Tag: Jake Thornton

Wesley McGriff expected to join Hugh Freeze’s staff

This will be McGriff’s third stint as a defensive assistant at Auburn after serving two different terms under Gus Malzahn.

The Crime Dog has returned.

[autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag], who served as co-defensive coordinator at Auburn alongside Kevin Steele in 2016, and returned as a defensive backs coach from 2019-20, is reportedly set to return to Auburn for the third time.

Jason Caldwell of Auburn Undercover reports that McGriff is expected to join Hugh Freeze’s staff as a defensive assistant. McGriff’s hire becomes the fourth outside hire that Freeze has made since being introduced as head coach on Nov. 29, joining [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] (offensive line), [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag] (defensive line), and [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] (tight ends). [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag], and [autotag]Christian Robinson[/autotag] have been retained from Bryan Harsin’s staff.

The Tigers improved tremendously during McGriff’s first stint at Auburn in 2016. Auburn finished top-three in the SEC in scoring defense, rushing defense, and third-down conversions. Auburn’s strong defense played a role in Auburn’s berth in the Sugar Bowl that season. Auburn allowed 19.5 points per game in 2019 with McGriff as an assistant.

McGriff returns to Auburn after spending the 2021 season at Florida, and the 2022 season at Louisville.

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Jake Thornton set to join Hugh Freeze’s staff as offensive line coach

Thornton most recently served in the same role at Ole Miss for two seasons.

It appears that not EVERY coach at Ole Miss is safe from Auburn.

According to a report by Matt Zenitz of On3, Ole Miss offensive line coach [autotag]Jake Thornton[/autotag] is set to take on the same role at Auburn under Hugh Freeze. He joins [autotag]Ben Aigamaua[/autotag] (tight ends coach), and [autotag]Jeremy Garrett[/autotag] (defensive line coach) as new hires to the staff. [autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag], [autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag], and [autotag]Christian Robinson[/autotag] are the only coaches retained from Bryan Harsin’s staff.

Auburn’s biggest need on offense is an improvement to the offensive line, and Thornton has the capability to get that done. His offensive line at Ole Miss this season played a role in the Rebels’ gaining 491 yards per game, which is third-best in the SEC. Ole Miss gained an SEC-best 262 yards per game on the ground.

He will need time to develop Auburn’s linemen into the quality of Ole Miss’, as several of Auburn’s front will be graduating including [autotag]Killian Zierer[/autotag] and [autotag]Brandon Council[/autotag].

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A look at how Dewayne Alexander’s Tennessee Tech coaching tree has spread to Josh Heupel, Lane Kiffin

A look at how Dewayne Alexander’s Tennessee Tech coaching tree has spread to Josh Heupel and Lane Kiffin in the SEC.

Tennessee Tech (0-2) will play at Tennessee (1-1) Saturday at Neyland Stadium.

Kickoff is slated for noon EDT. SEC Network+ will broadcast the in-state matchup.

Dewayne Alexander is in his fourth season as Tennessee Tech’s head coach.

During Alexander’s tenure at Tennessee Tech, he has formed staffs in which assistants have advanced careers to join Southeastern Conference positions.

From 2018-20, Tre Lamb served as Alexander’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Lamb is now serving as Gardner–Webb’s head coach.

Lamb has tailored his offensive philosophies and concepts from studying the likes of Appalachian State and Josh Heupel’s veer-and-shoot style.

“We’re Air Raid passing game,” Lamb said on the show “Football Two-A-Days” in January, two days before Heupel was hired as Tennessee’s head coach from Central Florida. “Air Raid principles with an inside power-running game. I do believe you got to run the ball to win games in certain situations. All our passing game is Air Raid principles.

“If you want to compare our offense to somebody, it probably would be a hybrid between Appalachian State and Central Florida. Those are two teams we study the most. I like the outside zone play that App. State runs and I like the way Central Florida formations you and throws the ball down the field. Those are the two teams we watch the most and cater our offense to our players.”

Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles head coach Dewayne Alexander watches his team during the second half at Fortera Stadium Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, in Clarksville, Tenn. © Courtney Pedroza/The Leaf-Chronicle

In 2019, Kelsey Pope served as Lamb’s wide receivers coach on Alexander’s Tennessee Tech staff.

Lamb hired Pope to serve as his passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach at Gardner-Webb. Pope would depart Gardner-Webb as Heupel hired him as an offensive analyst at Tennessee.

Lane Kiffin has implemented the Baylor, veer-and-shoot offense into his Ole Miss program with offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby, much like Heupel has done during his head coaching career.

Kiffin also hired an assistant from Tennessee Tech’s coaching staff that runs the similar scheme of Heupel and Lebby.

Jake Thornton is in his first season as Ole Miss’ offensive line coach after serving as run game coordinator and offensive line coach for Alexander at Tennessee Tech from 2018-19. Thornton followed Lamb and Pope to Gardner-Webb in 2020 as the Bulldogs’ run game coordinator and offensive line coach.

Alexander joined the show “Football Two-A-Days” ahead of Tennessee Tech playing at Tennessee. The show can be listened to here or below.

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