

Lance Thompson moving to Auburn to help coach the defense





By Charles Goldberg

AuburnTigers.com





AUBURN, Ala. -- Auburn has hired Lance Thompson to coach linebackers, adding one of the nation's top recruiters and a longtime Southeastern Conference assistant who is leaving Alabama to join coach Gus Malzahn 's coaching staff.



Auburn has hired Lance Thompson to coach linebackers, adding one of the nation's top recruiters and a longtime Southeastern Conference assistant who is leaving Alabama to join coach's coaching staff.

Thompson was ranked the No. 1 recruiter in the nation on the Ultimate ESPN 300 recruiting power rankings last January and was named Rivals national recruiter of the year in 2008.





Malzahn announced the hiring Wednesday. Thompson, 50, is the third defensive assistant coach Auburn has added since the end of the regular season, joining defensive coordinator Will Muschamp and defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson.





Thompson worked with Muschamp when they were both assistant coaches at LSU in 2002-2003.



"I'm really excited and very appreciative to be joining the Auburn football family and work with Coach Malzahn, Coach Muschamp and the entire staff," Thompson said. "I have a great amount of respect for Coach Malzahn and what he represents and what he has accomplished in a short period of time. I hope to bring my strengths to the program to help Auburn football achieve its goals of winning a national championship. I'm blessed to be joining Coach Malzahn's staff and the Auburn family."



Malzahn welcomed Thompson aboard.



"I'm excited to have Lance Thompson join our staff. Lance is very familiar with Will having worked with him before," Malzahn said. "He's an outstanding coach and an outstanding recruiter who is very familiar with our state and the Southeastern Conference. Lance will be a great addition to our staff."





Thompson has worked at Alabama three different times, including his latest stint from 2012-14; and also has worked at Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Central Florida, where he was defensive coordinator from 2004-06.





His Alabama recruits included Julio Jones, A.J. McCarron, Mark Barron, D.J. Fluker and Trent Richardson, according to ESPN.





Thompson's three stints at Alabama were from 1999-2000, 2007-08 and 2012-14. He helped Alabama's 2013 defense to hold opponents to 13.9 points per game, the fifth best in big-time college football.





He has worked with Nick Saban at both Alabama and LSU. He was the assistant head coach in charge of recruiting and the tight ends coach when LSU won the 2003 national title. He also coached the defensive line at LSU.





Thompson is a graduate of The Citadel where he played for four seasons.

Lance Thompson's coaching career

Years Coaching position School

2012-2014 Linebackers Alabama

2011 Defensive line Tennessee

2009-2010 Linebackers Tennessee

2007-2008 Linebackers Alabama

2004-2006 Defensive coordinator Central Florida

2002-2003 Tight ends LSU

2001 Defensive line Georgia Tech

1999-2000 Defensive line Alabama