Meet the Coaches: Auburn offensive coordinator Philip MontgomeryMeet the Coaches: Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

Meet the Coaches: Auburn offensive coordinator Philip Montgomery

by Greg Ostendorf

AUBURN, Ala. – Faith, family and football.

For Philip Montgomery, that’s what matters. That’s what is important to him. As an offensive coordinator in the SEC, he spends a lot of his time in the office or on the football field or out on the road recruiting. But when he does get away, it’s all about family.

“I wish I had more hobbies,” Montgomery said. “My wife tells me I need more hobbies. But honestly, when we get time away from here, I want to go spend it with my wife and my kids. Whether that’s going to the lake, watching a movie together, playing cards together, going out on the grill – it’s just spending quality time with my family.”

Montgomery, who accepted the Auburn offensive coordinator job in December, comes to The Plains from Tulsa where he was the head coach for the last eight seasons.

His time at Tulsa might not have ended the way he had hoped, but Montgomery is proud of the work they did there. In eight seasons, he led the Golden Hurricane to four bowl games, including a 10-3 record in 2016 and back-to-back bowl appearances in 2020 and 2021. During his tenure, he coached 44 all-conference performers and three All-Americans.

More importantly, Montgomery got to do it with his family by his side … literally.

“We look back at our time there as a really positive thing,” he said. “We had some great years there, got to experience some things that not everybody would get to. My son played for me. My daughter was a college cheerleader and a flyer. That experience, to have all my kids on the field at the same time with me at a Division I level – that probably never happens.

“We had some really special times and special moments there. I think that has prepared us for this next chapter in our life, and we’re excited about that one.”

 

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The next chapter for Montgomery is at Auburn, and his family is coming with him. His son, Cannon, is a graduate assistant coach on the football team. His daughter, Maci, also moved to Auburn where she will be a graduate student this fall.

The biggest adjustment for Montgomery will be transitioning back into the role of offensive coordinator after serving as a head coach since 2015. It’s an adjustment he’s looking forward to. Prior to becoming a head coach, he was one of the top offensive coordinators in college football. In 2013, while at Baylor, he was named a finalist for the Broyles Award.  

“I think the biggest draw for me was as the offensive coordinator, I get to really focus on ball and I get to focus on the offense,” Montgomery said. “As the head coach, you get pulled in a lot of different directions. As the offensive coordinator, you really put all your focus and your attention on that side of it, continuing to build our offense and build our players within that.

“And then for me, it allows me to go back to my roots and really focus on the part of the game that I love doing, which is just trying to be creative and play that chess match game as you get into it and give our guys an opportunity to go be successful. That’s always fun.”

First-year head coach Hugh Freeze has already announced that Montgomery will call the plays for Auburn’s offensive this coming season, which will be nothing new for the veteran coach. He’s always called plays, even as the head coach at Tulsa. It will be an adjustment for Freeze who, like Montgomery, has always called plays. But the two share similar philosophies on offense and have worked well together throughout the offseason. 

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Ultimately, it was Freeze who convinced Montgomery to jump back into coaching after being let go at Tulsa. He could have taken a year off. He could have waited for another head coaching job to come open. But he chose to come to Auburn.

“It was a special opportunity,” Montgomery said. “After sitting down with Hugh and getting to visit with him and seeing his vision for this place, my wife and I felt like this was a great chance to get in on an opportunity to build a program back to where it’s traditionally been. That was exciting to us.”

Auburn wasn’t a hard sell either. For Montgomery, it’s a place that shares his same core values – faith, family and football.

Since he’s been here, Montgomery has experienced the Auburn Family firsthand. He’s seen the passion at basketball, gymnastics, baseball, and softball – everything was full. He’s had people in the community go out of their way to welcome him and his family.

“The people here at the university and in the community and all the alumni out there, there’s just a different feel and atmosphere to it all,” he said. “That family and that connection that happens here, we’ve already felt it. It is different. Until you get in the middle of it, you don’t really understand it. They’re passionate about their university. They’re passionate about all the things that encompass that.

“This is a place that they’re going to provide you the things you need to be successful. Now you’ve just got to go to work and make those things happen.”