Auburn has lured an NFL assistant back to the SEC to lead its secondary.
Wesley McGriff, who coached defensive backs at Vanderbilt in 2011 and was the co-defensive coordinator at Ole Miss in 2012, will join Auburn’s staff as the secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn announced Thursday.
"I'm very pleased to add Wesley to our staff at Auburn," Malzahn said in a written statement. "He has a tremendous amount of experience and success in developing players at the college and NFL levels. Wesley’s a true professional and a man of character that will be a great coach and mentor for our players."
McGriff has spent the last three seasons coaching the New Orleans Saints’ secondary. In 2015, the Saints allowed 284 passing yards per game, which ranked 31st out of 32 NFL teams.
In his one season at Ole Miss, the Rebels ranked 82nd in pass defense and 26th in interceptions. He was also the primary recruiter for Robert Nkemdiche, the No. 1 recruit in the nation in 2013 who is projected to be selected in the first round of this year’s NFL draft.
The Tifton, Georgia, native has also made coaching stops at Baylor, Kentucky and Miami.
"I'm really excited to be working with Coach Malzahn and his staff at Auburn," McGriff said. "I've always had a high regard for Auburn and the football program, and I’m looking forward to helping them win championships."
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