Skip to Content, Navigation, or Footer.
A spirit that is not afraid

Auburn rounds out coaching staff after Derek Mason steps down

Nov. 20, 2021; Columbia, South Carolina; Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin looks on before a match between Auburn and South Carolina in Williams-Brice Stadium.
Nov. 20, 2021; Columbia, South Carolina; Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin looks on before a match between Auburn and South Carolina in Williams-Brice Stadium.

Auburn football head coach Bryan Harsin announced several defensive coaching changes Saturday morning.

Former defensive coordinator Derek Mason is stepping down from his position, causing a vacancy at defensive coordinator, Auburn Athletics announced in a press release. Filling the position means a stir up of coaching for the Tigers.

“First and foremost, I want to thank Coach Mason for his leadership as our defensive coordinator this past season and wish nothing but the best for him on his next steps,” Harsin said in a statement. “The decision to leave Auburn was not an easy one for him, and he will always be a part of the Auburn family.”

To fill Mason’s shoes, Harsin promoted former assistant head coach, linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator Jeff Schmedding to defensive coordinator for Auburn.

Prior to joining the Tigers, Schmedding was the defensive coordinator at Boise State under Harsin. He helped lead the Broncos to a Mountain West Conference championship win in 2019, and that team also ranked in the top 25 nationally in scoring defense.

“Coach Schmedding was at Coach Mason’s side day after day getting our defense prepared and ready," Harsin said. "He is a tremendous defensive coach, who has coordinated championship defenses and is a proven winner. I know our defense will take the next steps forward under Coach Schmedding’s leadership."

Also, former cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge will now lead Auburn’s secondary and serve as recruiting coordinator.

Etheridge thrived in his first coaching season at Auburn in 2021. The former Auburn safety and team captain for the 2010 national championship team joined his alma mater in 2021 as cornerbacks coach after serving the previous two seasons in the same role with the University of Houston.

At defensive line coach, the Tigers have brought Jimmy Brumbaugh, former Auburn All-SEC defensive lineman, back home to coach on The Plains. 

Brumbaugh brings almost 20 years of coaching experience and much experience with coaching defensive lines to Auburn. Most recently, Brumbaugh spent a year as a defensive line analyst at Oregon in 2021. He spent the 2019 season leading the defensive line at the Colorado and joined Tennessee as a co-defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2020.

In the 2013-16 seasons, Brumbaugh proved himself to be one of the game's best defensive line coaches, as he helped transform Kentucky's football program and led them to the team to its first bowl game in six years in 2016 when they won the TaxSlayer bowl.

He also developed three future NFL Draft picks there. One of them is Bud Dupree, who earned All-SEC honors in 2013 and 2014 and ranked top 10 in sacks in both of those campaigns.

Dupree, selected 22nd overall in the 2015 draft, has 42.5 career sacks in the NFL and currently plays for the No. 1 seed in the AFC playoff bracket, the Tennessee Titans.

“I’m honored to be back at a place I love,” Brumbaugh said. “Auburn is special, and it’s elite. The chance to learn from and work with Coach Harsin and the staff in place is one of the great opportunities in my career. Saturdays in the fall in Jordan-Hare are second to none, and I can’t wait to get started working with this group.”

The last move in coaching is the hire of Christian Robinson as the linebackers coach and defensive run game coordinator. 

Robinson has spent the past four seasons as Florida’s linebackers coach. There, he helped lead the Gators to rank seventh in the nation in scoring defense in 2019. That Florida team established itself as one of the best defenses in the country, ranking third in the nation in red zone defense.

Robinson has showed he knows how to develop talent. He produced four linebackers at Florida who went on to be drafted to the NFL. Among them are Jonathan Greenard, Vosean Joseph, Ventrell Miller and Mohamoud Diabate. Miller led the Gators in tackles in 2020, while Diabate racked up the most tackles among all Gator defenders the last two seasons.

“I want to thank Coach Harsin for this tremendous opportunity,” Robinson said. “As a player and coach in this league, I’ve seen the power of Auburn football and the passion of this fan base. There is a long history of great linebacker play here. It’s a privilege to help lead this next group of backers. War Eagle!

Enjoy what you're reading? Get content from The Auburn Plainsman delivered to your inbox

Auburn can now focus on recruiting as it seems to have its coaching staff in place. Auburn was able to stay within the program for two of its hires, and one of the two it brought in is an Auburn alumnus, continuing Harsin's Auburn Family narrative in hiring his staff for the upcoming season.


Share and discuss “Auburn rounds out coaching staff after Derek Mason steps down” on social media.