DJ Durkin to be named DC

[Barnacle 9,064]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

I've always been a fan of your demeanor, you're not just agreeing with everything and it's seems to be class even when you really telling a guy to shut the hell up. 

I imagine you count probably get two opposing sides to chill without mocking either. 

That's a big part of leadership, I admire that 

This is a really thoughtful compliment, Cole. I appreciate it.

But, @augolf1716 just messaged me and warned that as long as @bigbird is around, I should stay where I am, or in the least request hazard pay. 

[DAG 34,016]

1 hour ago, HAPvsOA said:

In all fairness, he had quite a few 5 star and high 4 star players in his front 7 at A&M. I'm not saying he isn't a good coach and we may get to that point soon the way the coaches are recruiting. But I will have low expectations this first year. Obviously Ron Roberts had his issues, but I thought he got quite a bit out of our D and had them playing over their talent level for at least part of the year. 

I wouldn’t judge him too harshly this year unless we full blown just are horrendous. My expectation is that he is a decent coach with good recurring chops , therefore I hope we get even more talented players on that side of the ball.

[aubiefifty 16,903]

1 hour ago, JDUBB4AU said:

Love the hire . He can bring in talent . Stamp of approval ,,, like anyone cares what I think 

tis sad but true big shooter but we have high hopes for you.

[aubiefifty 16,903]

56 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

This is a really thoughtful compliment, Cole. I appreciate it.

But, @augolf1716 just messaged me and warned that as long as @bigbird is around, I should stay where I am, or in the least request hazard pay. 

i wish i was popular but my past history haunts me.

[augolf1716 21,302]

2 hours ago, Barnacle said:

This is a really thoughtful compliment, Cole. I appreciate it.

But, @augolf1716 just messaged me and warned that as long as @bigbird is around, I should stay where I am, or in the least request hazard pay. 

Better for your health trust me.

[cole256 17,084]

2 hours ago, Barnacle said:

This is a really thoughtful compliment, Cole. I appreciate it.

But, @augolf1716 just messaged me and warned that as long as @bigbird is around, I should stay where I am, or in the least request hazard pay. 

Yeah they go thru so much 🙄. But I just know you would be a fair guy that's all and it certainly couldn't hurt to have as many as possible. But I'm not trying to volunteer you, just saying You're a good guy and I would believe in you. 

Did you try any of the spots I told you yet? I have an Italian spot for you if you go to Florence as well.

[toddc 13,194]

3 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Yeah they go thru so much 🙄. But I just know you would be a fair guy that's all and it certainly couldn't hurt to have as many as possible. But I'm not trying to volunteer you, just saying You're a good guy and I would believe in you. 

Did you try any of the spots I told you yet? I have an Italian spot for you if you go to Florence as well.

You wouldn’t believe the restaurant scene in Athens these days Cole. Salty Cod(seafood), Southern Table (southern fusion), li’ Marisos ?sp(Italian), Ro’s Grill(little southwest vibe) and more. Florence has some good food too.

[Barnacle 9,064]

10 minutes ago, cole256 said:

Yeah they go thru so much 🙄. But I just know you would be a fair guy that's all and it certainly couldn't hurt to have as many as possible. But I'm not trying to volunteer you, just saying You're a good guy and I would believe in you. 

Did you try any of the spots I told you yet? I have an Italian spot for you if you go to Florence as well.

Haven't been in Florence since we talked, but I'm definitely checking them out when I do. Only Italian I've ever eaten there is Ricatoni's.

[cole256 17,084]

1 minute ago, toddc said:

You wouldn’t believe the restaurant scene in Athens these days Cole. Salty Cod(seafood), Southern Table (southern fusion), li’ Marisos ?sp(Italian), Ro’s Grill(little southwest vibe) and more. Florence has some good food too.

I heard about a couple of those. I really wanted to take that job from TVA and work at Brown's ferry. I was going to live in either harvest or Madison. They offered great pay, offered relocation package, my wife seems like she gets a promotion every week and she already has a high position for the city of fort Worth. So I'm stuck in Texas 😂

Had to turn down jobs in North and South Carolina and Virginia as well SMH. You could tell TVA and the company in North Carolina aren't used to being told no. They both literally were like excuse me did I hear you right?

I miss home a bunch

[cole256 17,084]

2 minutes ago, Barnacle said:

Haven't been in Florence since we talked, but I'm definitely checking them out when I do. Only Italian I've ever eaten there is Ricatoni's.

Rigatoni's is great too, there's a new place now. If you go back to ricatonis whatever you get ask them to put a bolo cheese cap on top of it. You will be thanking me later as soon as you can lol!

[HAPvsOA 310]

6 hours ago, TitanTiger said:

Well, the offensive struggles the last few years are what ultimately caused A&M to fall short in the win column and got Jimbo fired (particularly since he's an offensive coach and until last year called his own plays).

The two years Durkin was there, A&M's offense was middling to bad:  

2023:  50th in total offense (406.9 yds per game) and 25th in scoring (33.3 pts per game)
2022:  93rd in total offense (361.2 ypg) and 101st in scoring (22.8 ppg)

 

But Durkin's defenses did pretty well and improved in total defense year over year:

2023:  19th in total defense (316.2 ypg) and 36th in scoring defense (22.1 ppg)
2022:  52nd in total defense (365.2 ypg) and 25th in scoring defense (21.2 ppg)

There was drop off from when their DC Mike Elko left after the 2021 season to take the Duke HC job, but they also lost 5 defensive players to the portal and 2 more to the NFL Draft.  And 2022 was a particularly abysmal year for them on offense as you can see above.

 

I am liking the food convo as much as the X's and O's tbh and will hit yall up for recs next time I visit home.

But getting back to Durkin as a DC, I am liking Titan's analysis of Durkin much better than Connor O'Gara's. Not familiar with that writer, but he's not high on Durkin as a DC based on this article. 

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/auburn-football/ogara-dj-durkin-got-yet-another-sec-defensive-coordinator-job-which-continues-baffle-me-2024/

[toddc 13,194]

Looks like CHF was impressed with his interview.

Hugh Freeze talks about the recent hire of a new defensive coordinator

Hugh Freeze had this to say about Auburn's new defensive coordinator.

Andrew StefaniakJan 31, 2024 3:48 PM EST

After Ron Roberts left to coach at Florida, the Auburn Tigers were in the market for a new defensive coordinator.

Roberts just didn't seem to be the right fit forAuburn, and with him taking the job at Florida, it gave Coach Hugh Freeze the opportunity to hit this hire out of the park. Auburn's defense was solid last season, but Coach Freeze would love to see it taken to the next level. 

This is why Coach Freeze brought in DJ Durkin, who was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M under Jimbo Fisher. Now, of course, Texas A&M has severely underachieved over these past few years, but Durkin's defense was good. Last season, it led the SEC and was seventh in college football in sacks with 42 and was 13th in college football in stopping the run, only allowing 108.8 yards per game on the ground. 

Coach Freeze had this to say about the hire of Durkin to be Auburn's next defensive coordinator, "John Coen has been so supportive, but I told him "John, I got to take my time, I got to get this right" Freeze said. "There was so much interest in it from people I really like. I loved his interview. I loved the time we spent with him and his wife, Sarah. They're great individuals and people that will add so much experience to our building and defense, so I'm really excited to have DJ."

It's good to hear that Coach Freeze feels close with Durkin and his family, as this will help them coach alongside one another. This was a good hire that will hopefully take Auburn's defense to the next level. 

[JDUBB4AU 5,123]

2 hours ago, aubiefifty said:

tis sad but true big shooter but we have high hopes for you.

I needed that fitty 

[aubiefifty 16,903]

16 minutes ago, JDUBB4AU said:

I needed that fitty 

you rawk bro............

[Allen_D 72]

21 hours ago, TitanTiger said:

This wasn't "mistreated a kid."  A kid died.  It's completely reasonable for such a thing to be throughly investigated, especially when there are reports and complaints of how hard the coaches were pushing the kids in these workouts and the treatment of anyone who wasn't doing well in them.  

Things change.  We know more.  When I was playing football as a kid and my teens, hydration breaks were almost unheard of.  They told us not to drink too much.  Water was withheld and we were made to run more because a coach didn't like the effort we were giving.  We practiced hard no matter how hot it was.  We rightly don't do stupid stuff like that anymore because the consequences can be lethal.   We learn there are coaches that can get the best out of players by using a different approach.  You can sit here an bemoan the fact that coaches can't get away with the Bobby Knight or "Junction Boys" methods anymore or you can just adapt and move on with your life.  

The options aren't to be an a**hole that yells, screams, punishes, belittles and insults or to "coddle."  The best coaches learn to adjust their motivational style as they get to know their players.  They learn that a lot of kids come from s***ty homes with rotten dads who beat and berate them or their moms and they aren't responding to a coach that does the same.  They're looking for someone that cares about them and will push them without all that.

I can't help if you think that's soft.  But to get back to the Durkin situation, as I told Swamp, this HAD to be throughly investigated.  And when you have the complaints about how things were done at MD when he was HC there, if you're Auburn who just jettisoned a good X's and O's coach because his acidic personality was not just about to run off key players, but was running off key coaches - you can't just dismiss the MD stuff as kids who want to be coddled and babied and can't handle a disciplinarian.  And there's nothing wrong with the fans talking about it either.

Durkin wasn’t there.   And ended up fired even though he had been reinstated and found without blame. 

Not sure there’s a proper word for that level tragedy (kid dying in sport).  Had a kid I coached in Middle School die a couple of years later in HS after practice.  I feel it.  In no way was I equating “the shed” and death.  
 

What I was poorly pointing out is that Auburn folks apply harsher different filters to Auburn hires than the standards applied to others.  The sometimes zany Mike Leach was nearly universally loved - but had culture accusation in his background.  Auburn hires a guy (that had been vetted several places following Maryland) and folks want to revisit / Re-accuse him of the tragedy …. And oh, firsthand knowledge, it probably does haunt him a bit even though he wasn’t there.

He’s now hired and I’m finished talking about.

 

Ready for Spring.

 

[TitanTiger 20,510]

23 minutes ago, Allen_D said:

Durkin wasn’t there.   And ended up fired even though he had been reinstated and found without blame. 

Yes.  But in our situation you don’t just read a report and that’s it.  You dig a little deeper  Find out what was going on in the locker room that caused so much dissension with Durkin after he was reinstated.  Was it just a university admin caved to bad PR or something more?

You talk to players, coaches and others at Ole Miss and A&M where he spent the last four years.  See if the complaints at Maryland repeat themselves other places he’s been.

This is like the bare minimum  for “due diligence” and it’s standard procedure.  Writing it off as “kids can’t take hard coaching anymore”‘ ain't it. I’m satisfied that Durkin isn’t the monster some at MD made him out to be.  But you only get there by actually taking the situation seriously and looking into it.

 

23 minutes ago, Allen_D said:

What I was poorly pointing out is that Auburn folks apply harsher different filters to Auburn hires than the standards applied to others.  The sometimes zany Mike Leach was nearly universally loved - but had culture accusation in his background.  Auburn hires a guy (that had been vetted several places following Maryland) and folks want to revisit / Re-accuse him of the tragedy …. And oh, firsthand knowledge, it probably does haunt him a bit even though he wasn’t there.

He’s now hired and I’m finished talking about

I get that but I think we had to be more cautious because of not only just PR stuff from Freeze but even more importantly, we just fired a DC for crossing the line professionally with his mouth and way he interacted with players. We had one of college football’s best assistants and recruiters bailing to A&M if he stayed and players ready to hit the portal for the same reasons.  So yeah, we have to go a little further than some other places might when you’re hiring a replacement who was accused of having a “toxic culture.”  I don’t think that’s actually true after what I’ve read but there’s no avoiding it being an issue. 

[NWALA Tiger 3,535]

3 minutes ago, TitanTiger said:

Yes.  But in our situation you don’t just read a report and that’s it.  You dig a little deeper  Find out what was going on in the locker room that caused so much dissension with Durkin after he was reinstated.  Was it just a university admin caved to bad PR or something more?

You talk to players, coaches and others at Ole Miss and A&M where he spent the last four years.  See if the complaints at Maryland repeat themselves other places he’s been.

This is like the bare minimum  for “due diligence” and it’s standard procedure.  Writing it off as “kids can’t take hard coaching anymore”‘ ain't it. I’m satisfied that Durkin isn’t the monster some at MD made him out to be.  But you only get there by actually taking the situation seriously and looking into it.

 

I get that but I think we had to be more cautious because of not only just PR stuff from Freeze but even more importantly, we just fired a DC for crossing the line professionally with his mouth and way he interacted with players. We had one of college football’s best assistants and recruiters bailing to A&M if he stayed and players ready to hit the portal for the same reasons.  So yeah, we have to go a little further than some other places might when you’re hiring a replacement who was accused of having a “toxic culture.”  I don’t think that’s actually true after what I’ve read but there’s no avoiding it being an issue. 

Not trying to argue with you here but I'm not sure what you want the end result to be.. Do u wish they didn't hire Durkin? Everyone knows what happened in the past. If AU didn't thoroughly investigate it, that's on them. I'm just trying to follow what u think the end game should be here. 

[bigbird 60,580]

4 minutes ago, NWALA Tiger said:

I'm just trying to follow what u think the end game should be here. 

 

[alexava 6,973]

Similar feelings as when we hired Kevin Steele. I was unimpressed then pleasantly surprised. I’ll take a repeat of that 

[Chaotic_zx 1,047]

2 minutes ago, alexava said:

Similar feelings as when we hired Kevin Steele. I was unimpressed then pleasantly surprised. I’ll take a repeat of that 

I hope so. We Auburn fans had much consternation about Steele as the DC due to a 70 point Clemson game. He came in and did a great job. Much like you, I do hope that Durkin comes in proves to be the right hire.

 

Much like a teenage relationship, we Auburn fans overthink things. 

[TitanTiger 20,510]

1 hour ago, NWALA Tiger said:

Not trying to argue with you here but I'm not sure what you want the end result to be.. Do u wish they didn't hire Durkin? Everyone knows what happened in the past. If AU didn't thoroughly investigate it, that's on them. I'm just trying to follow what u think the end game should be here. 

No, I've said that having read the Maryland report and heard from various others in a position to know, I'm satisfied that the Durkin hire was a good one.  I'm just pushing back against people dismissing the Maryland stuff as "these kids today are soft and can't handle being coached hard" and acting like it's almost silly to even have been concerned.

[aubiefifty 16,903]

16 hours ago, JDUBB4AU said:

I needed that fitty 

all kidding aside i really admire your passion for auburn. i do not always agree but i know it comes from the heart. you let uncle fiddy know if anyone is mean to you and i will be on them like a rat on a cheeto.

[woodford 3,667]

I like the hire. If Auburn didn't have their best recruiting staff in years if not ever then I'd be a little more worried. He is also a pretty good recruiter himself so it's a win-win for me. 

 

[cole256 17,084]

I don't know if I like the hire but I don't care who it is I'm not praising or damning anyone until I see the product on the field. Period.

 

But I have to admit I'll never understand a poster coming in a thread literally fighting with multiple people about what to or not to talk about..... You can't dictate another person's curiosity. They may see things that you don't. If you don't want to hear or read a discussion then just simply scroll down and don't participate until you see a discussion that you want to. It's that simple.

Edited February 1 by cole256

[aubiefifty 16,903]

1 hour ago, cole256 said:

I don't know if I like the hire but I don't care who it is I'm not praising or damning anyone until I see the product on the field. Period.

 

But I have to admit I'll never understand a poster coming in a thread literally fighting with multiple people about what to or not to talk about..... You can't dictate another person's curiosity. They may see things that you don't. If you don't want to hear or read a discussion then just simply scroll down and don't participate until you see a discussion that you want to. It's that simple.

we need to make you a mod cole.. the meltdown would be epic but i think you could do a good job. i would have the same effect  lol    we are just misunderstood.......