‘He’s the heartbeat of our defense:’ Champ Anthony Talks Auburn DC DJ Durkin

There was plenty of praise for Auburn's defensive coordinator DJ Durkin during SEC Media Days on Tuesday.

Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator DJ Durkin during practice at Woltosz Football Performance Center in Auburn, Ala. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Amidst a long stretch of disappointing Auburn Tiger football seasons, one aspect of the team has remained relatively consistent: top-level defense. The Tigers, led by defensive coordinator DJ Durkin, have boasted some of the best defenses in the country, most notably in 2025, when the Tigers allowed fewer than 24 points in all but two of their games. 

On Tuesday, one of Durkin’s own, DB Champ Anthony, took to the stand during SEC Media Days to talk just how important Durkin is to the Tigers’ defense, as well as how he managed to retain most of the Tigers’ defense amidst a head coaching change.

“It was what everybody thinks it was,” Anthony said. “Coach Durk stayed, so we stayed. Like, Coach Durk, he’s the heartbeat of our defense. He’s a guy who motivates us day in and day out, no matter what. He’s the same person; he’s the same man, and you got to commemorate a man like that in college football. You don’t see a lot of real men like that.”

Durkin has been an instrumental part of Auburn’s football program, let alone its defense, since he was hired in 2024, and even spent a short stint as the Tigers’ interim head coach in between the Freeze fire and subsequent Golesh hire. Under Durkin, the Tigers were 1-2, as they beat Mercer but lost to Vanderbilt and Alabama. 

However, under Durkin, the Tigers took a massive step in the right direction, taking both the Commodores and the Crimson Tide down to the wire, and before Golesh was hired, there was a genuine case for him to be the next full-time head coach of the program. Instead, Golesh was hired, and one of his first orders of business was to make sure that Durkin stuck around for his tenure.

Golesh replaced just about every other coach on the roster, particularly on offense, but Durkin and his group stayed put, as, well, the Tigers’ defense was not an issue last year. It kept a flailing Auburn offense in games that they, frankly, had no business being in, and now, coupled with a Golesh-led offense, the Tigers could be a dark horse to make a deep run during a grueling SEC schedule. 

Many are saying that this season will come down to Golesh’s offense, with little concern for how the defense will look, which is an incredible testament to just how good Auburn’s defense has been under Durkin. With endorsements like this from a key leader of his group, it is easy to see why Auburn players love playing for him, as well as why they play and develop so well.

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