The last two offseasons, SEC assistant coaches and coordinators have zipped between jobs at an even more maddening rate.

Several coaches have left for other SEC programs in what some have considered “lateral moves.” One of the most intriguing this season was Dameyune Craig, who left his post as Auburn’s receivers coach to become LSU’s receivers coach.

One of the SEC’s best recruiters, the 41-year-old Craig may eventually become a coordinator or even a head coach in the league.

The perception of Gus Malzahn has waned in the last two years after he led his team to a BCS National Championship appearance in 2013. But Les Miles came much closer to losing his job at the end of the 2015 season, so it’s hard to argue that his move to Baton Rouge is about job security.

For his part, Craig disputed the narrative that he left Auburn for more or less the same job.

There have been rumblings of discontent among multiple staff members at Auburn the last few years. The website GridironNow.com cited anonymous sources within the program to explain Craig’s decision:

Two sources close to the situation said Craig is leaving because of concerns about how the offense was being run and how he fit. Those concerns grew to a point that Craig believed he no longer fit the program and that it was was time for him to leave.

While Craig’s defection could be construed as a petty personal disagreement of some sort, early reports from his tenure in Baton Rouge actually serve to back Craig’s statement.

Regardless of whether Craig meshed well with Malzahn and offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee, it seems that his relationship with LSU coordinator Cam Cameron is off to a good start.

“Coach Cameron and myself, we meet all day,” Craig told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “I understand what he’s looking for, and I’m learning a lot from him. He’s been an open book for me, as far as his knowledge and his information. It’s been so much fun.”

But don’t take his word for it. Consider that LSU has allowed Craig to work closely with Brandon Harris and the Tigers quarterbacks this spring. In context, that’s a big vote of confidence in Craig and illustrates that he probably does have more responsibility in Baton Rouge. If he can help turn around LSU’s offense, he’s probably in a better position to move up the coaching ranks than he was at Auburn.

Cameron’s track record includes an impressive group of quarterbacks both at the college level and in the NFL. He’s gotten credit for helping along players like Antwaan Randle El, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers and Joe Flacco. In 2013, his first season at LSU, he coached Zach Mettenberger to a tremendous season.

When Miles survived a potential coup at the end of the 2015 season, the team’s conservative offense was at the center of the unrest surrounding the program. Many assumed that Cameron would take the fall. Instead, he’s taken a $300,000 pay cut.

Big-time coaches like Cameron tend to be prideful men. Under all sorts of pressure to improve the passing game in 2015 — and perhaps also needing to convince Miles to allow him to open up the offense to an extent — Cameron is willing to let Craig become a major influence on quarterback Brandon Harris. That tells us plenty about the importance of Craig within the current LSU coaching staff.

Craig has insisted his No. 1 priority this spring is to ensure that his group of receivers play a more physical style of football in 2016. He’s got some talented athletes with which to work, including Travin Dural and Malachi Dupre. But more interesting are his comments and insight into Harris’ game.

LSU has staged what would be described as a pseudo-competition between Harris and Danny Etling, the transfer quarterback from Purdue who sat out last season. Perhaps Etling is good enough to challenge or even overtake Harris. More likely, he’s going to serve as a backup in place of the departing Anthony Jennings, and in the meantime his presence could help motivate Harris.

The Tigers are more complex than the simplistic hot take you’ve heard 100 times the last two years. If their quarterback play was merely good, this would be a national championship team. 

Last year’s defense regressed considerably during the transition from John Chavis to Kevin Steele. But the presence of former Wisconsin coordinator Dave Aranda gives LSU fans hope that the unit can give its typical dominating performance this fall.

But there’s at least some truth to that opinion. If Harris can emerge as even nominally improved, LSU could be a real championship contender all the way through this season. Any slight edge that Craig could provide carries significant ramifications.

“Brandon has a strong arm. First thing I noticed is his ability to drive the football, but, at times, you have to take something off the ball and be able to throw with touch,” Craig told The Advocate.

The assistant coach, himself a successful SEC quarterback at Auburn (1994-97) as an athletic, mobile passer, served as quarterbacks coach at Florida State for three years. He presumably knows a thing or two about the position. He’s great at building relationships with players as well, which goes hand-in-hand with his recruiting prowess. (Craig recruited Jameis Winston to the Seminoles.)

He’s passed along a few drills for Harris to work on his touch and become a more refined, accurate passer.

“Coach Craig came in, and we have a bond,” Harris said, according to USA Today. “He’s able to help me. He was a similar player. He’s a guy I look up to, and he serves as a role model to me.

“The drills he has us doing and he’s given Cam to help me, it’s helped me tremendously. He, along with Cam, gave us some great quarterback drills. Stuff that helped me with touch. It’s really helped me. After practice when we get our accuracy numbers, our completion percentages, you can see where it continues to go up.”

As an outsider and a writer who admittedly does not know Harris personally, my perception is that he’s looked like a quarterback who has lacked confidence during his first two seasons in Baton Rouge. Particularly in his first start against Auburn in 2014, he looked like a deer in the headlights — and it showed in his play.

Pay attention to Harris’ words as he described Craig’s influence to USA Today and it’s easy to imagine him starting to believe in himself. The two have conversed about Craig’s own experience, about how much easier the game gets when things slow down and with experience.

LSU can ride a good defense and Leonard Fournette to maybe 10 wins this fall. But if the team wants a special season, wants to win the SEC West, there’s going to come a time when Harris is going to need to go and win a game. Maybe against Alabama or Ole Miss.

Don’t be surprised if Craig’s name comes up during the broadcast of that drive, as part of the story. As a factor. As relevant.

It doesn’t seem likely that would hold true at Auburn with either quarterback Jeremy Johnson or John Franklin III if Craig had elected to remain on The Plains in 2016.

Craig is proving himself right. Now LSU hopes he’s a good enough coach to make it count.