Auburn's last two defensive coordinators will team up at South Carolina.

South Carolina head coach Will Muschamp has hired Ellis Johnson to coach a position for the Gamecocks. Johnson will likely coach linebackers, according to a source familiar with the decision.

Johnson coordinated Auburn's defense for two seasons but was fired the day following the Tigers' 55-44 loss in the 2014 Iron Bowl.

Johnson, 63, has since moved with his family outside Columbia, where his wife owns a boutique. He told AL.com in November he was anxious to get back into coaching.

"I'm more concerned now about distance than I am about level," Johnson said. "I'd love to coordinate again, but if I can't, I'd just be happy to coach at a smaller level school."

Johnson will retire "eventually" after spending four decades coaching. He expects he'll coach four to five more years.

"If I can go to South Carolina, it'd be wonderful," Johnson said in November. "If Clemson, Georgia, if I can go on to any of those places, I'd like to do that. I'm not going to Montana or Arizona to be a defensive coordinator, but I'm going to coach again. I've really loved being around my children for a while but I'm not ready to quit coaching. I don't have to coach. I'm OK as far as I'm at the age where I don't have to do it. I was going to coach four or five more years regardless, but then that happened over there (at Auburn)."

Auburn assistants joining South Carolina's staff



Four former Auburn staff members will coach at South Carolina next season. Muschamp was hired as head coach Sunday and took Auburn secondary coach Travaris Robinson and offensive analyst Bobby Bentley with him.

Auburn's defense allowed 30 points or more in the final six SEC games of the 2014 season, the worst stretch in school history. The Tigers allowed an average of 39 points during that time in Johnson's final season.

The Tigers' defense showed drastic improvement in Johnson's first season, especially in the red zone, as they advanced in 2013 to the BCS National Championship game. Auburn allowed 6.7 yards per play in its final six SEC games.

Johnson was earning $850,000 per year at Auburn in a contract running through June 2017. His salary at South Carolina could offset that buyout -- and save Auburn money -- in the final year of the deal worth roughly $992,000 over the next 14 months.