‘Chip’s offense’: Malzahn says Chip Lindsey will call plays at Auburn

AUBURN – If his new boss is to be believed, Auburn’s offense is in the hands of Chip Lindsey.

For the first time since he took over the head coaching duties at Auburn in 2013, Gus Malzahn was in the market for an offensive coordinator. And while he didn’t reach outside his small circle of trust for the hire, he did promise his new assistant total autonomy in play-calling duties.

“This is going to be Chip’s offense,” Malzahn said Saturday. “This is going to be his responsibility. I have a lot of trust in him. He’s going to do a great job.”

Lindsey, who is replacing Rhett Lashlee, who left the Tigers program for the same position title at the University of Connecticut on Jan. 11, will be tasked with injecting the Auburn offense was a consistent passing element that was missing from the past two seasons with Sean White as the starting quarterback. Auburn ranked 112th nationally in passing offense last season at just 169.5 yards per game and were completely ineffective when White was injured. Starting this spring White will be in competition with five-star junior college transfer Jarrett Stidham.

“Of course last year we led our league in rushing, but we need to be more balanced,” Malzahn said. “We need to throw the ball more effectively. Chip will bring that. I’m excited about our passing game. He will bring some new ideas, some new wrinkles, new flairs, he’s got a great offensive mind. I think it will complement our run game.”

Stidham, the former Baylor player, was introduced as an early enrollee at Auburn’s 84-64 men’s basketball victory over Alabama Saturday. Lindsey will be in charge of developing and recruiting the quarterback positon and said Saturday he’s familiar “probably more than you think” with both players at the top of Auburn’s depth chart for the upcoming 2017 season.

“I was (at Auburn) when we recruited Sean obviously and I was recruiting Jarrett pretty heavy in the fall myself. Some familiarity with those guys,” Lindsey said. “Obviously, not on a day-to-day basis, but I’m looking forward to getting to know really all four of those guys that are here now. This spring is going to be fun.”
Malzahn sat at the media table Saturday and jokingly said he’s retiring the clipboard play sheet he’s been seen with on the sidelines with since taking over the program in 2013. Multiple reports during the 10-day search suggested that guaranteeing complete play-calling responsibility was a must for any candidate.

In the last two seasons, Lindsey has operated the offense at Southern Mississippi and Arizona State to mixed results and suggested the philosophies at both places differed based on the personnel. While having a similar rise through the high school ranks as Malzahn, Lindsey was on the Malzahn’s staff at Auburn as an analyst during the Tigers’ run to the Southeastern Conference championship and a berth in the 2014 BCS National Championship Game.

“When I got here (in 2013 as an analyst), to be honest with you, it took a lot of learning for me to learn what he did,” Lindsey said. “And I think we did a nice job in the last two places I’ve been of kind of meshing some things together. That’s what we plan on doing here.”

In a sense, Malzahn stressed Saturday that in order to let go of the thing he’s loved the most, being in charge of Auburn’s offense, he had to trust the man being handed that responsibility. Therefore, fans shouldn’t expect a wholesale different offense lining up when Auburn opens the 2017 season at home against Georgia Southern.

“Obviously, Auburn has been good on offense before and done some things that are really good,” Lindsey said. “We’re not going to lose touch with those things. But I think a few new wrinkles and a little different personality on it maybe will lead to a lot of success.”