Auburn’s search for a defensive coordinator to replace the departed Will Muschamp has not gone well so far. The first choice and a former alum turned them down and so Gus Malzahn has continued to go down his list.
The last reported name Auburn had targeted was South Florida defensive coordinator Tom Allen.
Auburn Undercover reported Saturday that Allen had emerged as a candidate for Auburn’s open defensive coordinator position. However, Allen told the Tampa Bay Times that Auburn had not contacted him:
“Names get thrown around and that’s just where it is and that’s just part of it, because the kids played well,” Allen said during USF’s bowl media day Tuesday afternoon. “I told (the players), ‘It’s because of you. You guys started all of this.’ But that’s the reality of it and that’s the nature of this business. I’m a South Florida Bull and I have a great job.”
Allen is preparing his top-40 defense for the Miami Beach Bowl on Monday.
He does have some SEC experience having gone with Hugh Freeze from Arkansas State to Ole Miss before moving on to USF. His defense has been titled the “Bull Shark” defense similar to Freeze’s “Land Shark” defense at Ole Miss.
Auburn reportedly had been interested in Florida State defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, but Kelly declined.
Malzahn said he would like to have a new defensive coordinator in place soon.
