Meet Auburn football’s 2023 coaching staff
The 2023 season is getting closer, and it will surely be exciting for Auburn as they get set to take the field under new head coach Hugh Freeze.
Freeze comes to Auburn after a successful four-year stint at Liberty, where he led the Flames to 34 wins in 49 tries. At Liberty, he earned victories over several Power Five programs such as Syracuse, Virginia Tech, and Arkansas.
Prior to his tenure at Liberty, Freeze coached Ole Miss for five seasons from 2012-2016. He won 39 games with the Rebels and was best known for his explosive offenses and for beating Alabama two seasons in 2014 and 2015.
Freeze hopes to enjoy the same success at Auburn that he had at Ole Miss and Liberty, and he has assembled quite a staff to get the job done.
Here’s a look at the 2023 Auburn football coaching staff.
Offensive Coordinator: Philip Montgomery
Montgomery comes to Auburn following an eight-year campaign as the head coach of the Tulsa Golden Hurricane. Prior to being a head coach, Montgomery was best known for his explosive offenses at Baylor. As a coordinator for Art Briles, he coached Robert Griffin III, Nick Florence, and Bryce Petty.
Check out the history of quarterbacks coached by Montgomery here.
Associate Head Coach/Running backs: Cadillac Williams
Auburn’s favorite son, Cadillac Williams, returns to Auburn’s staff to serve as running backs coach and associate head coach. Williams was called upon to lead the program following the dismissal of Bryan Harsin and ended the season with a 2-2 record. After Freeze was hired, it was imperative that he remain on staff.
Wide receivers: Marcus Davis
A former Auburn receiver, Marcus Davis is set to begin his first season as the Tigers’ receivers coach. He is young in his coaching career, but he has made stops at Florida State, Hawaii, and Georgia Southern prior to his return to his alma mater.
Tight ends: Ben Aigamaua
Ben Aigamaua is a 13-year coaching veteran and has built a solid relationship with Hugh Freeze. He spent seven seasons at Ole Miss in a variety of roles, and most recently spent the last four seasons as tight ends coach at Liberty.
Offensive line: Jake Thornton
Jake Thornton joins Auburn’s staff after spending the last two seasons at Ole Miss. Prior to his time with the Rebels, Thornton spent time with Gardner-Webb, Tennessee Tech, and Western Carolina.
Ron Roberts
Kicking off the defensive side of the football is defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. Roberts has been a coach for 31 seasons and has even been a head coach at Delta State and Southeastern Louisiana. Most recently, he was the defensive coordinator at Baylor for three seasons.
Cornerbacks: Wesley McGriff
Outside of the three former players on staff, Wesley McGriff has the most experience with being on the Plains, as he returns for his third stint with the program. Last season at Louisville, his secondary forced 10 interceptions, which ranked 10th best in the country.
Safeties: Zac Etheridge
Joining Cadillac Williams as a “non-negotiable” in the hiring process, Zac Etheridge returns as the Tigers’ secondary coach. He began his coaching career in 2016 as the cornerbacks coach for Western Carolina for two seasons. He has also coached at Louisiana and Houston.
Linebackers: Josh Aldridge
Josh Aldridge is an up-and-coming linebackers coach who is ready to make an appearance in the Power Five. He comes to Auburn after spending four seasons at Liberty. Prior to Liberty, he was an instrumental part of 10-win teams at Lenior-Rhyne and West Georgia.
Defensive line: Jeremy Garrett
Jeremy Garrett comes to Auburn with several years of experience at both the NFL and collegiate levels. He worked with the Cleveland Browns’ staff from 2020-21 before making the move to Liberty in 2022 to work under Freeze.
