AUBURN, Alabama – Auburn is expected to name Gus Malzahn its new head football coach today, according to multiple sources. The move will reunite the man with a playbook full of offensive wizardry with the university where he served as offensive coordinator just a season ago.

Malzahn and the Auburn search committee are expected in Auburn tonight.

Malzahn returns to Auburn after a year at Arkansas State where, as the head coach, he led the Red Wolves to a 9-3 record and a Sun Belt title.

People within the Auburn athletic department, and those close to candidate Kirby Smart at Alabama, confirmed the university's decision. Smart was told Auburn had chosen Malzahn today. AStateNation.com, a website that covers Arkansas State, also reported that Malzahn would be Auburn's new coach.

Malzahn replaces Gene Chizik, who was fired last Sunday after a 3-9 record that included an 0-8 SEC record. Malzahn left Auburn as the highest-paid assistant coach in the nation with a $1.3 million annual salary.

Malzahn was Auburn's offensive coordinator from 2009-11 when his offenses obliterated school records, first with Chris Todd at quarterback, and then with Cam Newton on the way to the 2010 BCS national title.

Malzahn returns, this time with a year's experience as a head coach. He is following the same path to an SEC school as Hugh Freeze, who left Arkansas State after the 2011 season to become the head coach at Ole Miss.

Malzahn was a high school coaching legend in Arkansas before getting into the college game as Arkansas' offensive coordinator in 2006. He then went to Tulsa, where his offense was ranked among the best in the nation in 2007 and 2008.

His first Auburn offense set a school record for touchdown passes, and then rewrote almost every offensive record when Newton came on board.

Malzahn won the Frank Broyles Award as the top college assistant coach in the country in 2010.

Malzahn announced he was leaving Auburn in 2011 after the regular-season finale last season, but stayed around to help the Tigers beat Virginia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. His 2011 offense dropped off dramatically at Auburn, but his 2012 Arkansas State offense is ranked 17th nationally. Auburn's 2012 offense is ranked 115th out of 120 schools.

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