Auburn is expected to name DJ Durkin as the next defensive coordinator of the Tigers. He will replace Ron Roberts, who accepted a role on the staff at Florida.
ESPN’s Greg McElroy discussed Auburn’s decision to hire Durkin and identified the biggest problem the Tigers may face under Durkin. McElroy addressed the potential backlash of the hire due to the Maryland incident but believes that a schematic issue will be a much bigger problem.
“DJ Durkin’s really well-liked, and well-respected as a football coach,” McElroy said. “The problem that I have with it is I don’t know what style of defense is his. I feel like he’s been a runaway bride. Every single time she was dating somebody, she changed her favorite eggs. I don’t know what he is.
“I don’t know what his defensive identity is… That’s what I’m most curious about. It’s not that I don’t think it’s a good hire, it’s I don’t know what style of defense he’s going to employ.”
Durkin was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M for the past two seasons. He also served as the co-defensive coordinator at Ole Miss and was an assistant at Florida from 2010-14. He was named the 2012 Rivals Recruiter of the Year.