Auburn adds a third assistant coach

Oklahoma State assistant coach Curtis Luper has accepted an offer to join the Auburn staff.

Luper has spent the past four seasons coaching tailbacks. He will fill the same role at Auburn.

Luper and head coach Gene Chizik won't need an introduction. They worked together during the mid-1990s at Stephen F. Austin, where Chizik served as a position assistant while Luper broke into coaching as a graduate assistant.

``The opportunity to reconnect with my mentor in Coach Chizik and have the chance coach at a program known as `Running Back U.', was something that I could not pass up," Luper said. ``My coaching philosophy and foundation was established with Coach Chizik 13 years ago at Stephen F. Austin, where we took our initial jobs and arm-in-arm helped the program to the national semifinals."

Auburn now has three assistant coaches on staff: Luper, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and linebackers coach James Willis.

``Curtis Luper is a tremendous coach, who I’ve had the pleasure of watching blossom from a player to the successful individual that he is today,” Chizik said. “I had a great amount of respect for him as a player and while mentoring him in the beginning of his coaching career. Curtis has done an outstanding job coaching running backs and I am excited to coach with him again."

CURTIS LUPER CURRICULUM VITAE
Oklahoma State, 2005-present (RBs/Asst. Head Coach)
New Mexico, 2002-2004 (RBs)
Texas A&M-Commerce, 1999-2001 (DBs/Asst. Head Coach)
McKinney (TX) HS, 1998 (RBs)
Stephen F. Austin, 1997 (RBs)
Stephen F. Austin, 1995-96 (Graduate assistant/DBs)

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