Auburn football: Zac Etheridge named rising-star position coach

Auburn football is heading into the 2021 season with a completely revamped coaching staff (save for Coach Cadillac, of course) and they have a lot to prove during their first year on the Plains.

When it was all said and done, Harsin managed to put together a group of coaches with experience around the SEC, experience as head coaches, and experience in the NFL in addition to experience playing for Auburn. The Tigers’ head coach also brought on people with west coast connections from his former school, Boise State.

Every coach on the staff brings something to the table in one or more of those areas, and they are all designed to help Harsin bring Auburn football back up to the competitive level on which it belongs.

On3 Sports gathered feedback from coaches, team officials, coordinators, etc. to put together a list of 50 position coaches that are expected to move up to bigger roles sooner than later. Former Auburn safety and current cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge made the list.

Etheridge was a four-year starter during his career on the Plains and was a team captain of the 2010 national championship team. He began coaching as a grad assistant at Penn State under Ted Roof and then at Georgia Tech. He worked under Billy Napier at Louisiana in 2018, then spent 2019-2020 as the Houston cornerbacks coach before returning home to the Plains this year.

According to Matt Zenitz, Etheridge’s coaching career could soon be taking off based on his current resume:

"Helped Houston go from No. 11 in the AAC in total defense in 2018 (496.8 yards per game) and No. 11 in 2019 (467.5) to No. 4 in 2020 (398.5).Scored a big early recruiting win at Auburn, playing a role in getting standout cornerback Roger McCreary to return for his senior season instead of leaving for the NFL.Led by Etheridge and coordinator Derek Mason, the Tigers are expected to have one of the better secondaries in the SEC this season"

A true Auburn man, Zac Etheridge has the chance to make a big splash in the SEC this year as the Tigers’ cornerbacks coach.