After the hirings of Mike Bobo and Derek Mason on Jan. 7, the Tigers added another piece to the staff late that same day.
Will Friend is coming to Auburn as the program’s next offensive line coach. Friend has spent the last three seasons as the offensive line coach at Tennessee.
“I want to thank Coach Harsin for the opportunity to join his staff at Auburn,” Friend said. “I’ve coached against Coach Harsin and have always had so much respect for him and the culture he created within his program. Auburn is a special place and I have great regard for the Auburn football program, the university, and the incredible passion of the Auburn family. I’m excited to join something special at Auburn with Coach Harsin and the staff.”
Before joining the coaching ranks, Friend was a four-year starter at offensive guard at Alabama from 1993-96. His first coaching job was in 2001 as the offensive line coach at West Alabama.
Following his one season at West Alabama, he was an offensive assistant at Tuscaloosa Central High School in 2002. Friend’s next stop was at Georgia as a graduate assistant from 2003-04.
During the 2005-06 seasons, Friend was the offensive line coach at Gardner-Webb. From 2007-10, he served as the offensive line coach at UAB.
He returned to Georgia in 2011 and was the Bulldogs’ offensive line coach until 2014. Before the 2013 season, Friend added running game coordinator to his responsibilities.
Before Tennessee, his final stop was at Colorado State. He served as the Rams’ offensive coordinator and offensive line coach from 2015-17.
“I’m happy to welcome Coach Friend to our staff here at Auburn,” Harsin said. “We both strongly believe that winning the line of scrimmage is one of the most important parts of a successful football team. His offensive lines have a history of being physically and mentally tough. We’re excited to have Will join the Auburn family.”
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Jake Weese, senior in journalism with a minor in history, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
