Updates from Coordinator Press Conf

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***Gus Malzahn, Rhett Lashlee and Ellis Johnson are all here.

"I told y'all I was going to take my time choosing coordinators and it took 48 hours," Malzahn said.

***Johnson said he was proud to be at Auburn and has always admired. He said Auburn has a great tradition of defense, one he plans to continue. He said it was an honor to be back in the SEC.

***Johnson called Malzahn one of the finest coaches in this profession.

***Johnson said that the high school football and coaches in the state of Alabama is excellent.

***Johnson said it was a homerun to have this opportunity.

***Malzahn said Lashlee has been his right-hand man at three different stops. He said Lashlee deserves a lot of credit for the success of the offense at Auburn and did a great job at Ark St.

***Lashlee said the first thing he thought of on the opportunity to return to Auburn was the fans and things like Tiger Walk.

***Lashlee said their identity on offense will be fast and physical. He said they will have a physical running game and take vertical shots down the field. He said they must be the most disciplined team on the field in every game. He stressed being disciplined on and off the field.

***Malzahn said having Johnson running the defense gives him a lot of comfort and security.

***Malzahn said Lashlee will handle the gameplan every week and allow him to be the head coach.

***Malzahn said he wanted to hire coordinators first and give them ownership in hiring the assistants. Malzahn said he would make the final decision.

***Johnson said one thing he likes about Malzahn's hurry-up offense is it has a physical element. He thinks it will help his defense going up against it every day.

"It's not about how fast you go but how fast you go well," Johnson said.

***Johnson hasn't met the players yet but hopes to as soon as they finish final exams.

***Johnson said they will originiate out of a 4-man front with two LB's and five DB's. They will be flexible out of their base and create odd-man fronts. They will be multiple and aggressive.

***Johnson said the Spur position was the key to the flexibility. He has to rush the passer, cover and be physical on the edge.

***Malzahn said they are trying to get the right people for Auburn on his coaching staff. He said it was extremely tough to let some of the former assistants go.

***Johnson said he would be flexible on what position he will coach depending on the assistants they hire.

***Malzahn said they are trying to reach out to all the commitments and develop relationship. He said there are just a couple they haven't reached so far.

***Malzahn said Lashlee has a bright future and will be a head coach one day. He said Lashlee knows the offense like the back of his hand. He said him and Lashlee will do the same thing they did last year, they will call games together.

***Johnson in reply to his past negative comments on the hurry-up offense...

"Did I say that?" Johnson joked. "Translated into Latin, that means somebody help us, we can't stop this."

***Johnson said he tried to implement a similar offense at Southern Miss.

***Johnson said the spread offenses and speed in college football exposes tackling. He said you have to put a lot of attention into tackling and fundamentals and not get too caught up in the X's and O's.