... alt="">James Willis was a coach on the rise.

He had gone from football star at Auburn to the NFL and then to coaching, where he returned to Auburn for his degree and a student assistant coach in 2001. He then became a graduate assistant coach working under defensive coordinator Gene Chizik in 2003 before moving on to a job with the Rhode Island Rams in 2004.

He moved to Temple in 2005 for the same job and seemed to really make an impact, and when an opening came up back at Auburn, Coach Tommy Tuberville asked Willis to come home and work under Wil Muschamp, who would be the defensive coordinator.

There he stayed until 2008, when he did the unthinkable for Auburn fans and left to coach linebackers for Bleacher Report - College Football