Auburn football: This Malzahn-era coaching duo could return to the Plains

While the Auburn football program has finally turned the page in the head coaching book by officially bringing Hugh Freeze to the Plains, there is still much work to be done when it comes to putting together the coaching staff.

One of Freeze’s first moves in his new position was to keep former interim head coach Cadillac Williams on the staff as running backs coach and also associate head coach, but he still has yet to hire an offensive or defensive coordinator. Getting the staff in place is extremely important when it comes to recruiting, so it’s best that this is accomplished sooner rather than later.

So far, Freeze has hired former Ole Miss offensive line coach Jake Thornton to take the same position with Auburn football, and the rest of his hires–tight ends coach Ben Aigamaua, defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett, Chief of Staff Matt Bevins, player personnel department member A.K. Mogulla, and recruiting analystics and operations member Kennedy Harvey–have come with him from Liberty.

Two names that have come up as potential candidates for defensive coordinator include a pair of coaches from the Gus Malzahn era on the Plains: Travis Williams and Wesley McGriff.

Currently coaching under Malzahn as the defensive coordinator at UCF, there is reportedly mutual interest between Auburn and Williams for the DC position. Williams returned to the Plains in 2014 as a defensive analyst and was promoted to linebackers coach in 2015. In 2021, he followed Malzahn to UCF. He played at Auburn from 2001-2005.

Wesley McGriff coached Auburn football’s defensive backs under Malzahn for the 2019 and 2020 seasons following a stint at Ole Miss. He has spent the last two seasons as the secondary coach for the Florida Gators, and in 2015 he previously served as Auburn’s defensive coordinator, leading the team to a Sugar Bowl.