Melvin Smith hired as cornerbacks coach

Mississippi State assistant Melvin Smith, an 18-year SEC coaching veteran, was hired to be Auburn’s cornerbacks coach, head coach Gus Malzahn announced Tuesday.

“He has a reputation for his ability to develop players and his 31-year coaching resume speaks for itself,” Malzahn said of Smith in a statement, who spent the past seven seasons coaching cornerbacks and the secondary at Mississippi State.

Smith completes Auburn’s defensive coaching staff, joining defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson, safeties coach and co-defensive coordinator Charlie Harbison and defensive line coach, assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Rodney Garner. Smith, Johnson and Harbison worked together at MSU in 2007.

“When we discussed this job, Gus told me that he was looking for men of character and integrity who were excellent coaches,” Smith said in a statement. “When I saw who he hired to his staff and having worked previously with Ellis, Charlie and (offensive line coach) J.B. (Grimes), I knew that’s exactly that was the type of men he was hiring. This is a tremendous opportunity for me and my family.”

Among the players Smith coached at MSU is corner Jonathan Banks, who won the 2012 Jim Thorpe Award and was a Walter Camp All-American and a first-team All-SEC selection.

Terms of Smith’s contract were not immediately available.