For the second offseason in a row, Les Miles will be in the market for a new defensive coordinator thanks to one of his division rivals.
Earlier today, reports surfaced that, barring a snag, LSU defensive coordinator Kevin Steele would be leaving Baton Rouge to take the same job with SEC West rival Auburn. Confusion reigned in the hours after those reports began circulating as LSU made a last-ditch effort to retain their first-year coordinator.
In the end, the full-court press wasn’t enough as Gus Malzahn confirmed shortly after his team’s 21-point win over Memphis in the Birmingham Bowl that Steele will indeed be his new coordinator. Steele will replace Will Muschamp, who left to take over as the head coach at South Carolina earlier this year after one season on The Plains.
Kevin Steele has been hired at Auburn. Gus Malzahn confirms it. https://t.co/AYCtJ0ttN8
— Brandon Marcello (@bmarcello) December 30, 2015
It’s believed that Steele will receive a three-year contract worth in the neighborhood of $4 million total. He would’ve been entering the final year of a two-year deal at LSU that would’ve paid him just over $1 million in 2016.
There’s also this little nugget, from the Baton Rouge Advocate, which explains there are deeper reasons than the contractual for the move:
Steele’s LSU contract calls for a $500,000 buyout should he leave. It’s being reported that AU and Steele will split the cost of that buyout.
Steele had replaced John Chavis, who left for Texas A&M following the 2014 season.