Comparing Changes to Auburn Football Coaching Staff

Gone are wide receivers coach Dameyune Craig and offensive line coach J.B. Grimes.

Here are Kodi Burns and Herb Hand.

Gone are defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, secondary coach Travaris Robinson, and linebackers coach Lance Thompson.

Here are Kevin Steele, Wesley McGriff, and Travis Williams.

That’s massive turnover for a coaching staff over just one off-season. Yet we’ve heard Gus Malzahn seemingly mention multiple times — indirectly — that he believes this staff to be an upgrade over last season’s, and has mentioned being “on the same page” as a primary reason.

But is this staff truly capable of producing more for Auburn?

Dameyune Craig vs. Kodi Burns

Craig is certainly more experienced than Burns, and without question has more connections – and likely finesse on the recruiting trail – but what about on the field?

With all due respect to Craig, Burns – having played the position in the very offense he is now tasked with coaching – will likely lead to an upgrade in the on-the-field product.

The toughness that has been missing from the wide receiver corps should return rather quickly — Burns embodied that as a player in this system as much, or more, than anyone.

J.B. Grimes vs. Herb Hand

Grimes had coached under Malzahn at Arkansas State before joining him at Auburn. Hand, likewise, coached and enjoyed great success with Malzahn at Tulsa.

Recruiting-wise, Hand is expected to be an upgrade. Compared to the stereotypical offensive line coach, he is surprisingly charismatic and as present on social media as any college assistant in the country.

Will Muschamp vs. Kevin Steele

Both Muschamp and Steele are noted for their recruiting ability and skill in assembling a defense.

While it’s true that Muschamp has better pure numbers as a college coordinator, often times team success is about fit more than anything else.

"“I like Coach Steele’s coaching style. He’s making us put in effort without having to do all the screaming and stuff. When we got that, I honestly feel it makes us want to compete.” –Carl Lawson"

While he never specifically mentioned Muschamp, and later walked back his comments a bit, Carl Lawson seemed to initially confess to preferring Team Steele to his predecessor.

Travaris Robinson vs. Wesley McGriff

Robinson has certainly proven himself as an assistant, both on the field and on the trail.

But Muschamp was leaving Auburn to be the head coach at South Carolina, and it’s a fact that the vast majority of Robinson’s success has been under Muschamp, his mentor.

While it isn’t fair to shift the credit Robinson deserves over to Muschamp entirely, it’s fair to say that Robinson — without Muschamp —isn’t nearly as proven an assistant coach as McGriff, who has coached and had success under multiple coordinators and in the NFL.

Lance Thompson vs. Travis Williams

This is Williams’ first major on-field coaching job, so it will be a tall task to overcome Thompson’s two-decade edge in experience.

Thompson, a touted recruiter, will be missed, but possibly not nearly as much as many predict.

Williams is young and extremely personable and will no doubt connect with the players he is recruiting to play the position he once manned at the school he helped lead to an undefeated season and SEC Championship.

Williams will also be coaching under Steele, a coordinator with 35 years of experience.

Whether this Auburn staff is ultimately an upgrade or not obviously remains to be seen.

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But the pieces and potential are there.

Things were too clunky, offensively and otherwise, last season for there not to have been at least a little dysfunction among the coaches.

Losing Craig, the Auburn icon who was reportedly unhappy in a somewhat minimized role on the staff, and gaining Burns, who is one of Auburn’s all-time team players, can certainly add to staff cohesion.

And that shouldn’t be underestimated.

Being on the same page — for Auburn football — has always been a maddeningly hard to reach ideal.