Alex Golesh, Auburn Working to Decide DJ Durkin Future

The Auburn Tigers new head coach is working to see if retaining Durkin is the right move going forward

It's still unknown if Durkin will stay at Auburn | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUBURN, Ala.- New Auburn Tigers head coach Alex Golesh was introduced today as the new Auburn football head coach. He was greeted by fans during his first-ever Tiger Walk and then gave his introductory press conference shortly after. 

First steps on Pat Dye Field.
A new era for the Golesh family 🦅 pic.twitter.com/d9seAZjnIJ

— Auburn Football (@AuburnFootball) December 1, 2025

During the press conference, Golesh was asked whether Auburn defensive coordinator DJ Durkin would be retained on the staff. 

“I'm working through it. We've got a plan. We're working through the steps to execute the plan. My hope is that in the next call, it's 24 to 48 hours, that gets finalized, and we have some clarity with which direction we're going, but we're working through it.”

Durkin took over as Auburn’s interim head coach after the firing of Hugh Freeze. In his time as the interim head coach, Auburn went 1-2 with losses to Vanderbilt and Alabama in the Iron Bowl, while only beating Mercer.

Durkin turned around an Auburn offense that was struggling immensely. Before the Freeze firing, Auburn scored only three points against the Kentucky Wildcats, which was the final nail in the coffin for Freeze’s job security. Auburn then proceeded to score 100 points in two weeks without Freeze at the helm.

However, for Durkin, his primary job was being the team's defensive coordinator. The Auburn defense played at an elite level through most of the regular season, until Durkin had to split duties between the offense and the defense. 

Prior to Durkin having to split time, Auburn was one of only three FBS teams to now allow an opponent to score more than 24 points in a single contest. But once Durkin had to split time between both sides of the ball, the defense started slipping up. 

The fact cannot be ignored that the Auburn defense was one of the best in the country prior to Durkin becoming interim head coach, and it should be nearly essential for Golesh to want to retain one of the best defensive coordinators in the country. 

For Golesh, his offenses are historically one of the best in the nation. To pair a Golesh offense and a Durkin defense is definitely a sight that Auburn fans would love to see. The Golesh era on the plains is officially underway, as the Auburn Tigers begin their offseason with a new coach at the helm.