Rodney Garner just couldn’t ignore his alma mater anymore.

Georgia’s assistant head coach, recruiting coordinator and defensive line coach is leaving Athens after 12 years to take the exact same position at Auburn.

Garner played offensive line and started his coaching career with the Tigers. He will get a significant pay raise from the $300,000 a year he was making the Bulldogs, the AJC reports.

“This is not about the money,” Garner told the newspaper Thursday night. “It was a very difficult decision. I’ve been approached many times about this opportunity. But it’s my alma mater.”

Garner says he wanted to get the Tigers “back on track” after they went 3-9 this year. Head coach Gene Chizik was fired, just two season after winning the national championship. Gus Malzahn, who was Chizik’s offensive coordinator but left to become head coach at Arkansas State, was hired by Auburn on Dec. 4.

“It’s just time,” Garner said. “I’ve been at Georgia 15 years. It’s been awesome. Worked for two great head coaches at the University of Georgia. Jim Donnan gave me the opportunity to come here, who I have a tremendous amount of respect and love for. And then Coach Richt who retained me and I worked for him for 12 years. Coach Donnan is already in the Hall of Fame, and I’m sure Coach Richt will be one day. So it was a very difficult decision.”

There were reports that Garner left partly because of issues between him and Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. But he says that’s not true.

“The defensive staff we had at Georgia, Coach Grantham, I just think he’s great; he’s awesome,” Garner said. “I think Todd deserves to be a head coach. I was really thinking he’d get some shots at it this year. I think he’s one of the brightest minds I’ve ever been around.”

Garner would not discuss the financial terms of his contract with Auburn other than to say, “it’s a good deal.” He was on a yearly contract with Bulldogs.

Regardless, Garner’s departure comes at a complicated time for Georgia. The Bulldogs are in the midst of recruiting their biggest class of the restricted-scholarship era — around 35 in all — and obviously Garner is the hub of that effort. Best known for attracting great defensive linemen to come play for him, Georgia has been considered a leader for junior college all-star Toby Johnson and 5-star defensive tackle Montravious Adams of Dooly County. Both signings could now be in jeopardy.