Chip Lindsey was introduced as Troy’s head new coach Friday. It is the second move he has made this offseason. After serving as Auburn’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons, he left the Plains to link up with Les Miles at Kansas.

He explained his original decision to leave Auburn in a Q&A with AL.com.

“It was one of those things where, you know, offensively, I wanted to put my own spin on things, and do some things that I thought — and an opportunity to work for Les Miles, too, was extremely a big factor in that deal,” Lindsey told Sam Blum. “But it just felt like it was time for me to get out and grow a little bit, and kind of get back to my roots.”

Lindsey says that leaving for Kansas was his choice and he could have returned to AU for the 2019 season.

AL.com: Do you feel like you could have gone back to Auburn next season?

Lindsey: “Oh yeah, yeah, oh yeah, 100 percent. …”

Troy AD Jeremy McClain shared that Malzahn recommended Lindsey for the job. Lindsey says he still considers Malzahn a close friend and a mentor.

“…Coach and I, we talked this morning,” Lindsey told Blum. “I mean we’re — he’s been a really good friend of mine. He’s been a great mentor. He does a really good job. He does a lot, he’s been really successful. I just really appreciate him giving me those opportunities to be at Auburn for two years.”

“Coach Malzahn, he’s kind of for us former high school coaches, he’s the guy you look up to,” Lindsey added, confirming the recommendation. “He’s a great person, he’s a great man. I really, for me, he’s always been a mentor of mine.”

More from Lindsey, including his reaction to Auburn’s blowout Music City Bowl win and why he was drawn to the opportunity to work for Les Miles can be found in the full interview here.