After another season of dwelling near the bottom of the SEC defensively in 2014, coach Gus Malzahn knew the defense needed improvement if the Tigers were to compete for another national championship.
In perhaps the biggest move in the offseason, Malzahn did just that by hiring former Florida coach Will Muschamp as the new defensive coordinator.
The move brought a man who is familiar with both defense and Auburn, as he was previously Auburn’s defensive coordinator from 2006-07.
His 3-4 hybrid defensive scheme was not the reason for his dismissal at Florida. The Gators actually ranked second in the conference in total defense last season.
Muschamp is ready for the challenge ahead, which is reviving the Auburn defense and converting the players from the previous 4-2-5 scheme to his 3-4 scheme.
“I told them, ‘All I am going to guarantee is an opportunity,’” Muschamp said. “It’s their job to come in and take advantage of the opportunity.”
He also guarantees intensity, something Auburn fans who saw him coach the Tigers in the past vividly remember.
“He’s intense,” said cornerback Jonathan Jones. “He expects the best from you every day.”
Muschamp admits to challenging the defense especially hard, but said he thinks the work will pay off in the fall.
“We purposely, some days, throw a lot at them to see how they adjust and how they handle it,” Muschamp said. “I think that’s something that you always have to be able to do, especially when we are in the spring and not in a game situations.”
So far progress has been noticeable, Malzahn said, and the defense looked better than the offense in the first major scrimmage.
“The defense probably got the best of the offense today,” Malzahn said. “There were probably more big hits than in any of the scrimmages we’ve had up to this point.”
Malzahn said the defense is playing more aggressively, which is a signature of Muschamp’s defenses.
“There were some impact hits, the type of hits that get everybody excited,” Malzahn said. “That was really exciting from my standpoint.”
Though those results may cause some to worry about the offense, Malzahn said he chooses to look at it in a different, more positive way.
“I look at it as a positive that the defense came to play,” Malzahn said. “You know, in the spring, there’s constant competitiveness. One day one wins, one day the other wins.”
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