Rodney Garner hired as D-line coach, assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator

AUBURN — For the second time in as many days Gus Malzahn added to his coaching staff, as Georgia assistant and former Auburn offensive lineman Rodney Garner was hired to be Auburn’s new defensive line coach, assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator, Malzahn announced in a statement Thursday night.

“Rodney is one of the top defensive line coaches in college football who has had great success in the Southeastern Conference,” Malzahn said in a statement. “We’re excited to welcome an Auburn man back home.”

Garner has been the defensive line coach and recruiting coordinator at Georgia since 1998 and added the assistant head coach title in 2005. He played at Auburn from 1984-88 and was All-SEC in ’88 when the Tigers won the SEC Championship, later serving in a variety of roles with the coaching and support staff at Auburn from 1990-95.

“I owe a lot to Auburn and the men who helped mold me to who I am today both professionally and personally,” Garner said in a statement. “I have a lot of love for Auburn and I felt this was a great chance to help give back to a place that has given me so much. I look forward to helping get Auburn back to where it belongs.”

He takes over defensive line duties from another Auburn grad, Mike Pelton, for a unit which tied for 69th in sacks with 1.83 per game.

Defensive ends Corey Lemonier, Dee Ford, Nosa Eguae and Craig Sanders all return, though Lemonier has not said whether he will forgo his senior season for the NFL Draft. Jeffrey Whitaker, Gabe Wright and Angelo Blackson all return at defensive tackle for a Tigers defense which ranked 96th nationally in rush defense (197.6 yards per game).

Garner helped the Bulldogs to an 11-2 record, the SEC Eastern Division title and a berth in the Capital One Bowl this season. The Georgia defense allowed 18.7 points per game, 17^th nationally, including a shutout performance against Auburn. He was also part of the 2005 Georgia team which finished eighth nationally in scoring defense (16.4 ppg).

Garner has coached four NFL first-round draft choices in the past 12 seasons: Richard Seymour, Marcus Stroud, Charles Grant, and Johnathan Sullivan.

Garner is the fifth assistant coach hired by Malzahn, joining offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, secondary coach Charlie Harbison and offensive line coach J.B. Grimes.

“Great to see fellow former AU O Lineman come home,” Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs tweeted.

Prior to his time at Georgia, Garner served spent two years at Tennessee.