Former Auburn Tigers DB and secondary coach Zac Etheridge got his first NFL job on Friday, inking a deal to become the Arizona Cardinals' next CB coach. In the process, Etheridge is leaving a Miami Hurricanes program he helped turn into a CFP runner-up and brought plenty of talent to, including former Auburn star Keionte Scott.
Canes Warning's Patrick Previty put a positive spin on Etheridge's departure, claiming NFL interest is good, but also pointed out that "The U" needs to act quickly and find someone who can keep the program's incoming and future DB recruits on board.
"Miami HC Mario Cristobal and defensive coordinator Corey Hetherman must replace another important staffer. But, to put a positive spin on the situation, it shows just how far Miami has come over the last couple years. When a program competes for national championships at the FBS level, that usually leads to interest from the NFL. So, this is just par for the course," Previty wrote.
"Still, as much of a compliment as it is, Miami will need to move fast and keep DB recruits within reach. The staff must find a coach that can keep the connection that was built with the young prospects who were already interested in Miami."
Zac Etheridge joined Auburn's coaching staff at the worst possible time
Etheridge's 2010 season on the Plains was legendary. He was a team captain and had key moments throughout the season, including picking off Oregon Ducks quarterback Darron Thomas en route to the team's first and only championship in the modern era.
Unfortunately, his tenure as a position coach with the Tigers didn't have the chance to be legendary, given who he worked for. Etheridge joined Bryan Harsin's staff in 2021 and outlived the Boise native's tenuous run in East Central Alabama, only to be part of Hugh Freeze's first coaching staff.
Players didn't buy into Harsin, but players essentially didn't have a disciplined structure under Freeze, and Etheridge suffered. If only he could've joined Gus Malzahn's coaching staff in 2019 instead of the Houston Cougars. There's no evidence supporting Malzahn ever trying to hire Etheridge.
Etheridge helped Roger McCreary, Nehemiah Pritchett, and D.J. James reach the NFL from the Tigers, and is almost certainly sending Scott and Jakobe Thomas to the 2026 draft.
Now, his job shifts from developing raw talent into NFL prospects, to developing NFL players into difference-makers at the sport's highest level.