DJ Durkin to be named DC

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

5 hours ago, DAG said:

...He also seems to be an a**hole... 

Naaaah. Too easy...😎

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

6 hours ago, ScotsAU said:

Sooo back the question I asked a few pages back that never got addressed…

Anyone know anything about Durkin’s scheme?

No one's interested in his football resume, evidently.  There's too much gossip to be sorted out.

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

32 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

It came about because a player died, and I don’t think Durkin is under scrutiny otherwise. 

The S&C coach was a clown, however. 

I understand that, but a football coach being eviscerated for being a meany is just too ridiculous to even fathom. 

[Barnacle 9,064]

5 minutes ago, Swamp Eagle said:

I understand that, but a football coach being eviscerated for being a meany is just too ridiculous to even fathom. 

I don’t think being eviscerated for being an a**, is my point. He’s being eviscerated because of the claim that a culture of degrading players for not pushing hard enough led to a player dying. Like I said, if no one died, Durkin wouldn’t be under scrutiny. 

Edited January 31 by Barnacle

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

12 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

I don’t think being eviscerated for being an a**, is my point. He’s being eviscerated because of the claim that a culture of degrading players for not pushing hard enough led to a player dying. Like I said, if no one died, Durkin wouldn’t be under scrutiny. 

It's a tragic story, I just dont see how talking about it ad nauseum will change the outcome. 

 

[Elephant Tipper 430]

24 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

Coordinators rarely stay long anywhere though. Especially Auburn.

Unfortunately true, BUT, Charles Kelly has broken the norm with lengthy stays at multiple programs which promotes program stability.

CK's work record:

JSU- 5 years

Nicholls State- 4 years

Georgia Tech- 7 years

FSU- 5 years

UA- 4 years

He's a very rare person to be committed to the programs he's served.  Durkin, about 2 1/2 years per stint.  We'll see who's committed to AU and who isn't.

As an aside, coaching the AU program has been CK's dream since a child.  

[Barnacle 9,064]

Just now, Swamp Eagle said:

It's a tragic story, I just dont see how talking about it ad nauseum will change the outcome. 

It’s worth talking about the facts of what happened, in my opinion. There are a lot of people who have accepted the narrative that Durkin was directly involved in what happened. 

[TigerOne 1,152]

Can Freeze operate with anyone other than his “friends “?

no one in college football is worried or concerned by freeze and his rag tag coaching staff. It’s apparent that he has trouble with choosing the right coaches.

[BeatBama1972 11]

Congratulations Coach and welcome to Auburn!  War Eagle!!!

[shabby 1,958]

Auburn is about to become a recruiting juggernaut. glad this was a priority while hiring staff that have successful coachin resumes

[Chaotic_zx 1,047]

Now that we are into the discussion of Durkin's coaching. I have been trying to read on some concerns TAMU fans had when he was their DC. They mentioned that his defenses gave up 40 yard runs or 40 yard passes consistently. His defenses had a tendency to give up third and longs. Apparently would make some sort of face(blank stare maybe) on the sideline that they didn't care for. 

Giving up third and longs, 40 yard runs, and 40 yard passes. Where have I seen that before?

 

[cole256 17,084]

7 hours ago, Barnacle said:

It’s worth talking about the facts of what happened, in my opinion. There are a lot of people who have accepted the narrative that Durkin was directly involved in what happened. 

It's just one life, don't rain on the parade. Plus we like the hard coaching and kids feeling like they aren't respected, athletes are just spoiled children they get their school paid for and we didn't (many of us had our parents pay but that's besides the point) they are entitled. So who cares how they are treated. Maybe we have another coach with a good looking woman who's going to yell and hopefully run the stadium with them. That's how you coach. 

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

7 hours ago, Barnacle said:

It’s worth talking about the facts of what happened, in my opinion. There are a lot of people who have accepted the narrative that Durkin was directly involved in what happened. 

That would include a lot of people who don’t know all of the facts.  That’s usually the criteria where, personally, I move on. No amount of speculation on my part will change anything pertaining to those events or the hiring of Durkin.  

And, honestly, I just don’t understand concerning one’s self or spending time worrying about things not in one’s control…that’s all I’m saying.

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

14 minutes ago, cole256 said:

It's just one life, don't rain on the parade. Plus we like the hard coaching and kids feeling like they aren't respected, athletes are just spoiled children they get their school paid for and we didn't (many of us had our parents pay but that's besides the point) they are entitled. So who cares how they are treated. Maybe we have another coach with a good looking woman who's going to yell and hopefully run the stadium with them. That's how you coach. 

This take is so unlike you.

[DAG 34,016]

27 minutes ago, Swamp Eagle said:

And, honestly, I just don’t understand concerning one’s self or spending time worrying about things not in one’s control…that’s all I’m saying.

like college football games or other's anonymous opinions . ahh yes makes sense.

[DAG 34,016]

3 hours ago, Chaotic_zx said:

I have been trying to read on some concerns TAMU fans

Ahh yes, totally objective at this point. Well they had the #1 run defense in the SEC last year so couldn't have been too consistent, which was pretty amazing because they were last the prior year, so clearly he at least knew he had to revamp it big time in his two years there. #1 in pass defense in 2022, drop to #6 in 2023. If anything it is inconsistent. So we shall see. The recruiting numbers will be there.

Edited January 31 by DAG

[TitanTiger 20,510]

9 hours ago, Swamp Eagle said:

It's a tragic story, I just dont see how talking about it ad nauseum will change the outcome. 

Because when you’re hiring someone for a position where you just let a guy walk/shoved him to a conference rival over concerns about the culture he was fostering with his abrasive style, you’re going to dig a little deeper into why a previous program he ran had similar (but worse) accusations about it reported to the university admin.  You’re going to analyze it. And frankly, the many only the people already bent because we hired a head coach with a scandalous past are going to use him hiring an assistant with something like this in his past as well because - well you know why. It serves an end. 

All that to say, it’s unavoidable. It should be investigated more and there’s nothing weird or wrong about discussing it. 

[Allen_D 72]

18 hours ago, TitanTiger said:

I stated earlier in the search some hesitancy about Durkin.  It wasn't really because of that kid's death though, as tragic as it was.  He wasn't there at the workout where it happened (and under NCAA rules wasn't permitted to be there for these conditioning workouts), and didn't make any of the decisions surrounding it.  His responsibility basically comes down it being his employee (the S&C coach) that ran the workouts.  

My problem was with the culture of the Maryland program with Durkin as HC.  Several players claiming they were mistreated, humiliated, belittled, harassed, insulted, and so on.  Some of the anecdotes seemed over the line.  That's on Durkin.  Then after the Maryland administration cleared him of any wrongdoing in the player's death, he had a team meeting and 2-3 or so players got upset and walked out the meeting.  A day or so later Maryland seemed to cave to the bad PR coming from that and the deceased kid's parents and fired Durkin.  

So I wondered what playing for Durkin is like.  I wondered what kind of leader he is.  Having told Roberts to find another job because of his abrasive nature and the dysfunctional culture it was creating here (McGriff quitting, then staying in an off field role, then deciding to leave for A&M when Roberts wasn't gone immediately after the season, only to come back once he was shown the door.  Multiple players threatening to transfer only to stay after Roberts was gone, etc), I was worried about whether we were going to hire another guy with similar personality traits and be back in this same turmoil ala Roberts in a season or two.  I think it was a valid point to bring up.  Apparently some at Auburn had similar questions and wanted to be sure about what happened at Maryland and what people who played for or coached with Durkin the last four years at OM and A&M had to say about some of these things.  I think it was something that needed to be done.  

So all that said, I believe these folks must have received feedback that settled their issues.  I'm trusting that's part of the reason it took this long to pull the trigger on him.  So I'm on board with Durkin until I hear a (current) reason not to be.

Mike Leach had a “mistreated a kid” episode in his background too… 

The coddling required by kids (and the social media armies that hold the kids blameless) has to frustrate coaches that came of age in the OG disciplinarian coaches era.

 

Edited January 31 by Allen_D

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

It's just one life, don't rain on the parade. Plus we like the hard coaching and kids feeling like they aren't respected, athletes are just spoiled children they get their school paid for and we didn't (many of us had our parents pay but that's besides the point) they are entitled. So who cares how they are treated. Maybe we have another coach with a good looking woman who's going to yell and hopefully run the stadium with them. That's how you coach. 

He coached with Derrick Nix at Ole Miss. I would expect if there was a problem with how Durkin treated players that Nix would have spoken up against it. Esp since we just cut Ron Roberts loose for basically the same thing. Or maybe he did speak up and Hugh ignored him. Doubtful though.

[bigbird 60,580]

1 minute ago, NWALA Tiger said:

He coached with Derrick Nix at Ole Miss. I would expect if there was a problem with how Durkin treated players that Nix would have spoken up against it. Esp since we just cut Ron Roberts loose for basically the same thing. Or maybe he did speak up and Hugh ignored him. Doubtful though.

Thornton and Nix both spoke highly of DJ

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

Just now, bigbird said:

Thornton and Nix both spoke highly of DJ

Forgot about Jake. Hard coaching doesn't always  mean u don't care or respect the players. Saban coach his DBs hard

[aucom96 1,630]

4 hours ago, Chaotic_zx said:

Now that we are into the discussion of Durkin's coaching. I have been trying to read on some concerns TAMU fans had when he was their DC. They mentioned that his defenses gave up 40 yard runs or 40 yard passes consistently. His defenses had a tendency to give up third and longs. Apparently would make some sort of face(blank stare maybe) on the sideline that they didn't care for. 

Giving up third and longs, 40 yard runs, and 40 yard passes. Where have I seen that before?

 

He sounds very much a bend don't break, heavy DB philosophy kind of like Mason. 

Apparently we like that sort of defensive approach, because that's where we tend to land. Until our secondary grows up a bit, it might be messy to watch. 

[gr82be 14,466]

People with a history of disrespect to others are being critical of coaches disrespecting players. 🙄

Neither is right. 

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

1 hour ago, DAG said:

like college football games or other's anonymous opinions . ahh yes makes sense.

That's entertainment. Personal issues are not. 

[Swamp Eagle 5,144]

48 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Because when you’re hiring someone for a position where you just let a guy walk/shoved him to a conference rival over concerns about the culture he was fostering with his abrasive style, you’re going to dig a little deeper into why a previous program he ran had similar (but worse) accusations about it reported to the university admin.  You’re going to analyze it. And frankly, the many only the people already bent because we hired a head coach with a scandalous past are going to use him hiring an assistant with something like this in his past as well because - well you know why. It serves an end. 

All that to say, it’s unavoidable. It should be investigated more and there’s nothing weird or wrong about discussing it. 

Its been investigated.  Who here was on the investigative team? We're not solving anything on a football forum...we just spout and read, for pete's sake.