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al.com

Auburn to pay new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin $1.2 million salary

Updated: Feb. 13, 2024, 10:03 p.m.|Published: Feb. 13, 2024, 9:32 p.m.

3–4 minutes

Texas A&M Aggies defensive coordinator DJ Durkin yells at a player during a college football game against the South Carolina Gamecocks on October 22, 2022 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Auburn will pay new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin a $1.2 million salary for his first season with the Tigers, according to a copy of his contract acquired by AL.com via public records request.

The three-year contract includes raises that could bring his total compensation to $1.6 million by the 2026 season.

According to the USA Today coaches salary database, Durkin was paid $1.6 million by Texas A&M in 2023.

The contract includes a full buy-out clause should Durkin be fired, as well as a mitigation clause that states should Durkin acquire a new coaching job during a period of time defined at the time of his departure, the amount he is paid during that time at the new job is taken out of the total amount Auburn owes him.

If Durkin leaves for another coaching job before Dec. 20, 2024, he will owe Auburn $500,000. If he left for another job before Dec. 20, 2025, he would owe $250,000 and if he left before Auburn’s final regular season game of the 2026 season or SEC championship game, he would owe $125,000.

But should Durkin leave Auburn for an FBS head coaching job or any job in the NFL, he would not owe anything back to Auburn.

Durkin’s contract includes a bonus structure identical to Auburn’s other assistant coaches.

Auburn officially announced Durkin’s hire on Jan. 31, after head coach Hugh Freeze confirmed the hire during a press conference at the Senior Bowl. There Freeze explained why he hired the former Texas A&M defensive coordinator.

“Truthfully, like I said earlier, we really felt comfortable with he and Sarah as people and that they fit with our culture, Freeze said. “I loved his passion and his drive. I think our practices will look quite different with him because I’ve watched some of his practice tape. He’s pretty into it and energetic. And I love that about him.”

Durkin was the head coach at Maryland from 2016-2018. He was fired after an investigation into the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair and the culture within the program Durkin oversaw.

A widely criticized internal Maryland investigation found several wrongdoings within the program but deemed it short of the “definition of toxic.”

Durkin has held two SEC jobs since his firing at Maryland, as the defensive coordinator at both Ole Miss and Texas A&M.

Durkin is the defensive coordinator at Auburn alongside co-defensive coordinator Charles Kelly. Durkin is also in charge of Auburn’s linebackers.

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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