Auburn faced a 1-2 record entering its fourth game of 2016.

The Tigers couldn’t figure out which quarterback to play with starter Sean White splitting reps with John Franklin III and Jeremy Johnson. The offense was held to under 400 yards of total offense in both losses, and the team looked to have yet another disappointing season after finishing last in the SEC West in 2015.

Head coach Gus Malzahn, who many considered an offensive guru in the past, was on the hot seat for Auburn’s offensive struggles. But then, everything changed for the Tigers.

Auburn rallied in the fourth quarter of its Week 4 matchup against No. 18 LSU to win 18-13 after referees called off a would-be, game-winning touchdown. Since then, the Tigers have won each of their last four games, including a dominant 56-3 victory against Arkansas in which its rushing attack recorded 543 yards, the second-most by an SEC team vs. another SEC team in history.

The Tigers have also rushed for more than 200 yards in each of their last three games and recorded more than 600 yards of total offense in two of them. Auburn currently ranks first in the SEC in rushing offense (302.9 yards per game), second in total offense (501.0) and fourth in scoring offense (35.7 points per game). Last week’s win helped Auburn gain some national recognition as a sleeper team in the SEC. Malzahn has gone from hot seat to a potential SEC Coach of the Year candidate.

So what’s the difference? Why are the Tigers suddenly a great team again?

The answer is Rhett Lashlee, the offensive coordinator who has spent the majority of his coaching career under Malzahn and followed him back to Auburn from Arkansas State in 2013.

Lashlee was given play-calling duties during the LSU game and had previously served as the play caller during the Tigers’ win against Texas A&M in 2015. Including last year’s victory, Auburn is 5-0 with Lashlee calling plays and looks like one of the best offenses in the SEC, which is starting to earn him some national recognition.

Lashlee was a finalist for the Broyles Award during a 2013 season in which Auburn won the SEC championship and reached the BCS title game, but many questioned how big of a role he had in the offense’s success compared to Malzahn. But now, several programs are starting to take notice, and he should be a name that garners interest in several head coaching vacancies this offseason, according to Chris Vannini, managing editor at CoachingSearch.com.

“I think that was a question, especially a couple of years ago when Auburn played in the (BCS) national championship game was, Rhett’s name was out there, but how involved was he in that, how much of that was Gus? How much of that was him?” Vannini said. “You don’t have to call plays as a head coach. There are head coaches who get jobs who have never called plays. Where Rhett’s at in his career, getting that extra duty and so far, succeeding at it, is definitely a plus as he moves forward in his career.”

There’s no doubt that the change to Lashlee calling plays has been crucial to Auburn’s recent success. But that shouldn’t be held against Malzahn, although it’s likely to be a topic of conversation.

In most cases, the offensive coordinator serves as the play caller. That hasn’t made the head coach’s job any less important. Though Malzahn may still be an offensive guru, he could use some help from the rising coordinator.

Whatever helps the team win is most important, whether it’s Lashlee or Malzahn calling plays. As of now, it seems like the coordinator has brought an added element to Auburn’s offense, and the team is rolling.

Lashlee may move on to a bigger role next season, but as of now, he’s proving to be one of the best offensive coordinators in the SEC and the difference in the Tigers’ recent success.