FAYETTEVILLE — After being SEC West rival head coaches the previous two seasons, Gus Malzahn and Chad Morris are on the same team.
Morris, the University of Arkansas coach the previous two seasons, has joined Malzahn at Auburn.
Malzahn has a 62-31 record with the Tigers going into his eighth season on the Plains, including two lopsided victories over Morris’ Razorbacks.
Auburn beat Arkansas 34-3 in 2018 and 51-10 in 2019, but those games didn’t dissuade Malzahn from hiring Morris as his offensive coordinator. Nor did Morris’ 4-18 record — including 0-14 in the SEC —with the Razorbacks before he was fired last season with two games remaining.
Malzahn thinks so highly of Morris that he’s turning over play-calling duties to him. Malzahn had resumed calling plays last season after letting Chip Lindsey [now Troy’s head coach] do it for two seasons as offensive coordinator.
“With Chad, he’s one of the few guys in the country I’d trust running the offense,” Malzahn said last Friday on the “Paul Finebaum Show.” “I just think he’s a great coach. He’s a great relationship guy.”
Malzahn has been friends with Morris since both were high school coaches — Malzahn in Arkansas and Morris in Texas.
“Chad Morris, in my opinion, is one of the best offensive minds in all of college football,” Malzahn said in January after hiring Morris. “We’re going to turn him loose.”
Some Arkansas fans took to Twitter to express their happiness about Auburn hiring Morris considering his lack of success with the Razorbacks. But Morris’ resume includes leading explosive offensives as a coordinator at Tulsa and Clemson as well as a head coach at SMU.
“I trust him 110%,” Malzahn said in January. “He’s going to take our offense and he’s going to run with it. I’m very excited about that. It’s something that me and him have been talking about for a long time, being two high school coaches from way back when.
“We finally get a chance to coach with each other, and I’m excited that he’s going to be in charge of our offense. You don’t hire a guy like Chad Morris unless you’re going to do that.”
Morris will be working with an experienced quarterback in sophomore Bo Nix, who started every game last season and passed for 2,542 yards and 16 touchdowns and rushed for 313 yards and 7 touchdowns.
“Last year we threw him into the fire with that schedule we had,” Malzahn told Finebaum in reference to playing Oregon, Florida and Georgia in addition to the SEC West teams. “He had to grow up in a hurry.”
Nix passed for 173 yards and a touchdown and rushed for a touchdown in the Tigers’ 48-45 victory over Alabama.
“Obviously, the way he played in the Iron Bowl and played his best game and led us to a victory in that game, gave us some momentum heading into this year,” Malzahn told Finebaum. “Right now he’s learning our new offense under Chad Morris. He’s very excited about it. I think our offense is in good hands with him leading the show.”
Nix has a group of talented and experiences receivers led by juniors Seth Williams (59 catches for 840 yards and 9 touchdowns last season) and Anthony Schwartz (41-440) and senior Eli Stove (37-321), but the Tigers have to rebuild up front.
Junior center Nick Brahms is the only returning starter on the offensive line, which has a new position coach in Jack Bicknell.
Bicknell, a former head coach at Louisiana Tech, was the offensive line coach at Ole Miss the previous three seasons. He also has extensive NFL experience with the New York Giants, Kansas City Chiefs, Pittsburgh Steelers and Miami Dolphins.
“He’s going to be able to take our game to the next level,” junior tackle Brodarious Hamm told reporters.
Malzahn said he believes there are 10 to 12 offensive linemen who could start.
“I know Coach Bicknell and Coach Morris have a very open mind,” Malzahn told reporters. “I’ve tried not to give them any kind of preconceived thoughts from the past about this and that. Let’s let whoever is ready to play, play.”
Auburn’s leading rusher last season, JaTarvious Whitlow with 763 yards, entered the transfer portal but hasn’t found a new school.
With Whitlow gone, the Tigers should still have a good running back rotation led by sophomore D.J. Williams (400 rushing yards last season) and junior Shaun Shivers.
Kevin Steele is going into his fifth season as Auburn’s defensive coordinator, and while he has to replace seven starters, the Tigers should be their usual stingy selves led by senior linebacker K.J. Britt (68 tackles, 3 1/2 sacks last season), junior cornerback Christian Tutt and senior end Big Kat Bryant.
“With Chad and Kevin, I feel like we’re in really good hands with our coordinators,” Malzahn told Finebaum.
The Tigers held a closed scrimmage Saturday and ran 92 plays, according to media reports.
“Overall, I thought it was a good first scrimmage,” Malzahn told reporters. “It gave our coaches an idea of where our players are at. We have five weeks to get to where we want to be.”
Malzahn said the Tigers will have more scrimmage reps than ever in fall camp with the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
“We need to create depth,” Malzahn said. “That’s really going to factor, not just for us, but for everybody around college football. You’ll hear me talking a whole lot about three-deep, when usually you’re talking about two-deep.
“Just a new day as far as that’s concerned. But at the same time, great opportunities for our young guys.”
Auburn's 2020 schedule
NOTE: Start times have not been announced.
SEPT. 26 Kentucky
OCT. 3 at Georgia
OCT. 10 Arkansas
OCT. 17 at South Carolina
OCT. 24 at Ole Miss
OCT. 31 LSU
NOV. 14 at Mississippi State
NOV. 21 Tennessee
NOV. 28 at Alabama
DEC. 5 Texas A&M
Auburn at a glance
LAST YEAR 9-4, 5-3 (3rd in SEC West) COACH Gus Malzahn (62-31 in seven seasons at Auburn, 71-34 overall in eight seasons)
RETURNING STARTERS Offense 3, Defense 4, Specialty 2
KEY PLAYERS QB Bo Nix, WR Seth Williams, WR Anthony Schwartz, C Nick Brahms, RB D.J. Williams, LB K.J. Britt, DE Big Kat Bryant, LB Owen Pappoe, CB Christian Tutt OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR Chad Morris (1st year)
DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR Kevin Steele (5th year)
BOWL SCENARIO If bowls are played this season, expect Auburn to be in a major game. The Tigers lost a lot of starters, but one of the reasons Malzahn didn’t leave Auburn for Arkansas is because his team is loaded with talent. That’s usually the case for Auburn. If things fall right and the Tigers get a few breaks, they could be a playoff team — assuming there is a playoff.