Auburn, AL – Gus Malzahn is headed back to Auburn.
Auburn will hire Malzahn, who spent three seasons there as offensive coordinator before becoming the head coach at Arkansas State, as its new head coach, according to a report by the Opelika-Auburn News on Tuesday.
Malzahn was the Tigers' offensive coordinator from 2009-11 and helped lead the school to a national championship in 2010.
Aided by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Cam Newton, Auburn ranked seventh in scoring (41.2 points per game) and fifth in rushing (284.8 yards per game) during the 2010 campaign.
Just two years removed from that national title, Auburn went 3-9 and 0-8 in the SEC this year, which led to Gene Chizik's dismissal as head coach at season's end.
The 47-year-old Malzahn led Arkansas State to a Sun Belt title and an appearance in the Jan. 6 GoDaddy.com Bowl against Kent State in his lone season as head coach with the Red Wolves.
Prior to arriving in 2009, Malzahn spent two years as the offensive coordinator at Tulsa (2007-08) and one at Arkansas (2006).
Receive your weekly recap of all the happenings around the world of sports.