DJ Durkin will stay with Auburn football as part of new staff
Alex Golesh is retaining a defensive coordinator who should be an ideal match for his preferred brand of aggressive football.
AUBURN — New Auburn head coach Alex Golesh has been an offensive coach for most of his career, but he started on the defensive side of the ball.
So while a lot of attention during his early days on the Plains have deservedly been on his offense, Golesh laid out exactly what he wanted to see from his defense Monday.
“Defensively, we’re going to be just as fun to watch,” Golesh said. “We’re going to be aggressive, create explosives, create negatives, create turnovers. We’re going to be the most violent freakin’ team on the football field every single Saturday.”
If that phrasing sounded familiar, it’s because it’s not too far off from what Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin and his players have said over the last two seasons.
Durkin has preached three main things with the Tigers: Relentless effort, violent tackling and elite mental execution. It’s a mentality that lines up with Auburn’s new head coach, who wants his teams to be aggressive on all sides of the ball.
And now the two are officially teaming up for the start of a new era of Auburn football.
“Coach Golesh and I have known each other long time and I’ve got a lot of respect for him, his teams and the way they work,” Durkin said in a statement. “I’m excited about what he’s going to bring to Auburn and grateful for the chance to work alongside him. I love this group of players, and it mattered to me to keep pushing forward with what they have already started.
“The support my family and I have felt from the Auburn community has been unbelievable. This is home for us. I’m thankful for the Auburn Family and everything they’ve shown us over the last month, and I can’t wait to get to work.”
On Tuesday, Auburn announced that Durkin would remain as the defensive coordinator under Golesh.
“Choosing to keep DJ on our staff was an easy call. Our relationship goes back more than 20 years to our roots in Ohio, we have worked with some of the same men, and we’ve competed against each other in this great league,” Golesh said in a statement. “We are fortunate to retain one of the top defensive minds in college football here on The Plains. He’s an elite leader, incredible father and husband and will be phenomenal leader on the defensive side of the ball.
“We have great respect for each other. Time to go to work.”
This was not a given, even though Auburn athletic director John Cohen openly said during the search process that he would prefer Durkin being a part of the program in 2026. There were several moving parts with his status at Auburn after Golesh’s arrival.