1.6.24 Football Articles

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247sports.com

 

Auburn fires offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

Nathan King

4–5 minutes

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After a highly inconsistent season, Hugh Freeze is making a major change for the Tigers moving into the 2024 offseason. Tigers offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery has been fired after one year on Freeze's staff, the program announced Friday afternoon.

“I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator,” Freeze said in a statement. “Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy, however, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I’m appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best.”

Hired after eight seasons as Tulsa's head coach, Montgomery was Auburn's primary play caller this season, and his marriage with Freeze — along with a laundry list of offensive issues, particularly at quarterback and receiver — led to a headache of a season for the passing game.

Montgomery's buyout is hefty: According to a copy of his signed contract provided to Auburn Undercover earlier this season, the 52-year-old coach is owed the full $2 million remainder of his three-year contract, on top of the $1 million he was paid this past season. Montgomery was the only member of Freeze's inaugural assistant staff whose deal did not include a mitigation clause that would offset Auburn's buyout total should he take another job. Simply put, Montgomery was always going to be paid the full amount of his contract, regardless of whether Auburn kept him for all three years.

Auburn had the SEC's least efficient offense during a four-game losing streak, as quarterback Payton Thorne and the passing attack struggled mightily to find any consistency running Freeze and Montgomery's run-pass option system. There was a relative breakthrough when the competition level lowered, as Thorne and his supporting cast improved during Auburn's three-game winning streak over Mississippi State, Vanderbilt and Arkansas.

The Tigers had an unsightly product on offense in two of their last three games of the season, though, scoring just three combined touchdowns in losses to New Mexico State and Maryland. Auburn finished the season with the SEC's least productive passing offense, and second-to-last in the league in QBR and yards per attempt. As an offense overall, the Tigers were No. 11 in the SEC in both yards per play and scoring.

Freeze admitted even before the season that giving up play calling to Montgomery was difficult for him, but he felt it was necessary to focus more on recruiting and other aspects of the team. As Auburn's offensive issues mounted, though, Freeze said he became more involved with offensive game-planning, saying in November he "put his foot down" about the direction and blueprint for the offense.

Available to the media for the first time all season, Montgomery spoke before the Music City Bowl about working with Freeze and attempting to create a consistent offensive system and game plans.

"Any time you're trying to mesh things together, you're always going to come with some hurdles in there," Montgomery said. "There's been some good give and take on that part of it and trying to make sure that we get the best opportunity for our guys to be successful. I think background-wise, we're very, very similar, but then just the way you approach things and the way you look at it obviously can be different. I think we've done a good job of just trying to make those things work. Again, making sure that we're putting the team in front of everything else."

Freeze will now have to decide if he wants to hire a play caller again, or if he'd be better served taking full control of the offense and filling Montgomery's spot with just a quarterbacks coach.

Auburn will now have at least two new assistant coaches next season, after the Tigers hired Colorado defensive coordinator Charles Kelly, an Auburn alum and longtime elite recruiter in the southeast. There was a vacancy on the defensive assistant staff, after cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff moved off the field midway through the season. McGriff has since taken an on-field job at Texas A&M.

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auburnwire.usatoday.com

 

BREAKING: Auburn fires offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

JD McCarthy

2–3 minutes

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After just one season at Auburn, Hugh Freeze and the Tigers are moving on from offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery. The team announced the move Friday afternoon.

“I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator,” Freeze said. “Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy, however, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I’m appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best.”

Freeze hired Montgomery in December to be his offensive coordinator and play caller after he spent the past eight seasons as Tulsa’s head coach. The move allowed Freeze to focus more on recruiting but as the offense struggled he became more involved in the process.

Auburn’s offense struggled with consistency throughout the 2023 season, ranking 11th in the SEC in points per game (26.2) and yards per play (5.5). The biggest struggles were through the air where the Tigers ranked last or second to last in the SEC in QBR (126.05), yards per attempt (6.7), yards per game (162.2) and touchdowns (18).

Auburn now has an opening at both offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, Freeze will have to decide if he wants to hire another play caller or take full contol of the offense himself and hire an assisstant coach to help.

Montgomery is the second coach that Freeze will have to replace from his first staff after cornerback coach Wesley McGriff moved to an off-the-field role during the season. McGriff has now moved on to Texas A&M and has been replaced by Charles Kelly.

Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on  X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15

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si.com

 

Gunner Britton on Auburn Offensive Line Coach Jake Thornton: 'He's one of the smartest dudes I've ever been around'

Andrew Stefaniak

2–3 minutes

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Gunner Britton had some great things to say about Offensive Line Coach Jake Thornton.

Gunner Britton came in and was a big reason why the Auburn offensive line took a step in the right direction this season. 

Britton is now headed to the NFL Draft and will look to start his career playing football for a living. 

He joined the Locked On Auburn Podcast to discuss a few things about the season, and one thing host Zac Blackerby asked about was O-Line Coach Jake Thornton. 

Britton had this to say about his position coach, "He's one of the smartest dudes I've ever been around. I had a really good offensive line coach my first year at Western Kentucky; he bounced all over from Wisconsin to Oregon State to Utah State. He has been to a lot of good places, and he is very similar to him. The difference is this guy was 50 when he was coaching me Coach Thornton is 30 years old. For me I think he's wise beyond his years is a good way to put it. He kind of, he's got that where he is still old enough to be a coach. You know, he's a coach figure, but he's also young enough to understand what we're going through, is how I'd say it. Even some of the guys, like Connor Lew, are, five years younger than me, and Coach Thornton is seven years older than me, so he's still kind of fresh into it, but he's just unreal. He's one of the smartest dudes that I've ever been around. He grew my game beyond what I thought I could ever do." 

It's great to hear from Britton about how much Thornton has improved his game and how he has a close relationship with his players. 

It's safe to say that Thronton is a star in the coaching world and will have the Auburn offensive line in a good spot for a very long ti

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saturdaydownsouth.com

 

Hugh Freeze fires key assistant coach in what he says is ‘best for our program’

Keith Farner | 18 hours ago

2–3 minutes

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Hugh Freeze decided to fire offensive coordinator Phillip Montgomery in a decision the Auburn coach said is “best for our program.”

It was a rollercoaster season for the Auburn offense as it juggled Payton Thorne and Robby Ashford, who has since entered the transfer portal. Freeze initially gave up play calling duties as Montgomery largely ran the show, but around midseason Freeze admitted to being more involved.

However, after the Music City Bowl loss to Maryland, Freeze criticized the offensive game plan after he said he was initially focused on recruiting after the regular season. Then Freeze explained that he joined game planning preparations in recent days leading up to the bowl.

Also after the bowl game, Freeze said the QB job was “wide open” after he recently said he would stick with Thorne in 2024.

“I believe in Payton,” Freeze said before Auburn’s first bowl practice. “I believe in Holden (Geriner). I believe in Hank (Brown) and I believe the kid (2024 QB commit Walker White) we’ve got coming. If I’m wrong, I’m wrong. That’s my belief.”

Auburn’s offense was 10th in the SEC in total offense, as it averaged 351 yards per game.

Philip Montgomery is out at #Auburn OC pic.twitter.com/1ny0g7IQgT

— Ainslie Lee (@ainslielee_) January 5, 2024

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cbssports.com

 

Auburn fires Philip Montgomery: Tigers move on from offensive coordinator after just one season

Barrett Sallee

3–4 minutes

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USATSI

Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will not return for a second season leading the Tigers offense, the program announced on Friday. Montgomery was hired shortly after Hugh Freeze accepted the Auburn coaching prior to the 2023 season. 

"I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator," Freeze said. "Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy, however, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I'm appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best."

The Auburn offense struggled in 2023 as it finished 10th in the SEC in total offense (351.2 yards per game), 11th in offensive yards per play (5.50) and 11th in scoring offense (26.2 points per game). Quarterback Payton Thorne arrived to Auburn after two successful seasons at Michigan State but struggled mightily in Montgomery's lone season on the Plains. Thorne averaged just 135 yards per game through the air at just 6.6 yards per attempt and finished 12th in the SEC in passer rating (129.14). 

The offense was a big factor that led toward a disappointing 7-6 record in Freeze's first year at the helm. It was bad enough that Freeze was asked who was actually calling the plays midway through the season.

"[Montgomery] is calling the plays. I obviously have input," Freeze said on Oct. 23. "I'm never one to sit up here and place blame on coaches. It's a combination. It's all of us. I certainly listen to the plan and evaluate it, but it's harder for me than I thought with the verbiage to be involved in every area. I paid a lot of attention to tight red zone. We've been pretty good in the red zone at times, but we're not getting there enough to find out if our plans are really good or not. So, it's a combination. I'll jump in from time to time, as do the O-Line coaches and others, but [coach Montgomery] is the play-caller currently."

Montgomery was hired at Auburn after serving as Tulsa coach from 2015-22, where he compiled a 43-53 overall record. He immediately turned around the Golden Hurricane offense in his first season when they finished second in the AAC in total offense (507.4 yards per game) and followed that up with the conference's best offense in 2016 (527 yards per game). However, they finished outside the top five in the AAC in total offense in four of the next six seasons.

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theplainsman.com

 

Auburn parts ways with offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

 

3–4 minutes

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Offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery will not return to coach for Auburn in 2024, it was announced Friday afternoon.

“I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator,” said head coach Hugh Freeze. “Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy, however, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I’m appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best.”

Montgomery came to Auburn from Tulsa, where he served as the head coach from 2015-22. Montgomery called plays for the Tigers in the 2023 season – an inconsistent season for the Auburn offense. 

Though the Tigers ranked in the nation’s top 25 in rush offense, amassing 189 yards per game on the ground, the pass offense struggled mightily. The Tigers were among the nation’s bottom 10 in the passing game, getting just 162.2 yards per game through the air – the 121st-rated pass offense nationally and the worst in the SEC.

The Tigers’ scoring offense was the 11th-best of 14 SEC teams in 2023, averaging 26.2 points per game – only ahead of South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Mississippi State. In its eight SEC games, Auburn’s scoring average dropped to just under 25 points per game. In addition, Auburn had 13 passes intercepted, the most in the SEC.

Montgomery’s departure continues a revolving door at the offensive coordinator position for Auburn. The 2024 season will bring the Tigers’ eighth offensive coordinator in seven seasons.

Montgomery is the second assistant coach to leave the program following the 2023 season, with cornerbacks coach Wesley McGriff leaving the team to coach at Texas A&M.

Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.

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Matthew Wallace | Assistant Sports Editor

Matthew is a senior from Huntsville, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2021.

Twitter: @mattwallaceAU

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247sports.com

 

IN PHOTOS Auburn signees in the AllAmerican Bowl

Jason Caldwell

11–14 minutes

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A look at Walker White, DeAndre Carter, Demarcus Riddick, Amaris Williams and Kensley Faustin from this week in San Antonio.

Auburn is very well represented in this week's All-American Bowl in San Antonio as five future Tigers are taking part in the festivities that ends with Saturday's noon kickoff on NBC. Quarterback Walker White, offensive lineman DeAndre Carter, defensive lineman Amaris Williams, linebacker Demarcus Riddick and defensive back Kensley Faustin have all performed well this week alongside some of the best players in the country.

Walker White has been one of the leaders for the West team this week. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

White unloads on a deep ball down the field. He's shown a strong arm and good accuracy this week. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

DeAndre Carter is a versatile player that has played three different positions this week. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Carter has strong hands and once he makes contact the defender is usually at a stalemate. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Demarcus Riddick is one of the most athletic players on the field this week in San Antonio. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Demarcus Riddick catches a punt during Thursday's practice. It's something he did in high school. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Amaris Williams has been outstanding this week as a pass rusher from the defensive end position. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Amaris Williams checked in at just over 6-2 and 257 pounds this week. He's a guy that will easily play at 265 next season as a true freshman. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Kensley Faustin is a talented cover safety that should be very valuable down the road for the Tigers. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

Faustin should play a similar role as Jaylin Simpson when he gets to Auburn beginning next week. (Photo: Jason Caldwell, 247Sports)

 

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wsfa.com

 

Philip Montgomery out at Auburn as offensive coordinator

WSFA 12 News Staff

~1 minute

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AUBURN, Ala. (WSFA) - Auburn University announced today that they have parted ways with offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery after just one season.

Head coach Hugh Freeze released a statement today saying, “I informed Philip today he would not be retained as our offensive coordinator. Philip is a good coach and a good man. Decisions like this are never easy. However, I decided this is best for our program moving forward. I’m appreciative of his efforts this past year and wish him nothing but the best.”

No word on who Montgomery’s replacement will be as the Tigers look to rebound after an abysmal 6-7 season capped off by a 31-13 loss to Maryland in the Music City Bowl.

Not reading this story on the WSFA News App? Get news alerts FASTER and FREE in the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store!

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al.com

 

3 names to watch in Auburn’s search for a new offensive coordinator

Updated: Jan. 05, 2024, 2:21 p.m.|Published: Jan. 05, 2024, 2:00 p.m.

4–5 minutes

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"I don't need someone to tell me I didn't get it done" says Hugh Freeze after Maryland pounds Auburn

Auburn fired offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery on Friday after just one season at the helm of Auburn’s offense.

It was a season characterized by significant passing game struggles that led Auburn to finish among the bottom 10 offenses in the country by passing yards per game, and was notably worse when head coach Hugh Freeze was not heavily involved in game planning.

Auburn owes Montgomery a full buyout of his contract which was worth just north of $3 million, so money isn’t just lying around in droves. Freeze is certainly looking for an offensive coordinator who can continue to allow him to recruit at the rate he has been, while not sacrificing the success of the offense at the same time.

Whoever Auburn hires next will be its seventh offensive coordinator in the last seven seasons.

Here are three potential names to watch to fill that spot.

Kent Austin

Current position: Auburn’s special assistant to the head coach

Austin is the clear immediate internal candidate for the job. He has ample experience with Freeze, having been his co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Liberty. He also has previous experience in the SEC, as Ole Miss’ offensive coordinator from 2008-2009. The majority of his experience is in the Canadian Football League.

Austin has already been a factor in Auburn’s offense during his first season here.

It was quite telling during a pre-Music City Bowl interview with quarterback Payton Thorne when he mentioned Austin and Freeze, but not Montgomery, as coaches he was looking to at Auburn as he practiced and developed during the 2023 season.

Matt Luke

Current position: Clemson’s offensive line coach

Luke comes from the Freeze coaching tree, but may be in a slightly odd position because he was just hired to be Clemson’s offensive line coach barely a month ago.

But he makes a lot of sense for the Auburn job.

Freeze hired Luke to be his offensive coordinator at Ole Miss, and generally led a successful offense. Luke, an Ole Miss alum, was thought highly enough internally in Oxford to be given the head coaching job after Freeze resigned in 2017.

He was fired in 2019 after two losing seasons, though Luke was largely the one left to deal with the fallout of sanctions from rules violations during Freeze’s tenure that led to his resignation.

It’s unclear if Luke would be willing to ditch Clemson so quickly, but the connection with Freeze is strong and could be a factor. Because Luke has so much experience, it could allow Freeze to dive into recruiting without having to worry as much about the offense — the idea he initially had with hiring Montgomery.

Dameyune Craig

Current position: None

Craig, who played at Auburn from 1994-1997, was let go as Texas A&M’s wide receiver coach this fall after head coach Jimbo Fisher was fired.

His only experience as an offensive coordinator came as a co-offensive coordinator at Auburn from 2013-2015. He has been a quarterback’s coach previously at Florida State who helped develop eventual national champion Jameis Winston and had been in College Station since 2018.

Craig makes the most sense because he is an elite recruiter.

According to 247Sports, Craig has been the primary recruiter for six five-star recruits who signed with his program at the time. Before five-star wide receiver Cam Coleman flipped his commitment and signed with Auburn, Craig was the primary recruiter for him to College Station. Coleman’s flip came after Fisher and Craig were let go.

Without any solo experience as an offensive coordinator, hiring Craig could make sense to take recruiting pressure off Freeze, and allow him to dive into the offense more than he did this season.

Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

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well folks it is pretty much all montgomery being dismissed.