Ellis Johnson fired after two seasons

AUBURN -- Ellis Johnson was fired as Auburn's defensive coordinator on Sunday, less than 24 hours following the Tigers' 55-44 loss in the Iron Bowl.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn did not want to address if changes were going to be made to his defensive coaching staff following the Iron Bowl, its third straight in SEC play, but chose to go in another direction and who informed Johnson of his decision on Sunday afternoon, a source confirmed, after a sixth straight game in which the defense allowed 400 yards and 30 points.

"At this time I felt it was best for our program to make a change with our defensive coordinator," Malzahn said in a statement. "Ellis is a true professional and I would like to thank him for his contributions at Auburn."

Johnson, who turns 63 in December, is under contract through June 2017 for $850,000 annually after receiving a $50,000 raise and one-year extension just 10 months ago. Auburn owes Johnson the entirety of the approximately $2.2 million over the remaining term of his contract less any income he receives elsewhere in that time.

Johnson's 4-2-5 defense helped lead Auburn to the SEC Championship and BCS National Championship game in 2013, with statistical improvements across the board from the horrid 2012 season. But the unit regressed this season, with Auburn allowing an average of 39 points in its final six SEC games, during which the Tigers (8-4, 4-4 SEC) went 2-4.

"This is part of the business and I totally understand," Johnson said in a statement. "I did think we were good in several areas, but overall it wasn't good enough. I'm disappointed for our players, but this is a results business. I want to thank coach Malzahn and Auburn for the opportunity the last two years."

Auburn's defense finished 10th in the SEC in scoring (26.1 points), 13th in passing (239.2 yards), eighth in rushing (149.5 yards) and ninth in total defense (388.7), though all those marks were actually statistical improvements from 2013 other than scoring (24.7). The Tigers' 19 interceptions this season are tied for the SEC lead and the most for the program since 2002.

Malzahn stood by Johnson just two weeks ago despite the then five-game streak of games allowing 400 yards and 30 points.

"He's been one of the better defensive coordinators in this league for over 20 years and he's earned a lot of respect," Malzahn said on Nov. 18. "It's the same defensive staff that led us to 13 seconds away from winning the national championship.

"We've got some deficiencies obviously and we've just got to do a better job of hiding them. But no, I have confidence in these guys. We're going to finish this thing strong."

But a sixth straight woeful outing was too much for Malzahn to tolerate.

Johnson felt the onus was "always" on the coaches, not the players, for failures on the field "because if you don't then you don't have any solutions."

Johnson tried an array of formations and blitz packages but he and his staff could not figure out a way to overcome the loss of defensive end Carl Lawson, out for the year with a torn ACL, or develop an inexperienced secondary to be formidable against the SEC's top receivers. Those issues were further exacerbated over the course of the season, with the four-game suspension of senior safety Jermaine Whitehead and by last week's loss of defensive end DaVonte Lambert, the team leader in sacks, to a season-ending knee injury last week.

But some of the players took the blame for the disappointing season.

"They gave us a great scheme," cornerback Jonathon Mincy said. "We didn't go out there and make plays."

Asked if he felt a team with an up-tempo offense could have an equally elite defense, an extreme rarity, Malzahn said he did.

Whitehead, who was suspended for four games following a reported verbal altercation with an assistant coach and spent his first two games back only on special teams, was optimistic about what the future held for the defense.

"I think it's going to be great," Whitehead said. "I watched them groom a lot of young guys. … It's going to be real fun to watch."

Control of the defense will change hands though, as Johnson, whose firing was first reported by FootballScoop.com and AuburnUndercover.com, was let go just shy of two years after he accepted Malzahn's offer to come to Auburn over the same offer from Florida State.