AUBURN - Less than two years after he left Auburn, Rhett Lashlee will return as offensive coordinator on the staff of first-year head coach Gus Malzahn.

Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee

Lashlee, offensive coordinator for Malzahn at Arkansas State last season, agreed to terms Thursday night and was en route to Auburn.

Lashlee, who played for Malzahn and was a record-setting quarterback at Shiloh Christian School in Springdale, Ark., was an Auburn graduate assistant in 2009 and 2010. He was offensive coordinator at Samford in 2011 before following Malzahn to Arkansas State as offensive coordinator in 2012.

Lashlee worked closely with Mazlahn in Auburn's drive to the 2010 national championship. He said in an interview last year it was season that will be with him always.

"People have coached forever and never even gotten to that game, much less won it," Lashlee said. "I just feel extremely blessed to have been part of such a magical season. It was definitely all everybody thought it would be.

"It's hard to enjoy it when you are in it, but once that last kick went through, for everybody involved it was pretty neat. You recognized how hard it is to do that, especially in that league."

Malzahn also looked at Clemson offensive coordinator Chad Morris and Arizona State offensive coordinator Mike Norvell before settling on Lashlee.

Lashlee was a walk-on quarterback at Arkansas in 2002-2003 and got a degree in marketing and business management in 2006. He joined Malzahn at Auburn as a graduate assistant in 2009.

Earlier Thursday, SEC veteran Ellis Johnson was named defensive coordinator..

