Auburn dips into the NFL for new defensive coordinator

At a press conference Monday afternoon, Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith announced that his defensive coordinator, Brian VanGorder, has accepted the same job at Auburn. The school subsequently confirmed the hiring.

“I’m very excited to have a coach like Brian VanGorder join our staff at Auburn. From the beginning of this process, I had one person in mind, and that was Brian,” head coach Gene Chizik said in a statement. “He has achieved success at every level, both professionally and collegiately, which is a testament to his ability as a coach. He has been one of the best defensive coordinators in the NFL, has won a Broyles Award at the college level, and understands what it takes to succeed in the Southeastern Conference. We’re pleased to welcome Brian and his family to Auburn.”

VanGorder has spent the past four seasons with the Falcons, but the vast majority of his coaching experience has come at the collegiate level. From 2001-04, VanGorder was the coordinator at Georgia, leading a defense that was one of the best in not only the SEC but the country.

He’s also been the coordinator at UCF, Central Michigan and Western Illinois. In 2007, he was the head coach at Georgia Southern.

VanGorder will replace Ted Roof, who left last month to become the coordinator at UCF.