Malzahn: Bisaccia “out recruiting,” Woods hire a “possibility” at this time

MONTGOMERY — Hurry-up, no-huddle hiring may continue for Auburn coach Gus Malzahn.

Multiple reports surfaced Wednesday evening of newly-hired running backs and special teams coach Rich Bisaccia being targeted by the Dallas Cowboys for their special teams coach position but Thursday night Malzahn said at this time Bisaccia remains a member of the Auburn coaching staff.

“He’s out recruiting,” Malzahn said of Bisaccia, who was hired Jan. 3, before a speaking engagement at the 8th annual Alabama Football Coaches Association Convention held at the Embassy Suites in Montgomery.

Should Bisaccia leave, Malzahn has found an apparent replacement in Arkansas State wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator and former Auburn director of offensive quality control Casey Woods.

Malzahn said the hiring of Woods, which was first reported by FootballScoop.com Thursday afternoon, is a “possibility at this point.” When asked if he could say in what capacity Woods would be brought to the staff Malzahn said “not at this time.”

Woods served under Malzahn for three years from 2009-11 at Auburn before joining him at Arkansas State. In 2008, Woods was a graduate assistant at Tennessee, where he was a three-year letterman from 2003-07 and a team captain in 2007.

He would be the fourth assistant to hold the recruiting coordinator position as his last institution joining wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Dameyune Craig, associate head coach and defensive line coach Rodney Garner and tight ends coach Tim Horton.

Should Bisaccia leave for another position it could lead to a shuffling of responsibilities for the Auburn offensive coaches. Horton was running backs coach at Arkansas and Craig was a special teams assistant with the Miami Dolphins in 2005.

Malzahn said “all” of his assistants have signed contracts, though an Auburn spokesman corrected him to say the assistants have signed Letters of Agreement, not contracts. It is unclear how much the buyout in Bisaccia’s Letter of Agreement is or if he even has one.

Auburn has yet to release any of its coaches’ contracts, though Malzahn’s Letter of Agreement was released and the salaries of offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee and defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson were as well.

Wednesday night Auburn athletic director Jay Jacobs and an Auburn spokesman were unable to confirm reports by the Dallas Morning News and ESPN Dallas of Bisaccia possibly leaving his position or say if he ever signed a contract with the school.

The three other SEC schools with new coaching staffs – Arkansas, Tennessee and Kentucky – have all released their new staff contracts.