AUBURN, Ala. – Twenty-five years after helping lead Auburn to an SEC Western Division championship, Jimmy Brumbaugh returns to coach the Tigers' defensive line.
"It's a dream come true to have the opportunity to be back on the Plains," said Brumbaugh, who spent the 2021 season as a defensive line analyst at Oregon. "When I got the phone call to come back home, it was such a special place in my heart it really overwhelmed me, to be able to go back home where I had blood, sweat and tears on that football field was a great feeling."
A four-year Auburn letterman from 1995-99, Brumbaugh started 44 of 48 career games, making 291 tackles and 15 sacks while earning All-SEC honors.
"I've been waiting for this opportunity for 16 years, since my playing career ended," he said. "I've had a lot of battles on that field. I've been in a lot of Iron Bowls. I know what it takes to get it done and I know what I'm going to instill in my players based on that. Take them through the basic fundamentals that helped me become a good football player here."
A quarter century ago, Brumbaugh earned first-team All-SEC recognition while helping Auburn achieve a 10-win season and its first SEC West title.
"I never wanted someone to tell me I couldn't do something," he said. "That's why I always strove on the field to be a good football player. Every day I wake up, I try to get one percent better each day with whatever I'm doing, and that's what I instill in players.'I know what it takes': Jimmy Brumbaugh started 44 games for Auburn from 1995-99
"In '97, nobody expected anything out of us. That group that year really worked together. I believe if you work together and you work on the fundamentals and you play hard – reduce the game to technique and effort – you've got a chance."
As Louisiana Tech's D-line coach in 2008-09, Brumbaugh's teams played Boise State, when Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin was the Broncos' offensive coordinator.
"I really understood from a defensive standpoint, what he did to our defense," Brumbaugh said. "He was an offensive coach and defending him was really tough with the bunches and motions and different things he does. I really understood that he knows offense.
"I was fired up because I knew he wanted our Auburn defense and our fundamentals and what I grew up on, and what I understood and made me a good football player, and I knew what we did in '97."
Brumbaugh hopes to have the same impact on Auburn's D-linemen that his position coaches – Joe Whitt and Pete Jenkins – had on him.
"I really understand what it takes from a toughness standpoint," he said. "From a standpoint of technique and fundamentals because we had some really good football coaches then."
Brumbaugh leads an experienced group that includes Derick Hall, Colby Wooden and Marcus Harris.
"I see guys who are hungry. We've got a good nucleus of guys who want to work," he said. "It's my job to give them the medicines so they get better. It's about being a coach but also being a father figure. I believe the more you can develop your players and teach them how to play every spot, the better they become."
The start of spring practice Monday gives Brumbaugh the first opportunity to work on the field with his group.
"We go back to the fundamentals, to the basics," Brumbaugh said. "Once they believe in me, we start working on aspects of scheme, where they're going to play, how they're going to play, and getting them to understand those principles. You can't play in the SEC without having toughness."
When talking to prospective student-athletes, Brumbaugh shares his story, how Auburn helped him succeed during and after his player career.
"You've got to build relationships with their families," he said. "I've been all across the country. I've coached in the Big Ten. I've coached in the Pac-12. This is my fourth SEC team being a part of. When you see it all, you understand why the SEC is so important.
"I want to make sure they fit our scheme. I want good character guys. I want Auburn men. I want to put them through stressful situations and see how do they learn? Those are some critical factors when you're recruiting.
"You always talk about the Auburn family. That's a critical piece. Having a life after football, that Auburn still cares about you.
"You're going to have the best opportunity from the standpoint of playing in the SEC and play in the best football conference in the country."'Auburn still cares about you'
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer