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Alabama outside linebackers coach Lance Thompson talks with the media at Alabama's Sugar Bowl media day in the Superdome, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014, in New Orleans. Alabama squares off against Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl Jan. 1, with the winner moving on to the college football playoff final Jan. 12 in Arlington, Texas. (Vasha Hunt/vhunt@al.com)

AUBURN, Alabama -- Auburn has completed its coaching staff by hiring Alabama linebackers coach Lance Thompson away from the Crimson Tide, the school announced Wednesday morning.

Thompson, a linebackers coach with a great reputation as a recruiter, will handle the linebackers for Will Muschamp, allowing the defensive coordinator to work with Travaris Robinson and coach the safeties.

Thompson, who has coached at Alabama the past three seasons, has spent three separate stints in Tuscaloosa.

"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 in a release. "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."

Speculation on Auburn's final coaching spot had centered around former Miami linebackers coach Micheal Barrow, but the move to get Thompson adds a coach who has worked with Muschamp before at LSU in 2002 and 2003.

"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, who began his career as a defensive line coach with Georgia Tech (1995-1998, 2001) and Alabama (1999-2000) has spent his career moving into and off of Nick Saban's staff.

He first worked for Saban at LSU, then spent three years as the defensive coordinator at Central Florida before returning to Saban's staff at Alabama in 2007 and 2008.

But he also has left Saban's staff for a rival before. From 2009-2011, he coached at Tennessee, and now he becomes the first assistant at Alabama or Auburn to leave for the other school since former linebackers coach James Willis left the Tigers after the 2008 season to move to Alabama, who ironically needed Willis to replace Thompson.

The last coach to move from Alabama to Auburn was defensive coordinator Bill Oliver in 1996.

A crack recruiter, Thompson was named Rivals.com's Recruiter of the Year in 2008, and he's been credited with landing Alabama stars like Julio Jones, Mark Barron, Trent Richardson, D.J. Fluker, Robert Lester, AJ McCarron.

"I hope to bring my strengths to the program to help Auburn football achieve its goals of winning a national championship," Thompson said. "I'm blessed to be joining Coach Malzahn's staff and the Auburn family."