AUBURN — The coaching news keeps coming for Auburn football.

The Tigers made it official with Charles Kelly on Friday, naming the former Alabama assistant as a co-defensive coordinator. Kelly, who was a defensive back with the Tigers from 1986-89, spent the 2023 season as the defensive coordinator at Colorado under coach Deion Sanders.

“I am very grateful to return to a university and a football program that have meant so much to me growing up in this state and playing for Coach (Pat) Dye,” Kelly said in a statement. “It’s an honor to work with Coach (Hugh) Freeze, whom I have a tremendous amount of respect for, and I’m appreciative of him for this opportunity.

"I look forward to helping Coach Freeze and this staff bring our program back to the caliber of championship football that Auburn deserves. As the Auburn Creed states, ‘I believe in work, hard work.’ I do not take this opportunity lightly and am ready to go to work. War Eagle!”

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Kelly, an Ozark native, began his collegiate coaching career as a graduate assistant on the Plains in 1993 before he left for Jacksonville State and held various roles with the Gamecocks from 1994-98. He then bounced around programs such as Nicholls State (2002-05), Georgia Tech (2006-12), Florida State (2013-17) and Tennessee (2018) before landing at Alabama as an associate defensive coordinator and safeties coach from 2019-22.

The 56-year-old Kelly is credited by 247Sports as being either the primary or secondary recruiter for nine five-star recruits, with five of those prospects committing to the Crimson Tide during his time in Tuscaloosa.

Kelly was tabbed by 247Sports as the No. 1 recruiter in the Class of 2023, a cycle in which he helped Alabama land five-star prospects Caleb Downs, James Smith and Qua Russaw. He also played a part in the Crimson Tide getting Will Anderson, who was drafted by the Houston Texans in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

“Charles is an outstanding football mind who is an excellent recruiter and understands the landscape of Auburn and the Southeastern Conference,” Freeze said. “We are excited to have Charles on our staff as we continue building a strong foundation for the future success of Auburn football.”

Kelly has helped the respective programs he's worked for throughout his career earn commitments from 46 blue-chip prospects, with 10 of those coveted recruits hailing from Alabama.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn football makes Charles Kelly hire as co-DC official