A former team captain and member of the 2010 national championship team is joining Bryan Harsin’s staff.
Zac Etheridge is coming back to the Plains as Auburn’s cornerbacks coach, the program announced Friday. He has spent the last two seasons as the cornerbacks coach at the University of Houston.
“It is an honor to return to my alma mater as a member of Coach Harsin’s staff,” Etheridge said. “I firmly believe in his vision and I am excited to get to work. Under his leadership, I have no doubt that our staff will develop our young men both on and off the field. We will absolutely embody the championship mindset that Auburn deserves. Auburn and its people mean a great deal to me, and I am very thankful for this opportunity. War Eagle!”
Last December, Etheridge was named to the prestigious American Football Coaches Association’s 2021 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. The program’s goal is identifying and developing future leaders in the football coaching profession.
“Zac Etheridge is a rising star in this profession and is a great addition to Coach Mason’s defense working with cornerbacks,” Harsin said. “He has done a fantastic job in a short period of time developing and recruiting talented players. As a former Auburn standout, Zac understands the rigors of competing at the highest level, and what is required to be an Auburn man.”
Etheridge played at Auburn from 2007-10 and was a four-year starter for the Tigers. During his junior season, he broke his neck, which required nine months of rehab.
Following his rehab, Etheridge returned to the field and was named a team captain during Auburn’s run to the national championship in 2010.
In 2012, Etheridge’s coaching career began as a graduate assistant coach at Penn State. He later became a defensive graduate assistant from 2013-14 at Georgia Tech.
Etheridge’s next stop was a two-year tenure at Western Carolina from 2016-17, where he was the program’s cornerbacks coach and later was the coach of the outside linebackers.
His final stop before Houston was at the University of Louisiana, helping lead them to a Sun Belt Conference Championship and an appearance in the Cure Bowl. During his lone season at Louisiana, Etheridge was the coach of the cornerbacks.
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Jake Weese, senior in journalism with a minor in history, is The Plainsman's sports editor.
