In the wake of hiring new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Austin Davis, it seems that more coaching changes are on the way for Auburn football.
News broke on January 7 that Auburn defensive line coach Nick Eason would be leaving the program to return to his alma mater Clemson. Now, it seems very likely that the Tigers’ defensive coordinator Derek Mason will be parting ways with the program and taking the same position at Oklahoma State.
Bryan Harsin will soon find himself heading into his second year on the Plains without a defensive line coach or coordinator, but according to Philip Marshall of Auburn Undercover, the coaching staff has a plan. Marshall reports that the most likely scenario for the program would be promoting current linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding to the defensive coordinator role and bringing on a new LB coach.
Schmedding served as Bryan Harsin’s defensive coordinator at Boise State in 2019 and 2020 before following Harsin to the Plains and spent the previous 15 years at Eastern Washington. He will likely spend 2022 as the Tigers’ defensive coordinator and safeties coach.
Matt Zenitz of On3 Sports reports that Harsin is expected to bring in ex-Florida linebackers coach and former Georgia linebacker Christian Robinson in to replace Schmedding as the LB coach:
Auburn is expected to hire ex-Florida linebackers coach Christian Robinson as an assistant coach, sources tell @on3sports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 20, 2022
Robinson, a former Georgia starting LB, served as the Gators’ interim defensive coordinator the final four games of the season.https://t.co/k5bN5NhJoE
Robinson has a wealth of SEC experience and has coached at UGA, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Florida. He also finished out the 2021 season as the Gators’ interim defensive coordinator for the final four games after Todd Grantham was dismissed in early November.
Derek Mason becomes the fourth coach from Harsin’s original 2020 hires to leave the Auburn football program.