Philip Montgomery – Syndication Server

Ole Miss players share thoughts on Auburn OC Derrick Nix

Nix departed Oxford for Auburn in January after spending 16 years with the Rebels.

Auburn football hired former Ole Miss wide receivers coach [autotag]Derrick Nix[/autotag] to serve as the program’s offensive coordinator and running backs coach in January. Nix steps into the role following the departure of [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] after one season on the Plains.

Nix joins Auburn’s staff after a successful 16-year stint in Oxford. While there, he built sturdy relationships with his peers as well as Ole Miss athletes. Did he depart Ole Miss with bad blood? It appears that all is well between Nix and the Rebels.

During day one of SEC Media Days in Dallas, Texas, Ole Miss players Tre Harris and Jaxson Dart were asked about their relationship with Nix. Both players had positive and kind words for the Tigers’ new offensive coordinator.

Harris, who reeled in 54 passes for 985 yards and eight touchdowns for the Rebels last season, says that Nix teaches valuable lessons outside of the x’s and o’s of football.

“He’s an incredible coach who’s looking to not only make you a better player on the field, but to make you a man,” Harris said. ”One thing he always harped on was that football does end at some point. You have to be a family man and you have to be a man of God.”

Rebel quarterback Jaxson Dart also expressed positive words about Nix, and approved Auburn’s decision to hire him.

“Great man and somebody that our team and guys really looked up to so Auburn made a really good hire,” Dart said.

As Auburn looks to revamp its passing game in 2024, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] will look to Nix to increase production. Three Ole Miss receivers were able to surpass 700 receiving yards last season, and Ole Miss quarterbacks have passed for at least 270 yards per game in three of the last four seasons.

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Former Auburn OC Philip Montgomery hired to same position in UFL

After being let go in January, former Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery has been hired by the Birmingham Stallions.

Auburn’s coaching staff has taken on many changes through the first two months of 2024, and a lot of those who have left the Plains have already secured new positions. The most of recent of those moves came on Wednesday.

Former Auburn offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] has been hired to be the co-offensive coordinator, running backs coach and tight ends coach for the Birmingham Stallions in the UFL. The Stallions make the transition into the new UFL after being back-to-back champions of the former USFL.

Montgomery was not retained on Auburn’s staff after being with the Tigers for just one season in 2023. The offensive struggles that they had were one huge reason why the Tigers went 6-7 last year, marking the program’s third-straight losing season.

Auburn finished 10th in the SEC in total offense under Montgomery, averaging just 351.2 yards per game. The offense also did not gain very many yards per play last season, placing 11th in the conference at just 5.5. That offense led to a lack of points at 26.15 points per game, a stat that many Tiger fans were frustrated about over the course of the season.

The Stallions are set to open their season on Saturday, March 30, when they visit the Arlington Renegades.

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Zac Etheridge departs Auburn, expected to be hired at Houston

Etheridge resigns after spending three seasons on his alma mater’s staff.

The Auburn coaching staff continues to see shake-up as the offseason heats up.

Late Thursday, Auburn associate head coach and running backs coach Cadillac Williams announced his resignation from the staff to “explore other opportunities.” Early Friday, another alum followed suit.

[autotag]Zac Etheridge[/autotag], a former Auburn defensive back who spent three seasons on Auburn’s staff, also announced his resignation via X (formerly Twitter). Matt Zenitz of 247Sports has reported that Etheridge’s next move will be joining the staff at the University of Houston.

Auburn head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] released a statement Friday to show gratitude for Etheridge’s service to Auburn’s staff.

“Auburn football would like to thank Zac for his contributions to the program the last three years. He played a vital role in establishing the foundation of the future. Zac is a relentless recruiter and tireless worker who has a bright future in this profession. I look forward to watching his career develop and wish him nothing but the best.”

Etheridge joined Auburn’s staff in 2021 as part of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag]’s first staff. He was retained by Freeze and continued his role as defensive backs coach for the 2023 season. It was announced on Dec. 30 that Charles Kelly was hired to serve as co-defensive coordinator with an expected role working with defensive backs. Since then, both defensive backs coaches from the 2023 staff, [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] and Zac Etheridge, have both departed.

In addition to his on-field role, Etheridge was known as an elite recruiter. Etheridge played a role in Auburn landing four-star talent such as [autotag]Keldric Faulk[/autotag] and [autotag]Robert Woodyard[/autotag]. He was also the primary recruiter for current commits [autotag]Antonio Coleman[/autotag], [autotag]Kendarius Reddick[/autotag], and [autotag]JaKaleb Faulk[/autotag].

Etheridge’s departure is the fifth move of the offseason for Auburn’s coaching staff. Offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag], defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag], defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff, and running backs coach Cadillac Williams have also departed the staff.

Cadillac Williams resigns from position as Auburn’s associate head coach

The former Auburn running back resigns after spending five seasons as an assistant coach under three different head coaches.

The latest move regarding Auburn’s coaching staff involves a program legend.

[autotag]Cadillac Williams[/autotag], who played for Auburn from 2001-04 and served as an assistant coach for his alma mater over the last five seasons, resigned from his position as associate head coach and running backs coach late Thursday evening.

Williams shared his reasoning for the move in a press release. He says that he is looking to pursue other opportunities.

“After taking time to pray and reflect, I have made the decision to resign from my position with Auburn football to pursue other opportunities. I love Auburn, the players and AU family with all my heart, but this decision is what is best for me, my wife and sons. I am extremely grateful for the coaching opportunity given to me first by Coach Malzahn and most recently by Coach Freeze. These past five years on the Plains have been nothing short of incredible. Auburn is and always will be a special part of my life.”

War Eagle!

Williams first joined Auburn’s football staff during the 2019 season under head coach [autotag]Gus Malzahn[/autotag], and would go on to serve on the staffs of [autotag]Bryan Harsin[/autotag] and [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]. Following the firing of Harsin during the 2022 season, Williams was named interim head coach. During his time as interim, Williams led the Tigers to a 2-2 record which included an emotional home win over Texas A&M.

Williams is also known as an effective recruiter, as he played a role in landing running backs [autotag]Tank Bigsby[/autotag], [autotag]Damari Alston[/autotag], and [autotag]Jeremiah Cobb[/autotag]. He was also the primary recruiter for offensive linemen [autotag]Clay Wedin[/autotag] and [autotag]Bradyn Joiner[/autotag].

Williams’ resignation marks the fourth assistant coach to leave the staff since the offseason began. Defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] is now a member of the staff at Florida while defensive backs coach [autotag]Wesley McGriff[/autotag] has joined Mike Elko’s staff at Texas A&M. Auburn has also parted ways with offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag].

USA TODAY Sports grades Auburn’s 2023 season

How would you have graded Auburn’s 2023 season?

The 2023 college football season is officially over, with the Michan Wolverine standing atop the sport as the national champions.

With the season over, Paul Myerberg of USA Today Sports decided to look back at how all 133 FBS teams performed and handed out grades to each program. He graded on a curve, based in part on preseason expectations, in-season performance and considered any special circumstances, such as injuries or big wins.

Myerberg handed the Auburn Tigers a C- in [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag]’s first season on the Plains. While Auburn didn’t enter the season with high expectations, they ended the season on a three-game losing streak and fell to 6-7.

The Tigers performed well against rivals Alabama and Georgia but were crushed by LSU and Texas A&M on the road. They also suffered one of the worst losses in program history, getting demolished by New Mexico State inside Jordan-Hare Stadium.

In response to the disappointing ending, Freeze has shaken up the coaching staff, firing offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] and watched defensive coordinator [autotag]Ron Roberts[/autotag] leave to take a job at Florida. Auburn has not yet announced a replacement for either coordinator but Freeze is expected to take over play calling duties for the offense in 2024.

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BREAKING: Auburn fires offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

Auburn is moving on from offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery after just one season.

After just one season at Auburn, [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and the Tigers are moving on from offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag]. The team announced the move Friday afternoon.

“I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator,” Freeze said. “Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy, however, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I’m appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best.”

Freeze hired Montgomery in December to be his offensive coordinator and play caller after he spent the past eight seasons as Tulsa’s head coach. The move allowed Freeze to focus more on recruiting but as the offense struggled he became more involved in the process.

Auburn’s offense struggled with consistency throughout the 2023 season, ranking 11th in the SEC in points per game (26.2) and yards per play (5.5). The biggest struggles were through the air where the Tigers ranked last or second to last in the SEC in QBR (126.05), yards per attempt (6.7), yards per game (162.2) and touchdowns (18).

Auburn now has an opening at both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Freeze will have to decide if he wants to hire another play caller or take full contol of the offense himself and hire an assisstant coach to help.

Montgomery is the second coach that Freeze will have to replace from his first staff after cornerback coach Wesley McGriff moved to an off-the-field role during the season. McGriff has now moved on to Texas A&M and has been replaced by Charles Kelly.

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Payton Thorne, Robby Ashford discuss ongoing quarterback rotation

How are Thorne and Ashford handling the quarterback situation through seven games?

Through seven games, the ongoing quarterback battle tells us that [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] are not set on one guy leading the offense.

Although each quarterback brings a certain set of skills that can be useful in Auburn’s offense, neither [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] nor [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] has developed enough to take the reigns of the battle for themselves. One of the main issues with the rotation is that neither quarterback has a chance to build consistency in game situations. Thorne says that he has never been a part of a two-quarterback system before, and is still adjusting to the role.

“I’ve never had to do that before. It’s a new challenge for me. I’ve never really seen anybody else do that either. So I don’t know if there’s anybody I can ask to learn from,” Thorne said this week. “Every time I’m in there, I’m trying to do what I’m supposed to do and do what I’m being coached to do and execute and make a play when we need it.”

Ashford, who experienced a rotation with [autotag]T.J. Finley[/autotag] in the early portion of the 2022 season, says that his experience this season is all about learning and executing his “package plays.”

“That’s just the biggest thing. Just honing in on my package plays, too. You’ve got to know all of that. It’s just really, for me, just knowing my package plays on top of knowing the playbook. Those are just big things,” Ashford said. “I try to learn every single week what we’re running and, on top of that, what my package plays are and what I am trying to do with those. It’s a little bit extra studying, but I can’t complain.”

In the rotation, Thorne has the edge in attempted passes with 130 as opposed to Ashford who has thrown just 26 times. Thorne also has 259 rushing yards compared to Ashford’s 180. Head coach [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] was asked about the quarterback rotation during Monday’s press conference and said that this week’s rotation would be based on which quarterback gives the team the best chance to win.

“Whatever our offensive staff convinces me is the best approach to give us a chance to win a game,” Freeze said. “I’ve said from day one that I think Robby has a place, and is his place ever down? We’ll see this week. If it’s a package that enables us to continue drives. I think we always have to look at those things right now, with the current state of who we are. I’m not content, though, with anything right now offensively.”

Auburn’s next chance to perfect the art of quarterback rotation will be Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT when the Tigers host Mississippi State at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Social media reacts to Auburn’s offense no-showing against Ole Miss

Auburn’s offense was completely shut down in a 28-21 loss to Ole Miss.

Another week, another terrible performance by Auburn’s offense.

The Tigers’ offense was once again unable to move the ball against a weak defense, managing just 275 yards against Ole Miss as the Tigers fell 28-21 Saturday night in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

[autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] continued to rotate [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] and [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] but both struggled to generate any offense. Both threw an interception into double coverage and combined to complete 12 passes for 122 yards.

Auburn fans took to social media to vent about the terrible performance, which wasted another great showing by the defense. Here is a look at the top reactions to Auburn’s fourth straight loss of the season.

Auburn announces depth chart for game against Ole Miss

Auburn will keep the starting lineup the same for their Week 8 matchup with Ole Miss.

After a two week break, Auburn is set to return to Jordan-Hare Stadium to take on the Ole Miss Rebels. The Tigers are looking to snap a three-game losing streak and they have announced their depth chart for the game.

The Tigers have had to make several changes over the past weeks due to injury but that is not the case this week. The only change on the offense was removing the OR between quarterbacks [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] and [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] as backup to [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag].

Ashford has seen plenty of action as [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and offensive coordinator [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] have used Ashford and Thorne in a two-quarterback system. Grenier has attempted just nine passes and was clearly behind Ashford.

Auburn also made some adjustments to the depth chart on defense, [autotag]Champ Anthony[/autotag] is now the backup at star instead of [autotag]J.D. Rhym[/autotag]. In a corresponding move, Anthony is no longer listed as a backup at boundary cornerback, leaving Rhym as the only reserve.

Here is a look at the full depth chart.

Hugh Freeze is not giving up on Payton Thorne yet

Freeze has pledged to better prepare Thorne for SEC competition going forward.

Auburn’s offense has not gotten off to as hot of a start as most had hoped, especially with the likes of [autotag]Hugh Freeze[/autotag] and [autotag]Philip Montgomery[/autotag] running the offense.

Starting quarterback [autotag]Payton Thorne[/autotag] has recorded 100 or more yards just twice this season and has been yanked in favor of [autotag]Robby Ashford[/autotag] or [autotag]Holden Geriner[/autotag] in several games.

According to stats from Pro Football Focus, Auburn receivers have not dropped a pass this season despite Thorne only completing 65% of his passes. He has also been pressured 21 times with 11 of those pressures ending in sacks.

Freeze was asked about the possibility of switching quarterbacks for the team’s upcoming game with Georgia. He says that he is sticking with Thorne for now, but Geriner could see more action following the bye week, which is scheduled for next weekend.

During Wednesday’s SEC teleconference, Freeze took accountability for Thorne’s play so far and said that Thorne has acknowledged his struggles as well.

“We’re asked to be psychologists along with being a coach. I feel like there’s things our staff has let him down on. Some of it is him, and he knows that and owns it,” Freeze said. “But I promised him we’d do a better job coaching him this week and preparing him and when you say coaching him, that also means the other positions that need to be in the right spots at the right times. At the same time, if you’ve got a wheel route that’s wide-open, you’ve got to hit it.”

It appears that Thorne is getting one last chance to prove his worth, and Freeze is going to work harder to make him more comfortable in Auburn’s offensive scheme. He hopes to see the adjustment pay off soon.

“This thing’s got to turn into a positive vibe somehow,” Freeze said. “And it takes some mental toughness to do that on (Thorne’s) part and our part. In the coming weeks, we need to see some progress.”

Thorne’s next chance to put it all together will be Saturday at 2:30 when the Tigers host No. 1 Georgia at Jordan-Hare Stadium.