Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee joins UConn staff

STORRS, Conn. (AP) - Auburn offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee has left the Tigers to join Randy Edsall's staff at Connecticut.

The 33-year-old Lashlee agreed to a three-year contract with a base salary of $350,000 to be offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, UConn said Wednesday.

He was making $600,000 a year at Auburn, where he spent the past four seasons and has twice been a finalist for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach.

Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said the UConn job gives Lashlee a "great opportunity" to implement and run his own offense.

"I've known Rhett for two decades and he's a man of great character and integrity and this is another step toward his goal to become a head coach," Malzahn said in a statement.

UConn athletic director David Benedict came from Auburn last year.

Edsall is beginning his second stint as head coach at UConn, which fired Bob Diaco after a 3-9 season with one of the worst offenses in Division I. The Huskies were 74-70 during Edsall's first tenure from 1999 and 2010, with appearances in five bowl games.

"(Lashlee) is one of the brightest minds in college football and I know that his experience around some of the highest-powered offenses and top players in the country is going to be an incredible benefit to our program," Edsall said.