The Auburn Tigers added a crucial piece to DJ Durkin’s defensive coaching staff this past offseason, who was with head coach Alex Golesh in Knoxville once upon a time, in safeties coach Tim Banks. Of course, Banks also worked with the Tennessee Volunteers’ head coach and offensive mastermind, Josh Heupel, as the team’s defensive coordinator for five seasons. That could hold a strategic advantage when Auburn visits Neyland Stadium as the first game of a brutal October.
That’s the case 247Sports’ Christian Clemente made during an interview with Rocky Top Insider’s Ryan Sylvia, who asked Clemente if familiarity with both coaching staffs could give one team the advantage. Clemente deemed it a wash, but having Banks could be more consequential to a culture that still has Heuepel as the figurehead than the Assistant GM, Player Personnel of the late Hugh Freeze era, Ryan Smith, switching to the Big Orange side.
“Auburn has Alex Golesh, Tim Banks, some other assistant coaches and personnel staffers that were up in Knoxville, and even Tennessee has some staffers who just left Auburn and work in the personnel department now. You’d probably lean towards a slight edge in favor of Auburn here given Banks’ familiarity with how Josh Heupel runs his offense, but I’d agree with your question and put it closer to a wash than anything else,” Clemente said…