Tag: Gus Malzahn

Former Auburn WR returns to college coaching ranks

After spending time in the NFL, Kodi Burns has landed a co-offensive coordinator position with an FBS squad.

After spending two seasons in the NFL coaching ranks, a former Auburn standout returns to college to take on an important role.

[autotag]Kodi Burns[/autotag], who played quarterback and wide receiver for the Tigers from 2007-10, has agreed to become co-offensive coordinator, wide receivers coach, and assistant head coach at South Florida. He will reunite with Bulls head coach Alex Golesh after spending time together at Tennessee in 2021.

Golesh is excited to have the former Tiger on board.

“Kodi is a winner who has had great success developing players at both the collegiate and NFL level,” Golesh said in a press release. “I am very excited to have him join our staff, lead our wide receiver group and help us continue to build one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Kodi is a process-driven coach who cares greatly for his players. We worked very well together for a season at Tennessee, he knows our system, and he will be a great mentor for our players.”

Burns returns to the college ranks after spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the New Orleans Saints. He also spent time at Tennessee, Arizona State, Samford, Middle Tennessee State, and Arkansas State while serving two terms at Auburn.

In 2013, he joined [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]’s inaugural staff as a graduate assistant and later returned to Auburn from 2016 to 2020 to coach wide receivers. Under Burns’ guidance, players like Darius Slayton, Ryan Davis, Seth Williams, Eli Stove, and Anthony Schwartz excelled at Auburn. He was dismissed as part of Malzahn’s firing at the end of the 2020 season.

South Florida finished 6-6 in 2024, and will face San Jose State at the Hawai’i Bowl on Dec. 24. Golesh will look to Burns to help improve USF’s passing numbers, which ranked No. 8 in the AAC with 226.8 yards per game.

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Former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn to become OC at Florida State

Malzahn will return to a coordinator position for the first time since 2011

Former Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn resigned from his position as UCF head coach on Saturday. Auburn’s leading man from 2013-2020, Malzahn led the Tigers to a National Championship in 2011 as the offensive coordinator before finishing as the National runner-up as the head coach in 2014.

The 59-year-old left the Plains to coach UCF in 2020, where he led the Knights to three-straight bowl game appearances from 2021-2023, including an appearance in the Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl to finish off UCF’s first season in the BIG 12 conference. Malzahn failed to lead UCF to a postseason birth for the first time since taking over the program this season, leading to his resignation this weekend.

Malzahn now heads to Florida State in hopes of turning around the program after its worst season in recent memory. After failing to qualify for the 4-team College Football Playoff despite an undefeated season in 2023, FSU won just 2 games in 2024 after a preseason ranking of No. 10 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. With head coach Mike Norvell likely to clean house and create a new look to his program, Malzahn will now return to a coordinator role for the first time since 2011.

In six seasons as head coach on the Plains, Gus Malzahn led Auburn to a 53-27 record, including appearances in a pair of SEC Championships and four “New Year’s 6” bowl games. The Tigers program has yet to re-gain the stability it had under the 59-year-old coach, and he’ll look to bring his winning culture to a FSU program in need of a culture change.

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UCF fires defensive coordinator Ted Roof, pressure falls on Gus Malzahn

UCF has made a change at DC but the pressure now falls at the feet of the head coach.

For the second consecutive season, the UCF Knights have suffered a five-game losing streak. Last year it happened after starting 3-0. Perhaps they decided it was such a joy that the same thing happened in 2024. UCF now needs to finish 3-1 over the final four to get to the postseason.

Following the 37-24 loss to BYU at FBC Mortgage Stadium, the Knights fired defensive coordinator Ted Roof on Monday. The news was reported by Brett McMurphy among others. Roof will be replaced by co-defensive coordinator Addison Williams, who was the DC last season.

Roof joined the team after serving as the Oklahoma Sooners defensive coordinator and linebackers coach in 2022 and 2023. This season his defense is No. 11 in scoring defense in the Big 12 (27.1 points per game) and No. 12 in total defense (379.1 yards per game).

The firing signals the pressure is on head coach Gus Malzahn after another season falling apart following a promising start. Prior to joining the Big 12, Malzahn was a combined 18-9 with a 1-1 record in bowl games. Since joining the Power Four, the UCF head coach is a meager 9-12 and 4-10 in Big 12 play.

The Knights are unlikely to make a move at the moment but it seems to be getting worse for the former Auburn Tigers head coach. His calling card is on the offensive side of the ball but so far this year, UCF has the No. 9 scoring offense in the Big 12 (30.4) and No. 2 total offense (454.8).

But for UCF it is more than numbers when the results aren’t following. In three of the losses during the current streak, the Knights have been outscored by a combined 51 points. The other two losses came by a combined 9 points. That can make a major difference in the perception. Two scores away from a 5-3 record and a 3-5 record.

If the trajectory continues for the Knights, head coach Gus Malzahn could be in hot water this offseason.

Pittsburgh set to hire former Auburn AD Allen Greene for same role

Greene is set to return to the AD chair after stepping away from the role at Auburn in 2022.

Allen Greene stepped away from his role as Auburn’s athletic director over two years ago, and now he is ready to take the chair at another institution.

ESPN’s Pete Thamel reports that Pittsburgh has hired Greene to become the university’s next athletic director. University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Joan Gabel confirmed the report on Friday morning.

In a press release from Pitt athletics, Gable says that Greene is “proven” and is ready to take charge of the athletics program.

“Pitt Athletics is the front porch of the University of Pittsburgh, serving as a crucial access point for so many across our campus, our region, our nation and the world. In Allen Greene, we have a proven national leader who exemplifies the Pitt way, and who has all of the experience and intangibles to elevate our athletics program in competition and in the classroom. In my conversations with Allen and with many others who know him well, it is clear that he will lead us successfully into the new world of intercollegiate athletics.”

Greene served as Auburn’s athletic director from 2018-22, coming to the Plains from Buffalo after serving as the leader of the Bulls’ athletic program in the three years prior. He departed from Auburn in August 2022 with three months remaining on his contract.

“The decision to step away from Auburn Athletics is not an easy one, but it is the right time for me to begin the next step in my professional journey,” Greene said following his departure. “I am very proud of the work that we have done together to move our athletics program forward. Christy and I want to thank the Auburn family for allowing us to be a part of something truly unique, and I wish Auburn nothing but the best in the years ahead. I’m confident we leave Auburn athletics stronger than when we arrived.”

The highlights of Greene’s career were the firing of former head football coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] in 2020 and the hiring of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] to replace him. He also hired [autotag]Johnnie Harris[/autotag] to lead the women’s basketball program in 2021, where she has built a 46-45 record in three seasons with two postseason appearances.

Greene heads to Pittsburgh after spending a short time at the University of  Tennessee, serving as Senior Deputy Athletics Director/Chief Operating Officer for the Volunteer’s athletic department. He will officially take over the role of AD at Pitt on Nov. 1.

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Sam Pittman looks for Travis Williams to inspire Razorbacks at Jordan-Hare Stadium

Former Auburn linebacker Travis Williams returns to Auburn this weekend as the Razorbacks’ defensive coordinator.

Auburn football opens SEC play this Saturday afternoon against the Arkansas Razorbacks and hopes to perform well against a Tiger legend.

The Razorbacks are led defensively by [autotag]Travis Williams[/autotag], who starred as a linebacker for Auburn from 2001-04 and later returned to the Plains as an assistant coach under [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]. Saturday will not be the first time Williams has coached against the Tigers, but it will mark the first time he has coached a game from the opposing sideline.

When asked about Williams’ return earlier this week, Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman says that he hopes that will bring extra motivation to his defense as the Razorbacks look to begin the SEC season with a victory.

“I hope so. I mean, we’re counting on it,” Pittman said. “Obviously, the whole team knows that he played there, and he’s well-liked, well-respected in the building, and on defense, obviously as well. We didn’t play well (Saturday vs. UAB), so we’ve got to get that fixed, so if that’s a little more inspiration to the kids, then we’ll certainly use it.”

Pittman discussed several other topics ahead of the Auburn game including [autotag]Jarquez Hunter[/autotag]’s impact and the success of the road team in past matchups. He was also asked to compare Auburn quarterbacks [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and [autotag]Hank Brown[/autotag], where he shed light on what makes each quarterback different.

“I think one game from Brown … The difference in their offense is really, with Throne it was more of a zone read, keep the ball, give the ball, counter read, give the ball, keep the ball. They threw more RPOs with Brown. So it’s the same principle, you’re giving it or you’re throwing it,” Pittman said. “I think with Thorne, a little bit more they gave it, or he kept it. And it killed us last year with him keeping the football. I don’t know what he averaged per run, but it was a bunch. That’s really the difference. I don’t think they changed a whole lot schematically throwing the football with their stops, their go routes or their crossers. They ran a little bit more drop-back with him this past week. I can’t speak for Coach (Hugh Freeze), but I think Thorne was a great threat in running the football. And Brown may be more of a bigger threat throwing it. I mean, he can wing it, now. For his first game to throw four touchdowns, pretty impressive. But that’s probably the biggest difference is, run to pass versus run to run.”

Pittman and the Arkansas Razorbacks trek to Auburn on Saturday to battle the Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT.

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2026 DL Keenan Britt expected to announce commitment this month

Could Keenan Britt carry on the legacy started by his older brother, KJ?

2026 four-star defensive line [autotag]Keenan Britt[/autotag], the younger brother of former Auburn standout linebacker [autotag]K.J Britt[/autotag], announced he will choose which school he will be attending on July 29 in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday.

Britt, who received an offer from the Tigers back in January of 2023, has been heavily recruited by fellow SEC programs Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. He also has an offer from UCF, a program led of course by former Auburn head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] who coached his brother during his tenure with the Tigers.

The 6-2, 230-pound edge rusher has visited the Plains on seven separate occasions since receiving an offer, most recently this March. Britt was also in attendance for all but two of Auburn’s home football games last season. Although the Oxford, Alabama native has no clear “crystal ball” projections from recruiting analysts at 247Sports, but has a 73.8% chance to sign with Auburn according to On3. It would be a major surprise if he chose any program other than the Tigers considering his family ties and elevated interest.

If he were to choose Auburn, Britt would be carrying on a fantastic legacy left by his older brother, who now plays professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Consistency a major cog in the defensive backfield, Britt collected 116 total tackles during his four years at Auburn despite playing sparingly in his freshman and senior campaigns.

As for Keenan, the younger Britt brother is coming off a sophomore season at Oxford High School in which he totaled 107 total tackles, 8 sacks, and 20 tackles for a loss in 11 games. His commitment would add depth to a positional group that is becoming a strength of the Tigers.

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Kam Pettway earns offensive coordinator job at Charles Henderson High School

The former Auburn RB continues to climb the coaching ladder.

Auburn football has had a history of successful players who, after they finish up their playing days, have gone on to be coaches for the standouts of the future. One former Tiger is continuing that journey, as he steps into a new position on the gridiron.

[autotag]Kam Pettway[/autotag]was announced as the new offensive coordinator for Charles Henderson High School on Friday, his next step following a stint at Vincent High School in 2023.

Pettway played on the Plains under former coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn [/autotag]from 2014-2017. After being redshirted the first season, he went on to play in 28 games for the program and made 10 starts during his career.

He earned First Team All-SEC honors in 2016 after a season where he ranked No. 12 nationally in rushing average and was a Doak Walker Award semifinalist. Pettway returned as a starter in 2017 before he was plagued by injuries and missed the entire back half of the season.

He declared for the 2018 NFL Draft where he went undrafted and signed with the Minnesota Vikings. After a short time in the World Indoor Football League in 2019, he signed into a short time of the Fútbol Americano de México before the 2021 season.

Pettway has since held coaching positions at Central-Phenix City High School, Banks Academy and Vincent before now moving onto Troy to help coach the Charles Henderson Trojans.

He helped lead the Vincent Yellow Jackets to a playoff appearance in Class 2A in the 2023 season.

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Son of Tigers’ football legend earns scholarship offer from Auburn

Ready to feel old?

Every college football fan remembers where they were the moment the infamous “kick six” occurred.

On November 30, 2013, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, the Alabama Crimson Tide had one second remaining on the game clock after gaining a first down. In an effort to break a 28-28 tie, and win the game, Alabama head coach Nick Saban sent kicker Adam Griffith to kick a 56-yard field goal. His efforts fell short and into the hands of Auburn returner [autotag]Chris Davis[/autotag], who returned the kick 100 yards for a touchdown, giving the Tigers the 34-28 win.

Fast forward 11 years, and the Auburn legend’s son has the opportunity to continue his father’s legacy.

[autotag]CJ Davis[/autotag], a 2028 running back from Hewitt-Trussville High School in Trussville and the son of Auburn legend Chris Davis, shared on social media Tuesday that he has received an offer from his father’s alma mater. Davis shared the news of the offer by posting a photo of him and his father during the eldest Davis’ playing days at Auburn.

The rising 9th grader has yet to receive a ranking from recruiting outlets but is beginning to rack up offers. In addition to Auburn, Davis has earned offers from Arkansas, Florida State, and UCF, which is led by his father’s college head coach, [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag].

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Former Auburn WR Ja’Varrius Johnson transfers to UCF

With the transfer portal window coming to an end in the college football offseason, former Auburn WR Ja’Varrius Johnson commits to UCF

The transfer portal window is coming to an end in the college football offseason and rosters are becoming set for the 2024-25 year. A lot of moves are being made all around the country, especially ones that should be put on high notice.

One that is potentially very impactful comes from former Auburn wide receiver, [autotag]Ja’Varrius Johnson[/autotag], who has committed to the UCF Knights for next season.

Johnson entered the portal on Dec. 15 with one year of eligibility remaining in his college career. He has spent every season up to this point on the Plains, going through three different head coaches in his time.

The senior racked up 64 receptions for 1,114 yards and eight touchdowns with the Tigers. He capped the 2023 season off with the best game of his season in a loss to Alabama, where he had four catches for 76 yards and a touchdown.

He joins former Auburn head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag] in Orlando, as well as former players in wide receiver [autotag]Kobe Hudson[/autotag] and defensive tackle [autotag]Lee Hunter[/autotag].

The Tigers now only notably return their top receiver from last year in [autotag]Rivaldo Fairweather[/autotag], to go along with Camden Brown as main contributors in pass catching from last season.

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Dameyune Craig set to join staff at Georgia State

Craig will reunite with Dell McGee by joining his new staff at Georgia State.

Georgia State made a home run hire by naming former Auburn player [autotag]Dell McGee[/autotag] as its next head coach last month. McGee is quickly proving that he is the right man for the job by putting together a respectable coaching staff.

One of the first hires he has made involves a former Auburn quarterback and assistant coach. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports reports that [autotag]Dameyune Craig[/autotag] will join Georgia State’s coaching staff as an offensive assistant.

Craig joins McGee’s staff after spending the last six seasons at Texas A&M, serving as wide receivers coach. While in College Station, he coached Evan Stewart, Moose Muhammad, and Ainias Smith to successful college careers.

After playing for the Tigers from 1994-97, and later served as a co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag]’s staff during the 2013 season. Auburn had three receivers haul in at least 200 yards during that season, with [autotag]Sammie Coates[/autotag] leading the way with 902 yards and seven touchdowns.

Craig has also served as an assistant coach at LSU, Tuskegee, South Alabama, and Florida State.

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