chizik amassed an 11-14 record including a winless conference record in 2012.
It also would be interesting to see how Auburn fans would react if the team signs on a defensive coordinator that still hasn't finished his head coach contract.
The former head coach is currently bringing home $209, 457.84 a month, according to Auburn's payroll.
Chizik may not be on many Auburn fan's wish list, but if worst comes to worst, at least there's another proven defense coordinator living in the Auburn city limits.
By: Patrick Lucas | Sports Reporter