Picture Day: assistant coaches preview season

Picture Day: assistant coaches preview seasonPicture Day: assistant coaches preview season

AUBURN, Ala. – After Auburn's second scrimmage, offensive line coach J.B. Grimes told his five returning starters how far they've come since last year's season opener against Washington.

"I had no idea what I was going to get," Grimes said. "I was as nervous as a cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Now, when those five guys trot out there, I know exactly what we're going to get.

"I don't think it's close. We're so much further along. We're all talking in the same language. Rosetta Stone will try to convince you that you can learn a new language overnight. That's not true. It takes awhile to get that cohesiveness.

"Now what we're able to do is we can make things right. When you go out there and that ball is snapped, there's no telling what's going to happen. You can sit there and have all the plans of mice and men, and then chaos ensues.

"Now you've got guys who have been in the fray. They understand the fray and they can make it right. This time a year ago, we could not do that."

'So much further along': J.B. Grimes, front row, second from left, with Auburn's offensive line

Grimes and his fellow Auburn assistant coaches spoke with reporters Thursday morning in the Tigers Den after Picture Day activities at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

At SEC Media Days, head coach Gus Malzahn said the Tigers' 2019 defense could be Auburn's best in his 10 seasons on the plains. Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele's unit finished No. 14 nationally in scoring defense last season.

"If you've got a talented group – and they don't have to be the most talented – but if the chemistry, focus and relentless work ethic to play the next play is there, then you've got a chance," Steele said.

Offensive coordinator Kenny Dillingham joined the Tigers in December and turned 29 two weeks after A-Day.

"Not necessarily about the age, but I pinch myself and say, 'I'm the offensive coordinator at Auburn. That's pretty cool,'" Dillingham said. "It's a special place. It's not just because it's SEC football, because it's Auburn, it's rolling the trees, the eagle flight, the people here are all in. This is a very, very special place. I pinch myself more because of being able to coach football in this environment, more than my age. Football is football, but being able to coach here is pretty special."

Like Dillingham, Auburn legend Carnell Williams is in his first season on the Tigers' coaching staff.

"God has blessed me in so many ways," said Williams, Auburn's career leader with 45 rushing touchdowns. "One of the best accomplishments I've ever done in life is getting an opportunity to come back to my university that had such an impact on me to be the running backs coach.

"Watching how those [Auburn running backs] grind, how those guys interact, there are just so many memories and things that come back on my days of being here, it's overwhelming at times."

Like Williams, the third new member of Malzahn's staff is no stranger to Auburn. Defensive backs coach Wesley McGriff coached for the Tigers in 2016 before becoming the defensive coordinator at Ole Miss.

McGriff says Auburn is seeking to develop enough defensive backs in preseason camp to be able to combat pass-oriented offenses like the Tigers' season opening opponent, Oregon.

"You're automatically going to go into the game with five starters," McGriff said. "In this league, to play at a high level from now until February, you better have 10 starters in the secondary. At the same time, those young men are going to have to play special teams and be effective. I would say we're close to it. You know coaches are never satisfied.

"When we formulate that starting unit, that second group that goes in you're not going to see a tremendous drop-off."

Recruiting coordinator Marcus Woodson teams up with McGriff to coach Auburn's secondary.

"Some of the younger guys have progressed a lot quicker than we expected," Woodson said. "That's been a pleasant surprise. I like the progress we've made as far as developing the depth up until this point but we've got a long way to go in a short period of time."

Special teams coordinator Larry Porter oversees Auburn's tight ends and H-backs, including transfer Jay Jay Wilson and freshmen Tyler Fromm and Luke Deal.

"Jay Jay comes with a skill set that we really haven't had around here in a while, which gives us some flexibility as well as some versatility," Porter said.

Auburn's defensive line returns standouts Derrick Brown, Marlon Davidson and Nick Coe but replaces Dontavius Russell, who started 49 games from 2015-18.

"Those are some big shoes to fill," associate head coach Rodney Garner said. "Every Sunday when you graded the film, he was a guy who consistently graded out as a champion. I think [Tyrone] Truesdell has made some steps in the right direction. He needs to continue to improve and take that next step.

With Coynis [Miller Jr.], we bring him along, getting him well. Once we get [Daquan] Newkirk back out there, we've got three guys that hopefully between those guys we're going to be able to complement the other guys."

Of Auburn's 10 assistant coaches, four played for the Tigers: Garner, Carnell Williams, Travis Williams and Kodi Burns.

"I feel really good about where we are," said Burns, Auburn's co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach. "We've got some nicks and bruises, but when we get everything squared away, I feel as good as I've felt since I've been here. Obviously, we're recruiting at a high level, we've got some more guys coming who are going to help us out in the next year or so.

"I know what we're going to get out of certain guys. That gives some other players some opportunities to go out there and prove to us, when you're going against really good players like Noah Igbinoghene and Javaris Davis on a daily basis, to see what you can do. We're looking for these four to seven guys to step up and be consistent in what they're doing."

The Tigers will unveil new starting linebackers this season, replacing Deshaun Davis and Darrell Williams.

"They're a really close group. Chandler Wooten and K.J. Britt really have done a great job leading those guys," Travis Williams said. "Their time is here. They've been waiting their turn. I'm really pleased with the progress of the group."

2019 Auburn Tigers coaching staff

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer