AUBURN – Second-year Auburn defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson has been fired in the wake of last Saturday’s 55-44 loss to Alabama. He got the word Sunday from head coach Gus Malzahn.

Johnson, with more than 40 years of coaching experience, joined head coach Gus Malzahn’s first Auburn staff. After a year as head coach at Southern Mississippi, he chose Auburn over an offer from Florida State.

After helping the Tigers win the Southeastern Conference championship and advance to the BCS Championship Game last season, Johnson and the defense never found much traction as the Tigers finished an 8-4 regular season with last Saturday’s loss to Alabama.

Auburn finished 10th in the SEC in scoring defense, allowing 26.1 points per game, and ninth in total defense, giving up 388.7 yards per game. It finished eighth in rushing defense, giving up 149.1 yards per game, and 13th in pass defense, giving up 239.2 yards per game.

After Auburn beat Arkansas 45-21 and LSU 41-7 in its first two SEC games, the defense gave up 38 to Mississippi State, 35 to South Carolina, 31 to Ole Miss, 41 to Texas A&M, 34 to Georgia and finally 55 to Alabama.

Johnson, 62, started his college coaching career at The Citadel in 1975. He served as defensive coordinator at Clemson, Alabama, Mississippi State and South Carolina before taking over as Southern Mississippi head coach in 2012. He was fired after an 0-11 season.

In 2011, Johnson’s final season at South Carolina, the Gamecocks ranked No. 3 nationally in total defense, allowing just 268 yards per game. Under Johnson, South Carolina finished in the top 15 nationally in total defense three times.

Johnson’s final season was plagued by trouble even before it started. Defensive end Carl Lawson, expected to be the team’s main pass rusher, suffered a knee injury during spring practice and did not play this season.

During the season, safety Jermaine Whitehead was suspended for four games and confined to playing special teams for two games. Junior college transfer DaVonte Lambert emerged as the Tigers’ top defensive end but suffered a knee injury against Samford and underwent surgery.

Malzahn will begin a search for a new coordinator immediately. There is no word on who will run the defense in a bowl game, who is on Malzahn's list or of a timetable for a decision.

