FLORENCE, Ala. -- After one season as receivers coach at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, former University of North Alabama receivers coach Ryan Aplin is returning to UNA as offensive coordinator.

Aplin, 27, follows Steadman Campbell in the role as offensive coordinator at North Alabama. Campbell served as UNA's offensive coordinator in 2016 and 2017 and will now take the reins of the Lions' defense as defensive coordinator. Brett Borden, who was UNA's defensive coordinator last season, has taken a medical sales job and left the coaching profession.

"Ryan is a very passionate and very involved coach and he played quarterback and coached in the offensive system that we would like to run," said UNA head coach Chris Willis of Aplin. "When we looked at filling positions on our staff, we didn't look at just the position but wanted to get the best coach and the best fit. Ryan is a great fit for us as far as gelling with our players and coaches and he'll help us in recruiting."

Willis said he expects Campbell, in his 13th season at UNA, to excel coaching the Lions' defense.

"I think Steadman will do a great job with our defense," said Willis. "He was originally a defensive coach who made the switch to the offensive side and has done a great job there. He'll know what defenses have given us trouble and how to attack an offense."

During his previous stint at UNA in 2016, Aplin coached the UNA receivers as the Lions posted an 11-2 record, won Gulf South Conference and Super Region 2 championships and advanced to the NCAA Division II National Championship Game.

Prior to coming to UNA, Aplin had served as a graduate assistant coach at Auburn University under Gus Malzahn in 2015 and had spent two years as an administrative intern at Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze.

A former two-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year at quarterback for Arkansas State University where he played under both Freeze and Malzahn, Aplin led the Redwolves to back-to-back conference championships in 2011 and 2012. He became the first person in the history of the Sun Belt Conference to receive the Male Student- Athlete of the Year award twice.

Under Freeze's tutelage in 2011, Aplin threw for 3,588 yards and 19 touchdowns (with 16 interceptions) and rushed for 10 more scores. With Malzahn's help in 2012, Aplin upped his accuracy to 68 percent and cut down on his interceptions, throwing just four. He was responsible for 30 total touchdowns, throwing for 24 and rushing for six more.

He completed his four-year career with more than 25 combined single-game, season and career school records and became the Sun Belt Conference's all-time leader in completions, passing yards and total offense.

Aplin is originally from Tampa, Fla., and graduated from Fleming Island High School near Jacksonville. He earned a bachelor's degree in exercise science from Arkansas State in 2012 with a cumulative GPA of better than 3.3.

He is married to the former Victoria Price of Fleming Island, Fla., and they have two sons, Maverick and Hawkins.

Willis said the Lions still have to fill a full-time position for a receivers coach and will hire a restricted earnings coach to work with the defensive line.