Herb Hand

Penn State offensive line coach Herb Hand is headed to Auburn (Associated Press)

Coaching friends are set to reunite on the Plains.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn has hired Penn State offensive line coach Herb Hand, a source familiar with decision told AL.com earlier today.

The news was confirmed by Auburn shortly after 5 p.m.

"My family and I are extremely excited to join the Auburn football family and be a part of a program with such great tradition and history," Hand said in a statement. "We're especially excited to rejoin coach Malzahn and work with him again. It was an opportunity that was way too good for us to pass up. I want to thank coach James Franklin and the Penn State football program for two great years and I wish them nothing but the best moving forward."

Hand was believed to be the top target in Malzahn's short search since J.B. Grimes eyed a jump to Cincinnati over the weekend and landed the Bearcats' job as offensive line coach Monday morning.

Malzahn and Hand designed offenses together as co-coordinators at Tulsa, during which the Golden Hurricane led the nation in offense in both 2007 and 2008. Hand is credited with implementing zone-read concepts with Malzahn's Hurry-Up, No-Huddle offense that he learned during his time coaching under Rich Rodriguez at West Virginia.

"I'm excited to be teaming up with Coach Hand again after working together for two years at Tulsa where we were very successful offensively," Malzahn said in a statement. "He's a wonderful person and coach, and we're glad to welcome him to Auburn."

Malzahn and Hand's relationship was chronicled in a piece by the New York Times prior to the BCS National Championship in 2010. Hand would tease Malzahn with pictures of the animated characters Jimmy Neutron and Inspector Gadget during their days at Tulsa.

Tulsa's rushing offense improved in their second season together as they implemented more looks for the running game. Production jumped from 172.9 yards per game to 268 yards per game.

"We wound up taking the best of what we did at West Virginia and the best of what Gus did at Springdale (Ark. High) and at Arkansas and we married the two systems," Hand told the Montgomery Advertiser in 2014.

Penn State's offensive line allowed 83 sacks in the last two seasons and finished 12th in rushing (134.2 yards per game) in the Big Ten this season, which is 106th nationally.

The Nittany Lions' offensive line depth was hit hard as a result of sanctions on the program before Franklin's arrival in 2013. Hand had to convert two defensive linemen into offensive linemen during the 2014 season.

Hand has an eccentric personality. He raps regularly to his players and is something of a foodie. He appeared as a competitor on the Food Network show Chopped in 2014.

Hand previously coached alongside Franklin at Vanderbilt, where they led the Commodores to three straight bowl games and top-25 finishes in each of their last two seasons.

Malzahn wished Grimes well in a statement as the veteran coach heads to Cincinnati.

"I want to thank J.B. Grimes for his hard work and dedication the last three years at Auburn," Malzahn said. "He is a true professional and a big-time coach. We wish him and his family nothing but the best with his new job."

Herb Hand's coaching experience

2014-15 - Penn State (run game coordinator/offensive line

2013 - Vanderbilt (offensive line/run game coordinator)

2010-12 - Vanderbilt (offensive line)

2009 - Tulsa (assistant head coach/offensive coordinator/offensive line)

2007-08 - Tulsa (co-offensive coordinator/offensive line)

2001-06 - West Virginia (tight ends/recruiting coordinator)

1999-2000 - Clemson (offensive graduate assistant)

1997-98 - Concord College (defensive coordinator/special teams)

1994-96 - Glenville State College (defensive coordinator

1991-93 - West Virginia Wesleyan (defensive graduate assistant)