Alex Golesh continues to fill out his first coaching staff as the head coach at Auburn by bringing yet another familiar face, Demarcus Van Dyke, to the Plains to coach the cornerbacks.
"We are thrilled to bring Coach DVD to Auburn,” Golesh said. “He has an elite ability to build genuine relationships with his players and develop them at the highest level. His NFL experience brings a valuable perspective to our program, and he's worked and played for some of the best defensive minds in football. Coach DVD is going to make an immediate impact on our defense, and his strong connections in key recruiting areas will help us compete for the best talent in the country."
Van Dyke spent the last two seasons with Golesh at USF, also serving as the Bulls' cornerbacks coach. A graduate of Miami, he served in various roles with the Hurricanes from 2018-22 before moving on to FIU for a season in 2023.
South Florida ties with help Auburn in recruiting battles
Due to his success early in his coaching career, Van Dyke was named to the American Football Coaches Association 35 under 35 list in 2024. He brings strong ties to South Florida, one of the most fertile recruiting areas in the country, and experience as a former player, playing in 51 career games for the Hurricanes before being selected in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders.
Van Dyke’s hire comes less than 24 hours after six other announcements were made for Golesh’s staff, including Vontrell King-Williams (defensive line), Harding Harper III (executive director of recruiting), John-Allen Stone (director of football administration), George Courides (director of football performance), Terrence Kennell (director of applied science) and Frank Failace( associate director of football performance).
King-Williams and defensive coordinator, DJ Durkin, remain the only stayovers from last year's staff.