Auburn Football: Will Muschamp, New Auburn Defense 101

Oct 5, 2013; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson before the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Mississippi Rebels at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

The Differences Between Will Muschamp and Ellis Johnson

Shortly after he was hired as the Tigers’ new defensive coordinator, many Auburn football fans took to various message boards to discuss how much better Muschamp will be in 2015 and beyond than Ellis Johnson was over the last two seasons.

Some fans brought up the switch from the 4-2-5 to the Multiple 4-3, believing that Muschamp’s “X’s and O’s” are favorable to Johnson’s.

And while Coach Boom certainly is one of the game’s best when it comes to designing a defense, some careful observation will show a dirty little secret: Muschamp runs some very similar schemes to Johnson, especially when the Tigers are in a Nickel defense.

The Nickel, after all, is a (GASP!) 4-2-5 alignment that features five defensive backs instead of four. As offenses have evolved over the years and more teams go away from utilizing traditional tight ends and fullbacks and spread the field with more wide receivers, it’s become necessary to field more defensive backs.

Also, because many offenses (such as Auburn) have spread opponents out in order to run, you see less defensive coaches inserting a third corner as a Nickel back and instead relying on a safety to play close to the line of scrimmage – similar to the (GASP!) “Star” position Ellis Johnson preferred.

Simply put, from a schematic standpoint, the 2015 Auburn defense will often look like the 2014 Auburn defense. The biggest changes will be seen in the demeanor of the two coaches.

Ellis Johnson is an old school coach – and the key word is “old.” Johnson is one of the best defensive minds in football, but he is also in his sixties, and Muschamp is just 43. By age alone, Muschamp has an advantage in terms of being able to relate to his players and communicate with them. In fact, the defensive staff as a whole is much younger this season compared to last.

Another difference is where they choose to coach on game days. Ellis Johnson preferred to coach from the box, as many defensive coordinators do because it allows them to get a bird’s eye view of the offense instead of relying on a coach in the box to communicate with them down on the field.

Muschamp has always directed his defense from the sidelines. It’s a matter of personal preference for the coach, and one isn’t necessarily better than the other, but coaching from the field gives Muschamp the opportunity to both motivate his players with his fiery and intense personality and also communicate with them directly instead of relying on position coaches.

Here’s an example of Muschamp’s fire and intensity in the locker room at halftime – not even on the field during the game – from his most recent gig as a defensive coordinator:

Beyond his high-energy personality, however, there are a few specific things that Will Muschamp brings to the Auburn defense:

Next: The Philosophical Pillars of the New Auburn Defense