Malzahn Lashlee Tennessee

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talks to the offense after a touchdown against Tennessee during the fourth quarter Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

NEWPORT BEACH, California -- Gus Malzahn gets angry from time to time, but he always keeps it clean.

The Auburn coach's personality might be bland in front of the media, but he is excitable on the football field, and meticulous and calculated in his preparations and decisions.

"I have never heard him say a word that would be offensive to anyone, but the thing about it is, what he says, his words and his deeds match up," Auburn athletics director Jay Jacobs said. "That develops respect and thereby develops trust."

Malzahn loves his players, and he keeps it clean when he is upset.

"I don't know if any of you have ever been chewed out by someone who doesn't cuss," Auburn center Reese Dismukes said. "It's way worse. I would much rather be cussed out 10 times out of 10 than being yelled at by coach Malzahn."

Malzahn lights up television screens with his trademark yelling, quick hand motions and a few quick upward tugs on his belt. He makes it a point to throw a windmill punch into the air while yelling "Boom!" after big touchdown plays

In a world filled with coaches spewing colorful superlatives in an effort to motivate players at practices and games, Malzahn always keeps it clean. He may spice it up with a "crud," "crap," "darn" or "friggin'" from time to time, but that's as dirty as he gets.

Not many will notice it or hear it as No. 2 Auburn (12-1) faces No. 1 Florida State (13-0) in the BCS Championship on Monday night, but Malzahn might just be one of a few college coaches who never enters foul territory.

He sometimes goes overboard, though in hindsight those moments seem funny and are laughed off by his players. Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee remembers Malzahn telling him he was going to kill him after he threw an interception during his high school days at Shiloh Christian (Springdale, Ark.) Schools.

"I think he probably meant it at the moment," Lashlee said. "You know, he has a way of letting you know that you should have done better that sometimes you might want to have been cussed."

Some of Malzahn's former players still laugh when they discuss their coach's quirky and intense personality.

"We get together sometimes and if the topic comes up his language is always part of the conversation," said Mitch Mustain, Malzahn's Gatorade Player of the Year at Springdale (Ark.) High in 2005. "But we think we heard him (cuss) one time. We were pretty sure we heard him mumble something, but otherwise it was always 'chicken crud.'"

Malzahn's players took their cues from the coach. Players rarely use foul language around him, though he did make a player bear crawl on the field at Shiloh Christian once, said former Shiloh quarterback Josh Floyd.

"I never heard anybody cuss around him because he set that standard," said Chris Wood, who worked alongside Malzahn at Shiloh Christian. "You respected him, you respected his beliefs. That's one of the unique things about Gus: there's something about his presence and standards. People want to please him."

Malzahn has been described as a professor of football, a nerd who gets lost in his own thoughts and the X's and O's behind his spectacles. He sleeps four hours a night, drinks multiple cups of coffee every morning and chews Dubble Bubble frantically during games.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn talks to the media during his weekly NCAA press conference Monday, Dec. 2, 2013, at the Auburn Athletic Complex in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)

Dismukes jokingly wonders if Malzahn owns a pair of sunglasses. After all, he arrives in the office at 4 a.m. and leaves near midnight, but the assistant coaches still willingly follow Malzahn's path.

"It's a pleasant grind," Auburn cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith said. "There's not a harder working staff in the world than us, but you're not mad about it."

Malzahn has a sense of humor, though his timing may seem a bit off at times. Somewhere out there is a video of Malzahn break dancing during a family trip to Six Flags in the 1990s, but not even Lashlee, who has known him for most of his life, will dare say where it is located -- or, for that matter, if he has watched the tape.

Malzahn also easily remembers names and faces, but more importantly it's his reflex-like recollections of random -- and not always important -- moments he shares with his players and others that catch people off guard. It's mostly humorous, too.

He'll mention a specific play, along with the time remaining on the clock, from games played many years ago. Sometimes he uses it as a dig, like the time running back Tre Mason mistimed his stride on a motion play as a freshman.

"We can relate to him. He's kind of a goofy coach," Auburn tight end C.J. Uzomah said. "He doesn't try to be. He makes a joke and we're kind of laughing, and he's like, 'Well, I guess that was kind of funny.'"