A seasoned defensive coach with a four-season tenure in the Southeastern Conference, DJ Durkin, previously the coordinator at Ole Miss and Texas A&M, is poised for another league move. Hugh Freeze has chosen him as the defensive coordinator for the Auburn Tigers, as confirmed by a source at Auburnundercover.com.
Durkin began his coaching career at Bowling Green from 1997-2000 and later joined Notre Dame as a grad assistant before returning to Bowling Green as a full assistant in 2005. His career progressed with a significant opportunity in 2007 when he coached alongside Jim Harbaugh at Stanford. After three seasons, he moved to Florida to reunite with Urban Meyer, his coaching mentor from Bowling Green.
In 2013-14, Durkin served as the defensive coordinator for the Florida Gators under Will Muschamp, succeeding Dan Quinn. Following his stint at Michigan as the defensive coordinator in 2015, he became the head coach at Maryland in 2016 but was let go after controversy surrounding the death of Jordan McNair.
After consulting with the Atlanta Falcons, Durkin took on roles at Ole Miss and Texas A&M. Despite Texas A&M’s struggles last season leading to Jimbo Fisher’s firing, Durkin’s defense performed well, ranking 19th nationally in total defense. In his debut season at Texas A&M, the defense led the nation in allowing the fewest passing yards per game at 156.2 and achieved impressive rankings in passing defense efficiency and points allowed.
Aside from his on-field expertise, Durkin has excelled in recruiting, contributing to nine top-25 classes, including five in the top 10 nationally. Notably, during his time at Florida, he played a crucial role in securing four-straight top-11 recruiting classes and recruiting nine five-star prospects.
Expected to coach either inside or outside linebackers for the Auburn Tigers alongside current linebacker coach Josh Aldridge, the specific roles are yet to be defined.
