Chad Morris joins Gus Malzahn, Auburn as offensive coordinator

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A month after being fired at Arkansas, Chad Morris has landed on his feet as Auburn’s next offensive coordinator.

He replaces Kenny Dillingham, who left the Tigers to become the offensive coordinator at Florida State under Mike Norvell. The job unites Morris with Gus Malzahn, who has been a close friend since both were high school coaches.

With the Razorbacks, Morris went 4-18 in less than two seasons. That mark includes four losses to Group of Five teams and no wins - in 14 games - against SEC opponents. He was 14-22 in three seasons at SMU before coming to Fayetteville, making his career record as a head coach 18-40.

Although he was unsuccessful as a head coach, Morris gained a reputation as a bright offensive mind in four seasons as the offensive coordinator at Clemson. He is credited with helping build the Tigers into the national powerhouse they are today.

In addition to meaning Morris will face his former employer each year as an SEC West foe, his hiring at Auburn is also significant because it will reduce the buyout owed to him by Arkansas.

By terminating him for convenience, the Razorbacks owed Morris 70 percent of his remaining contract, which was about $10.1 million on Nov. 10. However, his agreement included a “duty to mitigate” by seeking future employment that would offset that amount.

Morris’ salary at Auburn is not yet known, but his contract with Arkansas also requires an “obligation to maximize his earning potential with a new employer by seeking comparable employment for his services at a rate of compensation not less than market value and consistent with compensation rates for similar positions in the given industry at the time such employment is obtained.”

That means Morris can’t work as the Tigers’ offensive coordinator at a discount and use the buyout to subsidize his income. Whatever he makes at Auburn will be deducted from what he’s owed by Arkansas - which will be paid in monthly payments of about $204,167 through Dec. 31, 2023.

Dillingham had an annual salary of $500,000, but that was the lowest salary for an Auburn offensive coordinator since 2013. Previous offensive coordinators Chip Lindsey and Rhett Lashlee had base salaries of $700,000 and $600,000 for the Tigers.