Reports: Auburn to hire Rhett Lashlee as offensive coordinator

Gus Malzahn has made another coaching hire, bringing in Rhett Lashlee from Arkansas State to be his offensive coordinator, according to al.com. Lashlee, 29, was an offensive graduate assistant at Auburn from 2009-10 under Malzahn and coach Gene Chizik.

Lashlee is the second coach hired in as many days by Malzahn, who announced Ellis Johnson will be his defensive coordinator on Thursday. Johnson, 60, coached Southern Miss last season and has coached in the SEC for 14 years including four years as defensive coordinator at South Carolina (2008-11).

The terms of Lashlee’s contract were not immediately available, though he will also certainly receive a considerable raise from the $90,000 he earned this season at Arkansas State.

Lashlee replaces Scot Loeffler, who served one season on the Plains and was dismissed on Wednesday along with all of Chizik’s assistants. Auburn owes Loeffer his salary of $500,000 through 2014, though any salary he earns through the end of his contract will offset.

Auburn averaged an SEC-worst 305 yards per game and finished 115th in total offense, 113th in scoring (18.67), 112th in passing (156.6 yards) and 78th in rushing (148.4 yards) this season.

Lashlee will help run Malzahn’s spread, no-huddle offense which ranks 17th in the nation in total offense and tied for 21st in scoring this season.

At his introductory press conference on Tuesday, Malzahn said he was going to take his time hiring assistants but coordinators would be a priority. He also will reportedly bring strength and conditioning coach Ryan Russell in from Arkansas State, replacing Kevin Yoxall, who served 14 years at Auburn in the same capacity.

Russell, 32, was an assistant to Yoxall from 2009-10 and a graduate assistant on the strength and conditioning staff at Auburn from 2005-06.