Tag: Derrick Nix

Auburn hires Will Redmond to serve as GM of player personnel

Redmond joins the Auburn staff following a successful stint at LSU.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is continuing to revamp his coaching staff ahead of the 2024 season, most recently hiring a solid off-the-field addition.

Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reports that Auburn has hired former LSU director of player personnel [autotag]Will Redmond[/autotag] to serve in an off-the-field role. Christian Clemente of Auburn Undercover reports that the position will be “General Manager of Player Personnel.”

According to LSU Athletics’ website, Redmond was responsible for maintaining recruiting boards, identifying potential prospects, and monitoring prospects throughout the year. He held the position of director of player personnel for three seasons. During that time, LSU pieced together three top-10 signing classes including the current 2024 class that ranks No. 9 nationally.

Cooper Petagna of 247Sports shares some of the duties that Redmond will take on at Auburn in a recent interview with Auburn Undercover.

“A person in his newly formed GM position is now more important than ever to the success of a college football program, not only when it comes to talent acquisition and retention but to leading and directing an essential arm of the program as it pertains to NIL efforts,” Petagna said. “With player movement at an all-time high, it pays to have forward-thinking minds off the field that can keep your program nimble when it comes adapting in this age of college football.”

The hiring of Redmond is the most recent hire made to Freeze’s revamped staff. Before Redmond’s hiring, Freeze added offensive coordinator [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], and co-defensive coordinator [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag]. [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] has also been promoted to quarterbacks coach.

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Paul Finebaum shares thoughts on Auburn’s recent coaching changes

The SEC Network analyst believes that Auburn is moving in the right direction, but Freeze should explain his methods.

The month of January for Auburn football has been filled with staff changes across the board.

Several have been replaced while others have been promoted. Among the changes are the departures of former Tiger players [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] and [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag]. Changes such as those have caused an uproar from the Auburn fanbase, and an SEC analyst feels that it is only right for head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] to address their exits.

Radio show host Paul Finebaum was a guest on Monday morning’s edition of McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning on Jox 94.5 in Birmingham, where he discussed the recent moves within Auburn’s coaching staff. He says that Freeze could lower confusion within the fanbase by explaining the moves, especially the one concerning Auburn’s interim head coach during the final two games of the 2022 season.

“When you have one of the most famous players in your history depart without explanation and then another one who is, I believe a captain and very popular, you have to explain these things, or if you don’t you’re going to lead people to wonder,” Finebaum said. “I don’t need to remind you (Cole Cubelic) because you were at the epicenter of the Cadillac Williams thing on national television 14 months ago how popular he was and what an emotional story that is.”

Even though the loss of Williams and Etheridge stings Auburn fans, Finebaum understands that those moves are expected due to the need to hire new coordinators. Despite the change, Finebaum still feels that Auburn is on the right track with its recent hires.

“I think that’s part of it. I think when you unload your top two coordinators and there’s change and there’s chaos, you really are going to draw the wrath of the crowd,” Finebaum said Monday. “Having said all that, I think some of the changes have been positive. I think Hugh Freeze realized he needed an upgrade and I think he’s got it. I still think the sour taste at the end of the season is pretty hard to deal with, but I would still argue that if you take a deep breath and look forward, Auburn is in very good shape.”

Auburn has hired [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] to serve as offensive coordinator while [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag] returns to his alma mater to take over the co-defensive coordinator role. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reported Sunday that former Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] is a target to work alongside Kelly in a coordinator role.

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DJ Durkin emerges as a candidate for Auburn’s defensive coordinator job

Durkin has several years of experience working in the SEC, most recently with Texas A&M.

Auburn may be on the verge of adding a defensive coordinator with SEC experience.

According to Matt Zenitz of 247Sports, former Texas A&M defensive coordinator [autotag]DJ Durkin[/autotag] has become a target to replace [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] on Auburn’s staff. If hired, Durkin would split defensive coordinator duties with [autotag]Charles Kelly[/autotag], who returns to his alma mater after most recently spending a season on Deion Sanders’ staff at Colorado.

Under Durkin’s leadership, Texas A&M has posted a top-five defensive within the SEC over the last two seasons. The Aggies ended the 2023 season with the conference’s fifth-best defense, allowing 22.1 points and 316.2 yards per contest. Texas A&M’s defense was considered to be better than Ole Miss, South Carolina, and LSU last season.

Before his time in College Station, Durkin was defensive coordinator for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. The Rebels’ defense progressed in his two seasons, moving from No. 14 in the SEC in 2020 to No. 8 in 2021. He also served as defensive coordinator at Florida from 2013-14, where he coached the Gators’ defense to a No. 3 ranking in the SEC in 2013. In between stops in SEC country, Durkin led the Maryland Terrapins as head coach from 2016-18, where he failed to win more than six games during his stay.

Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has added three assistant coaches to his staff since the end of the 2023 season. Joining Kelly is [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag], who joins Auburn’s staff as offensive coordinator and running backs coach after spending 16 seasons at Ole Miss. Freeze has also promoted [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] to quarterbacks coach after he spent last season as an assistant to Freeze.

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Auburn Tigers set date for 2024 A-Day spring game

The Auburn Tigers will play their annual A-Day spring game on April 6.

The start of spring practice is just around the corner and the Auburn Tigers football program announced that the 2024 A-Day spring game will be held on April 6.

The Tigers have not yet announced the spring practice schedule or any more details for the game, such as a time or if it will be on TV.

The spring practice window will be an important time for [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] ahead of his second season on the Plains. The Tigers replaced both coordinators after ending the season on a three-game losing streak to drop to 6-7, their third straight losing season. [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] was named the offensive coordinator and running backs coach, while the defensive coordinator spot has not been filled yet.

The spring practice slate will Auburn’s incoming freshmen to start to learn the offense and make a push for early playing time, especially at wide receiver where they signed five-star [autotag]Cam Coleman[/autotag] and [autotag]Perry Thompson[/autotag]. The Tigers are hoping the talented freshman and a reworked offensive staff will allow [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and the passing attack to take a step forward.

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Auburn hires long-time Ole Miss assistant as offensive coordinator

Auburn hires long-time Ole Miss assistant as offensive coordinator.

Auburn’s search for an offensive coordinator has now officially come to a close, as long-time Ole Miss assistant coach Derrick Nix has been named the Tigers’ new OC.

Nix has spent the past 16 seasons as an assistant coach at Ole Miss, with a majority of that time, 12 seasons, spent as the Rebels’ running backs coach. The last four seasons have been spent as Ole Miss’ wide receivers coach, with Nix also considered a strong recruiter with obvious SEC experience.

Also coaching running backs at Auburn, Nix now inherits a Tigers offense that averaged 26.2 PPG a year ago to rank No. 74 nationally. That unit is also set to return quarterback Payton Thorne, among others, and has also added multiple impact new players through their 2024 recruiting class and the transfer portal.

Nix is now one of a few new staff additions recently for Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze, as well as the second coordinator hire joining Co-DC Charles Kelly.

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Auburn expected to hire Derrick Nix as offensive coordinator, running backs coach

Derrick Nix is set to become Auburn’s next offensive coordinator and running backs coach.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] has his next offensive coordinator.

Auburn is expected to hire [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] away from Ole Miss to be Auburn’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach. Freeze attempted to hire Nix to his staff last season but the two were not able to make it happen. Ole Miss announced the move on social media.

Nix has been on staff at Ole Miss since 2008 and was Freeze’s running backs coach when they were both on staff. He was moved to wide receivers coach in 2020 and in 2022 was promoted to assistant head coach.

The Alabama native fills the voids that were created when Freeze fired offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery and running backs coach Cadillac Williams resigned.

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Derrick Nix is reportedly a favorite to join the Auburn offensive staff in 2024

Nix has spent the last 16 seasons as an assistant coach at Ole Miss.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] may not have to look far to find his next offensive assistant coach.

According to a report by Phillip Dukes of Auburn Undercover, Ole Miss wide receivers coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] is one of the most popular names to join Auburn’s staff ahead of the 2024 season.

The longtime positions coach, who has no relation to former Auburn quarterbacks Patrick and Bo Nix, has been with the Rebels since 2008 when he started as the running backs coach.

Nix stayed in that role until 2020 when he took over as the receivers coach. He added assistant head coach to his resume last season as well. During his time as the running backs coach, Nix helped develop future NFL players such as Brandon Bolden, Jordan Wilkins, and Dexter McCluster.

While none of the aforementioned trio were considered stars coming out of high school, Nix was able to work them into stars. That presence could prove huge for an Auburn team that consistently recruits talented running backs.

Nix was also been linked as a possible fit for the vacant offensive coordinator job. A move to OC could make more sense for the long-time positions coach, as it would be seen as a promotion instead of a “lateral move”.

He could also ease into the role with head coach Hugh Freeze reportedly taking over play calling duties in 2024.

Whether Nix replaces the recently resigned [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag] or takes over as the new offensive coordinator, his signing would be welcomed by an Auburn staff suddenly in flux.

With the recent retirement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban, Auburn has a chance to narrow the talent-gap between themselves and the Tide. That starts by building a great coaching staff.

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Is Auburn’s next offensive coordinator already on staff?

How far is Hugh Freeze willing to search for Philip Montgomery’s replacement?

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] is committed to overhauling the entire offensive unit ahead of the 2024 season.

He has taken steps by recruiting blue-chip wide receivers, declaring a “wide-open” quarterback competition, and has decided not to retain offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery.

Who will Freeze bring in to control the Tigers’ offense next season? One writer at 247Sports feels that the top candidate already resides within the staff.

Nathan King of 247Sports recently dropped his 5 early names to watch for Auburn’s OC opening list and has placed current assistant to the head coach and quality control coach [autotag]Kent Austin[/autotag] at the top of the list.

King feels that Freeze will have a new identity within the offensive staff next season, which will allow Austin to make the move to an on-field coaching position. Austin followed Freeze to Auburn from Liberty ahead of the 2023 season, serving as co-offensive coordinator for the Flames from 2019-22.

We believe this is the candidate most likely to fill the vacant offensive assistant position at the moment. Auburn Undercover has been told Freeze will likely have a much bigger role in running the offense next season, and that could take the shape of him doing so as his own play caller, and hiring Austin as his QBs coach.

Prior to his time at Liberty, Austin was an offensive coordinator at Ole Miss and a head coach in the Canadian Football League.

According to King’s list, Ole Miss wide receivers coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] and former Auburn quarterback [autotag]Dameyune Craig[/autotag] are also names to keep an eye on.

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