AUBURN, Ala. – Following the dismissal of head coach Hugh Freeze, Auburn Tigers have appointed DJ Durkin as their interim head coach. This marks Durkin”s first media appearance since his promotion, where he addressed the dual responsibilities he will take on as Auburn prepares to face the Vanderbilt Commodores in Nashville this Saturday.
Durkin, who has been the primary defensive play-caller, confirmed that he will retain this role even as he steps into the interim head coach position for the remainder of the season. “We won”t change how we”re doing that. I think we have a good flow of how to do things on defense,” he stated. He emphasized his confidence in the current coaching staff and expressed a desire to maintain stability within the team. “I love our staff. I love our group, and I don”t want to uproot any changes on that. So, we”re keeping that as normal as possible,” he added.
Previously, under Hugh Freeze, the offensive strategy involved a committee approach to play-calling, a departure from Durkin”s singular command of the defense. This season, the Auburn defense has stood out, being one of only three teams in the FBS not to allow an opponent to score more than 24 points. The others include Ohio State and Indiana. The defensive unit has successfully kept opponents under their scoring averages in every game so far.
While taking on the additional responsibilities of interim head coach, Durkin has indicated that he does not plan to make significant changes to the coaching staff. “The important thing to me in my comments to the staff was that I don”t want to be changing a bunch of things, uprooting and guys start changing jobs,” he explained. Durkin plans to keep his focus on his dual role while maintaining the effectiveness of the existing defensive strategy.
Assistant linebackers coach Jake Jiannoni will continue to support Durkin in defensive coaching responsibilities. “He”s been doing that all year long. As the coordinator, there are times where I need some help with the position as well. He”ll continue to do that. He does a tremendous job,” Durkin noted, highlighting Jiannoni”s contributions.
Durkin also addressed the need for collaboration between the offensive and defensive units to improve Auburn”s performance. “It”s offense and defense. We”re a team. This is our thing. We all take ownership of what goes on that field, no matter what phase it is, including special teams,” he said. He underscored the importance of energy and effort, stating, “I want our guys to go compete. I want them to play with confidence and not have a care in the world.”
With Durkin continuing to lead the defensive efforts, expectations remain high for the Auburn defense as they prepare to challenge the 15th-ranked Vanderbilt Commodores, a team currently averaging 37.6 points per game this season.
