Auburn football coach Bryan Harsin promoted assistant head coach/linebackers coach Jeff Schmedding to defensive coordinator after Derek Mason stepped down, the school announced on Saturday.
Schmedding came with Harsin from Boise State, where Schmedding was Harsin’s defensive coordinator during the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Mason, the former head coach at Vanderbilt, was at Auburn for just one season. Sources told ESPN Mason plans to explore other coaching opportunities, both in college and the NFL.
“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.”
Harsin’s coaching staff at Auburn will have a completely different look to it in 2022. He brought in Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach Austin Davis to be offensive coordinator after firing Mike Bobo at the end of last season.
On defense, Harsin is bringing in former Auburn All-SEC defensive lineman Jimmy Brumbaugh to coach the Tigers’ defensive line. Brumbaugh was a defensive analyst at Oregon last season, and before that was at Tennessee under Jeremy Pruitt before being fired midway through the 2020 season. Brumbaugh will replace Nick Eason, who left to take the run game coordinator/defensive tackles job at Clemson.
In addition, Christian Robinson has joined the Auburn staff as linebackers coach and defensive run-game coordinator. Robinson was on the Florida staff from 2018 to ’21, but was not retained when Billy Napier was named the Gators’ coach.
Auburn also announced that cornerbacks coach Zac Etheridge will take over coaching Auburn’s secondary and serve as recruiting coordinator.