AUBURN – Will Muschamp, widely considered one of the top defensive minds in college football, is on the verge of being named Auburn’s next defensive coordinator, AuburnUndercover has learned. Barring any last-minute snags, the announcement is likely to come before the weekend is over.

Will Muschamp will return to Auburn for the third time.

Former All-SEC Auburn safety Travaris Robinson, the secondary coach at Florida, is expected to join Muschamp on Auburn’s staff.

After interviewing at Houston, Muschamp has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Cougars’ head coach position at Houston.

Muschamp, who was fired after four seasons as Florida’s head coach, will join Auburn’s staff for the third time. He was a graduate assistant in 1995 and 1996 on Terry Bowden’s staff and the defensive coordinator in 2006 and 2007 on Tommy Tuberville’s staff.

Muschamp, 43, was also courted by South Carolina and Texas A&M. He also drew interest from NFL teams.

In his two seasons at Auburn, Muschamp’s defenses ranked No. 3 nationally in scoring defense (15.4 points per game) and No. 4 in pass defense (170.7 pass yards per game). During the same time frame, Auburn ranked No. 3 in the SEC in total defense, holding opponents to 295.1 yards per game.

Muschamp went to Texas in 2008 as head coach in waiting and defensive coordinator. After the 2010 season, he was named head coach at Florida, where he was 28-21 in four seasons.

After his two seasons as an Auburn graduate assistant, Muschamp worked for Great Southern Wood in Abbeville before joining the West Georgia staff as secondary coach in 1998. He coached defensive backs at Eastern Kentucky in 1999 and was defensive coordinator at Valdosta State in 2000.

In 2001, Muschamp joined Nick Saban’s LSU staff as linebackers coach. A year later, he was named defensive coordinator. After the 2004 season, Muschamp followed Saban to the Miami Dolphins as assistant head coach/defense. After one season, he left for Auburn.

A native of Rome, Ga., Muschamp went to the University of Georgia as a walk-on defensive back. He was a four-year letterman as safety and was team captain in 1994. When Georgia ended Auburn’s 20-game winning streak with a 24-24 tie in 1994, Muschamp made a key interception, catching the ball while lying on his back.

Muschamp and his wife, Carol, have two sons – Jackson and Whit.

