Lashlee Leaving VYPE For Auburn Opportunity

VYPE Arkansas Market Director Rhett Lashlee is trading in his advertising rate sheet for a clipboard after making the decision to join his former coach Gus Malzahn at the University of Auburn. Lashlee spent the past two years building VYPE Magazine into household name in Western Arkansas and his influence was instrumental in many ventures such as the VYPE Arkansas Football Preview and the VYPE Select 7-on-7 Tournament at the University of Arkansas this past summer. Lashlee was a record-setting quarterback in Malzahn's offense at Shiloh Christian before suiting up for the Arkansas Razorbacks, where he was a graduate assistant while Malzahn was on staff in 2006. Malzahn was hired as Auburn's offensive coordinator late last month after putting together one of the most proficient offenses in the nation the past two seasons at Tulsa. We sat down with Lashlee to discuss his future and wanted to give our readers the complete, unedited interview so everyone can understand what all factored into his decision. VYPE: Why did you decide to take a job at Auburn? LASHLEE: "While I love working at Vype Magazine and am so excited at what we have accomplished thus far and where I know Vype is heading in the future I have always had a desire to coach and coach at the college level. This opportunity to go to Auburn, one of the most tradition rich and prestigious Universities in all of college football, was just to good of an opportunity to pass up at this point in my life." VYPE: What did you enjoy about your time at VYPE? LASHLEE: "I have truly loved working at Vype and being apart of starting something new and fresh to the state of Arkansas. I am passionate about Arkansas and passionate about the kids and high school sports in Arkansas. I believe there is nothing like Vype in the state of Arkansas that meets the needs of our young student-athletes, the families, the schools and the communities like Vype does. I'm humbled to have been apart of such a great beginning with such great people, and have no doubt in my mind in the next few years Vype will stand alone as the only reliable authority on High School sports in Northwest Arkansas, Central Arkansas and the whole state of Arkansas. It's also only a matter of time before Vype Magazine becomes the authority on High School Sports Nationwide." VYPE: What will you miss most working at Vype? LASHLEE: "Two things stand out, and that's working in a job that allows me to develop relationship around the community and watch kids play high school sports, which is the last truly genuine and passionate form of competition today. Secondly would be the people at Vype. From Mike Capshaw, whom I think is a phenomenal editor and will keep Vype at the top of the competition, to the sales staff, owners and corporate team ... There truly couldn't be a better group of people assembled to do what we do at Vype and I'm blessed to have been apart of it." VYPE: Where do you see Vype-Arkansas in five years? LASHLEE: "I think Vype will be the only major print publication and media group in Arkansas that focuses solely on high school sports each month, with the best quality, and I think Vype will also be the only company to produce a statewide Football Preview, Basketball Preview and Recrutiing issue for the state of Arkansas. I truly believe the way Vype conducts itself and generates relationships with coaches and athletic directors there will come a day when Vype is the only high school niche media group in Arkansas, and that day will be sooner than later." VYPE: Will knowing Gus and knowing that offense help you with your transition to college coaching and did that factor into your decision? "Knowing the offense didn't factor into my decision, but certainly the comfort level I have in working for Coach Malzahn and with his system makes it more appealing. I certainly think with me having quarterbacked his offense for several years that I have an advantage even most coaches who know the offense wouldn't even have. I know how he thinks and know what works well because I have actually run the offense and experienced his play calling both as a player and as a coach." VYPE: Are you excited? LASHLEE: "Yes I am, but it's very bittersweet for my wife and I. This is a great opportunity and a dream for me, but at the same time we are both leaving our family and friends, leaving NWA where we have always lived and are comfortable and I am walking away from a fantastic company in Vype Magazine. So there are mixed emotions for sure, and I will be forever grateful to the Vype organization and it's people for allowing me this opportunity. At the same time, I feel a calling to coach and work with young people and I feel the Lord has blessed me with the tools to work hard, improve and be successful in this profession. In the end, if you aren't impacting young people then it really is all for nothing, because the wins and losses will go away, but the marks you leave on young mens' lives at a very influential time in their lives is what matters the most." VYPE: Now, who really invented the Wildcat offense - Gus, Houston Nutt, Danny Nutt or David Lee like one NFL announcer said on TV a few weeks ago? LASHLEE: "That's pretty easy since I was on the staff when it was created. Coach Malzahn is almost solely responsible for the Wildcat. Of course, there was minor input from time to time by the other offensive coaches at Arkansas, but it was 100 percent coach Malzahn's idea and he and it really started out more as a way to have a good short yardage or goaline play with Darren McFadden running behind Felix Jones' motion and also have a way to get Felix the ball in space on the sweep. As time wore on it evolved and we kept adding plays to it and it all culminated with the Tennessee game when McFadden put on a show. I'll never forget the look on defensive coordinator John Chavis' face when Darren threw the TD pass to Marcus Monk." VYPE: Will it be tough working for Auburn, a team other than the Razorbacks? LASHLEE: "Yes and no, I will always be a Razorback fan and follow the Hogs. How can you not be growing up here? But I'm an Auburn Tiger now and I want to be apart of winning a conference championship, a national championship and beating Alabama. I'll always be pulling for the Hogs except for one day each fall."