How Interim HC DJ Durkin Can Impact Auburn's Culture

Auburn is turning to defensive coordinator DJ Durkin for the final three games of 2025 after firing head coach Hugh Freeze.

Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator DJ Durkin has been named the team's interim head coach after Hugh Freeze's firing. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the Auburn Tigers firing Hugh Freeze, DJ Durkin steps into the role of head coach on an interim basis. A defensive-minded coach, Durkin will continue to ensure that the unit runs smoothly down the stretch.

Meanwhile, as the head coach, how does Freeze's removal impact the team's culture?

Auburn Tigers defensive coordinator DJ Durkin is taking over as the team's interim head coach. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

Decisiveness

From former players to current ones, everyone will always know where Durkin stands. As a pass rusher at Bowling Green, Durkin handles his team the same way he played: straight ahead without sidestepping. While the defense is accustomed to that level of candor and surety, the offense languished under a system that lacked cohesiveness and direction.

Freeze employed a trio of offensive decision-makers: himself, quarterbacks coach Kent Austin, and offensive coordinator Derrick Nix. Durkin will most likely change that to hear just one voice and move forward. That singular message eliminates the noise, galvanizing a team.

Starting Quarterback

Akin to the decisive nature, Auburn will revert to having one quarterback who starts and another who enters the game due to injury or garbage time. As fundamentally basic as that seems, Freeze flipped quarterbacks twice in his last match, changing Ashton Daniels for Jackson Arnold, before inserting Daniels at the end of the Kentucky game.

Auburn Tigers quarterback Ashton Daniels started the game against Kentucky before being replaced by Jackson Arnold (11) before ultimately replacing Arnold himself. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The starter will take the lion's share of snaps in practice and in the game. From there, the playcaller, presumably Nix, will hopefully craft an offense around what he sees as the best way to utilize that quarterback's skill set. Arnold is a dual threat, but Daniels is the more accomplished runner. Nix will decide which offense can feature both quarterbacks in case one is sidelined by injury, necessitating a switch.

Change in Mindset

Auburn is no longer playing to save Freeze's job. Now, they have the business of earning a bowl bid. The thoughts of a post-Christmas bowl dissipated with the Georgia loss. At this point, the program should accept almost any invitation it receives. Within that, Durkin's aggressive mindset should see the team play with more energy on offense.

Auburn Tigers interim head coach DJ Durkin is known for his energy on the sideline. / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For example, Kentucky's defense manhandled the offensive line, pushing them four yards into the backfield, collapsing the pocket, and wrecking the game plan. Blocking is a combination of technique, strength, and also an innate meanness that drives a player to lock on and not stop until the echo of the whistle. Moreover, that could transfer onto the quarterbacks.

Without needing to answer three people, you could see Daniels and Arnold actually relax. Instead of looking rushed or frantic, the coaching change could bring about calm confidence.

Bottom Line

Durkin takes over a team in dire need of an attitude change, hearing "we're so close" when victory seems further away. Auburn's season is far from over, as they still have much to play for. Make no mistake, Freeze probably had his loyalists among the players; they may not buy into his approach.

However, the majority of the players stepped onto the Plains to win games. If three is a small sample of what life within the team can be, it's a vast improvement from how the culture was.

Can the Tigers use Durkin's elevation to interim head coach as a rallying cry to pull a couple of upsets and land a bowl invite?

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